Sea Islands: St. Simons, Fort Frederica & St. Augustine

The most significant colonial military site in American history — a 1736 British fort built by James Oglethorpe that blocked Spain's northward expansion from Florida in 1742 at the Battle of Bloody Marsh, ending Spain's claim to what would become the United States. The archeological remains of the original fort and town are preserved on the Frederica River; the interpretive museum documents the pivotal battle.

The second lighthouse to stand on St. Simons Point — the 1872 brick tower is 104 feet tall and still operational. The Museum of Coastal History in the lighthouse keeper's cottage is a well-curated introduction to the Sea Islands' history, particularly the antebellum plantation era and the Civil War's impact on the freed Black population of the islands.

A St. Simons waterfront restaurant with views across St. Simons Sound — Georgia shrimp, local crab, and fresh fish prepared with the simplicity the Sea Islands' ingredient quality demands. One of the best kitchens on the Golden Isles.

The compact village at the southern end of St. Simons has a charm unusual for a beach resort town — independent bookstores, galleries, and the kind of wraparound-porch restaurants that preceded the chain hotel era. Neptune Park's pier extends into St. Simons Sound with views of the Jekyll Island Bridge.

The ruins of the Hamilton Plantation tabby slave quarters on St. Simons are among the most intact antebellum slave settlement remains in the South — tabby concrete walls of the original cabins stand to roof height in some cases. The associated Gullah-Geechee Heritage site documents the survival of West African cultural traditions in the Sea Island population.

A low-country BBQ shack with a cult following on St. Simons — smoked ribs, pulled pork, Brunswick stew, and Georgia sides served under a pecan-tree canopy on Demere Road. Consistently rated among the best BBQ in the state; cash-friendly and no-frills. Arrive before 8 pm when popular items run out.

Cumberland Island is the largest undeveloped barrier island on the East Coast, accessible only by ferry from St. Marys. The island's 17.5-mile length is occupied by a maritime forest of live oak, wild horses that have run free since the 1800s, and the ruins of the Carnegie family compound — Dungeness Mansion, the hunting lodge, and the slave cabins that predate the Carnegie ownership. The Dungeness Trail to the beach passes through all of it.

Nine miles of undeveloped Atlantic beachfront on the eastern shore, backed by dunes high enough to block the island's interior from view. The loggerhead sea turtles nest here in summer; the beach glass and shell middens from centuries of island occupation wash up constantly. No vehicles, no concessions, no noise beyond the surf.

Pack lunch from the excellent provisioners in St. Marys' historic waterfront district before boarding the ferry — the island has no food service beyond the inn. The Sea Camp beach picnic area near the ferry dock has shaded tables.

A 1898 Carnegie-era shingle-style mansion on the island's western shore, accessible by the free NPS van tour from Dungeness. The mansion has been under restoration and is open for guided tours — the interior detailing of the Carnegie family's second Cumberland property is extraordinary, and the setting above the Brickhill River is peaceful.

A St. Augustine institution on the waterfront — local shrimp, fish and chips, and Guinness in a convivial pub that draws both visitors and locals. The outdoor patio on the Matanzas River is the best outdoor table in St. Augustine.

The oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, built by Spain between 1672 and 1695 from coquina shell limestone quarried on Anastasia Island. The fort repelled every British attack during its 145 years of Spanish occupancy — the coquina walls absorbed cannonballs rather than shattering, an accident of geology that saved St. Augustine repeatedly. The NPS demonstrations and the harbor view from the ramparts are exceptional.

The Oldest City's 144-block historic district includes the oldest wooden schoolhouse in America (1716), the original Spanish government buildings, the 1887 Flagler-era hotels, and the Minorcan quarter where the descendants of Minorca's 18th-century indentured servants still live. A morning walk through the narrow colonial streets and the Flagler-era commercial district covers 300 years in a few blocks.

Henry Flagler's 1888 resort hotel for the very wealthy is now Flagler College — the building is one of the greatest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture in America, with a dining hall Tiffany glass ceiling that took 79 craftsmen three years to install. Free tours of the public areas on the hour during the school year.

A St. Augustine restaurant focused on Southern preservation techniques — pickled shrimp, house-cured charcuterie, and a Florida produce-driven menu in an intimate downtown space. The best kitchen in the oldest city.

Henry Flagler's other St. Augustine masterpiece — the 1888 Hotel Alcazar, now housing a three-story museum of Gilded Age decorative arts. The swimming pool (once the largest in the world) is now the café; the ballroom, the Moorish arcade, and the casino are intact. The collections of Tiffany glass, mechanical musical instruments, and late 19th-century American decorative arts are substantial.