Our Lodging: Sea Palms Resort
Fabgrandpa and I decided it was time to take a short trip to the coast, to help chase away the winter “blahs”. I found the Sea Palms Resort through Booking.com, which I have used several times to make reservations. It was a very good price for the location, at $99 per night for a room with two double beds.
The room was quite large compared to other places we have stayed. We were not right on top of each other all weekend. The bed was comfortable, but I think next time I will look for at least a queen size, as I found myself teetering on the edge several times over the three nights we were there.
There was no microwave in the tiny “kitchen” area of the room. It did have a sink, a one cup coffee maker, and a refrigerator. I like that we didn’t have to make coffee from the same sink where we combed our hair and washed our faces.
There were large drawers in the combined TV cabinet and dresser. I like to unpack my suitcase and put my clothes in a drawer, even if I am only staying a night or two. Not having to find things in a suitcase is one less thing to worry about while on a short vacation.
I loved the bath tub. It had a built in seat on the wall side, and that made for a more relaxed shower for me. I can’t get down into the bath tub, and wouldn’t be able to get out of it if I did, so having this large tiled seat was a luxurious addition that was a really nice touch.
There was also a large counter and double sinks in the bathroom. It was one more thing that made our trip a little more pleasant. I had my side, he had his. Oh, and you can’t see it, but there was really strong exhaust fan with a light over the toilet. I give that feature of the room an A++.
We have never stayed in a place quite like this before. The reception/check-in area was in a building more than a mile away from the guest rooms. We drove through a subdivision and past the gold course to get to our building. I don’t know how many buildings there were, but they looked somewhat like condos. I think the only thing I would change would be to add a few more handicapped parking spaces. There were only two that I could see.
Our Food
Getting there was such a pain in the behind on Friday. We had to go to Gadsden, Alabama first, then take off for the coast. That added about a hundred and thirty miles to the trip. By the time we got on I-75 South, the traffic was terrible due to a wreck near Jodeco Road. It took us about an hour and a half to go twenty miles, and put us way behind schedule. We wound up eating dinner on Friday night at Cracker Barrel in Dublin, Georgia. That is usually not so bad, and even though I eat a gluten free diet, I love fried chicken livers and I especially love the ones they serve at Cracker Barrel. However, that night the fried chicken livers were hard as hockey pucks, and inedible. We finally pulled up to the office of Sea Palms around 9:00 p.m. and decided to just eat snacks because we were both tired and grumpy.
Barbara Jean’s
We slept too late to find breakfast available at any of the area restaurants, so we decided to go to Barbara Jean’s for lunch instead. Fabgrandpa ordered the Blackened Chicken Sandwich and I ordered the Grilled Cheese, Bacon & Tomato Sandwich (NOT gluten free). He wound up sending his back because it the chicken was hard and dry. He replaced it with a Grilled Cheese, Bacon & Tomato sandwich like mine. Those were perfect! oozy cheese, crispy bacon and ripe tomatoes all grilled together in a sandwich.
Barbara Jean’s is open for lunch and dinner, Sunday thru Thursday, 11am-8:30pm Friday and Saturday, 11am – 9:30pm. Times subject to change. The menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches, meats and vegetables.
The Coastal Kitchen
I don’t know why I forgot to take my camera with me when we went to dinner on Saturday night. Because of that, I have no photos of the food we ate. It was presented very nicely, too, and looked good on the plate.
I had Stuffed Flounder with Blue Crab. It was accompanied by Vermont White Cheddar Grits, Asparagus And Whole Grain Mustard Sauce. The chef there really knows how to cook fish. It was light and flaky and didn’t taste like it had been cooked too long. The asparagus was steamed just right! and the sauce, well, it made everything taste better. I would have never thought to put those flavors together on my own.
Fabgrandpa ordered the special of Grouper with jalapeno Tomato Butter Sauce, Vermont White Cheddar Grits, and Broccoli. We also ordered the Lobster Nachos, which were very delicious, but I would recommend either ordering them as your entree or not ordering them at all. We couldn’t eat them all, and it was a shame because they were so good!
Bennie’s Red Barn
Bennie’s was recommended by a friend. She said the food there was good, and it had a quiet, laid back atmosphere. She was right on both points. It is the oldest privately owned restaurant on Saint Simons Island, being in business since 1954. The menu includes steak, chicken, seafood, and spaghetti. My dinner was the grilled seafood platter, except that I requested my oysters fried. That turned out to be a good choice. There was grouper, shrimp, scallops, and oysters, too much to eat it all. Fabgrandpa ordered his exactly like I did. Our friend, Polly, had a top sirloin steak. She said it was cooked just the way she likes it and came with a baked potato. We all had a bowl of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
The Scenery
I love going to Coastal Georgia. Although each of the islands are different, they all have palm trees and an ocean view. After lunch on Saturday, we all walked around downtown Saint Simons, looking in the shops at all the items for sale.
There were the usual touristy souvenirs like magnets (yes, we bought a couple), post cards, beachy art, and candy shops. It was just a short walk to the pier, where we saw large ocean going ships sailing out of the Brunswick port into the Atlantic.
It was just a short trip to the coast to see some sun and some water, eat some fresh seafood, and visit a friend. It was over way too soon, but it was a much needed relaxation and sunny day in the middle of winter.