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Nature, history and beach lovers, gather your gear and escape to stunning and exquisite St. Simons Island, Georgia. The southern oak trees with hanging moss capture your attention. The local cuisine will delight your palate. Canoe or kayak along the coastal marshlands. To top it off, there are fab inns, lodges and resorts.

Allure of the King and Prince Beach and Golf ResortWhether you’re designing a solo exploration, romantic rendezvous, family-friendly adventure, ladies’ spa retreat, guys’ golf getaway or wed-ding celebration, the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, with its majestic beach, is ideal. The resort has many options to suit your fancy. Con-sider pool and beach views in the Oceanfront Building. The oceanfront suites, tower rooms and cabana rooms with regal parlors and pa-tios await you in the Historic Building. For larger parties, there are lovely two- and three-bedroom beach villas with balconies overlooking the ocean, as well as splendid resort residences with beach cottages and upscale, private homes of up to five bedrooms. The resort boasts Rubico clay tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course and amazing massages at the Royal Treatment Cot-

tage. ECHO Restaurant is a farm-to-table bistro at its best. It is the island’s sole oceanfront restau-rant and serves up traditional coastal cuisine like shrimp and grits and contemporary fare such as surf-and-turf kabobs. Have the mixologist hand craft cocktails for your group..

Self-Guided ExcursionsThe serenity of nature calls. Take a self-guided tour of the island. Stroll over to Ocean Motion to rent a bicycle for a half day, a full day or a week. Drop by the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau to get your map of the island and a map of the seven mysterious Tree Spirits. Saun-ter through Neptune Park and tour the must-see St. Simons Lighthouse.

The Island According to Cap FendigTake a by land and by sea tour with Cap Fendig of Lighthouse Trolleys. You’ll get a lesson in St. Simons’ place in history as you ride the open-air trolley around the glorious island by day. In the evening, go for the one-hour ghost tour. Bask in the fresh air and calming, relaxing waters as you take a dolphin tour along the marshland. Experi-ence the beauty of the dazzling horizon on the sunset cruise as you enjoy a self-packed dinner.

Delectable DiningFor breakfast, eat at the legendary Sandcastle Café & Grill. Feast on tasty salmon and cream cheese omelet crab benedict. Lunch at Gnat’s Landing and relish the crab balls, Low Country boil, fried grouper fingers and delicious fried dill pickles. For dinner, delight in the Low Country crab rice, shrimp Berardi and crab-stuffed hush-puppies at the elegant Georgia Sea Grill.

Sightseeing and ShoppingShop at the Market at Sea Island. Take a trip to nearby Darien to see the Sugar Marsh Cot-tage, which houses a magnificent, colorful dis-play of luscious, gourmet shortbreads, tasty toffees and luxury chocolates. Several shops featuring souvenirs by area artisans are in St. Simons Pier Village.

Leslie E. Royal, an international travel journal-ist of 20 years, journeys to islands throughout the world. She is the author of Leslie’s Lane The Book! The volume, sold on Amazon, features FREE and discount luxury travel among other money-saving tips. Follow her on @LesliesLane.

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St. SimonS iSland, GeorGiaThe Golden Isles’ largest barrier island offers extraordinary wildlife,

picturesque beaches and much more. By LesLIe e. RoyaL