It was a slow mornings with coffee kind of week with bike rides under the massive oak trees, sandy feet, beach chairs lined up, fishing rods in the water, kids in and out of the pool, and the simple joy of family being together in one place.
That was the best part.
Sea Island is a resort community on the coast of Georgia, just off St. Simons Island. It has a beautiful coastal feel with moss-draped oak trees, salt marsh, wide beaches, beautiful homes, and relaxed (yet energetic?) pace that makes you simultaneously start to unwind and come alive when you arrive. Last year we filled our stay with many of the activities they offer, but this year we opted for a more relaxed visit.
We stayed in a cottage with a pool, which was a great setup for our crew of 11. We had access to some of the resort amenities and took advantage of a few of them — the spa, the gym, and the free morning croissants and coffee, but most of the week was wonderfully simple.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in Cottage 429, a beautiful 5BR/4BA home about 2.5 miles down from the main resort/amenities, tucked away from the hustle and bustle and a great distance for biking. We loved the big open space, the natural light, the back deck, and everything was impeccably clean and fresh. The best part though was the backyard view of the marsh. With the swing hanging from the tree, it felt like a scene right out of a storybook.
The Rhythm of Our Week
Coffee, bikes, pool, beach, repeat. Sounds like that new Luke Bryan song, doesn’t it? 😉
We enjoyed a really relaxed rhythm for the week. We kicked things off with a major treat- a golf game for the guys and a spa day for the girls. Sea Island offers facials for tweens and teens, which both Hailey and Kaitlyn took advantage of. They are done in a room right outside the spa facilities since they aren’t old enough to go in there, but they are top notch. Both of the girls raved about the experience and now are sufficiently spoiled. My apologies to their future husbands.
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While the rhythm of the days was relaxed, we actually fit in a lot of fun things. Biking to The Cloister for coffee and croissants in the solarium is a hit for our family of four because it combines biking with a destination and a sweet treat.
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Morning and evening walks on the beach are my favorite ways to experience it. The tide was so low one morning that we could walk so far out, admiring shells, crabs, sand dollars, and some unidentifiable squishy things. Sea slugs?
Unfortunately we did not discover David’s hat that he lost the previous day while playing in the waves with the kids.
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The fitness center is so nice and I always see a new gym as an adult playground, so it was nice to get a few workouts in and try machines we don’t always have access to.
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We brought our own poles and bought fresh shrimp from the yacht club so we could spend as much time fishing as we liked. We fished off the beach and fished off the pier. We had a lot of success, even if most of the catches were tiny. And we aren’t convinced that Kaitlyn didn’t just keep catching the same fish (Gobbles) over and over again.
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Walks on the boardwalk, taking turns on the water slide, playing Dominion as we watched the sun go down, getting out and exploring. It was really lovely to have the opportunity to just slow down and enjoy those beachy thing.
A Memorial Day Murph
We always want our kids to understand the meaning behind this “kick off to summer” weekend. It’s usually been a short and sweet conversation about the sacrifices men, women, and their families have made to ensure our freedoms, but the last couple of years we’ve kicked it up a notch with a family style Murph.
“The Murph workout is an elite, grueling functional fitness conditioning test. Named in honor of U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy (who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005), it has become a staple Memorial Day tradition in the CrossFit and military communities.”
It consists of:
- 1-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- 1-mile run
We all did the running (Mema, too!), we had to swap pull-ups for sit ups since we had no bar, and then we split up the push ups and squats between us. Except for David and my nephew- they each did the whole thing on their own. It was good to push ourselves a bit while remembering the reason we all get to “celebrate” Memorial Day Weekend.
What We Ate
We stocked the kitchen with groceries and ate the majority of our meals at home. Everyone has different wake up times, but coffee, eggs, bagels, pancakes, and fruit worked for breakfast for all, whether it was at 7:30 or 11:30 🙂
Lunches were often leftovers or snacks, and dinners were simple group fare like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizzas (we picked up take and bake from Papa Murphy’s on the way in), Mema’s famous lasagna (shh… don’t tell, it’s Stouffer’s ;)), and one night we had a low country boil delivered, which was fun!
Our Dinner at Delaney’s
We did have one dinner out and WOW was it one to highlight. Delaney’s Bistro and Bar is a locally owned gem on St. Simon’s. David and I had an epic date night there two years ago and have raved about it ever since. David’s uncle works at the restaurant and getting to combine the incredible food with visiting with Uncle Kevin and his wonderful wife, Angie, is such a treat.
We shared a few appetizers- the portobello pizza, ahi tuna, fresh rolls, and salad. I had the bone in filet, which was incredible, but was grateful to try bites of the other dishes, too. The food is all insanely good and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. We even got to chat with Mr. Delaney for a bit and thank his son, the head chef, for the delicious dinner.
The Best Part: Time Together
Family is everything to me and getting to spend time with my nieces and nephews that I don’t get to see as often as I like is such a treat. I think what I enjoyed most from the week was the little pockets of conversation that happen when everyone has time to step away from everyday life and just get to relax together for a bit.
Thanks for the memories, Sea Island!
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