Mini-Vacation: St. Simon's Island

I'm back in Chicago after a very quick mini-vacation with the family last weekend.  There were some very big/tragic stories on the news last week, so you may not have heard that we had some serious storms here in the Chicago area on Thursday when I was scheduled to leave.  After a canceled flight, some rearranging, and several hours at O'Hare I did manage to escape cold flooded Chicagoland by the end of that day to enjoy a couple days of relaxation down south.

My family has spent almost every spring break since I was in high school on St. Simon's Island.  Since I still have sisters in high school, I occasionally get to partake in their spring break trips. Lucky me! 

Megan, me, Mom, Libby, & Emma

St. Simon's Island is a little island off the coast of southern Georgia in what they call the Golden Isles.  It is full of pretty beaches, quaint shops, good food, and southern charm.  Mostly, it's very laidback and a great place to relax and I am sure that's why my family returns year after year. 

This year my parents rented a "cottage," which is larger than their home, but large enough to comfortably fit our whole family.  It was walking distance from the beach and an adorable community pool. My dad loved it so much that I am pretty sure he's already got it in the books for next year.

As you know, I am a food lover.  One of the things that I love about St. Simon's Island is the fresh seafood.  I never remember how much I miss the seafood here in Chicago until I am on the east coast and it is readily available.

On my first night in town (not long after I deplaned!) we had dinner at a great Italian place called Tramici.  My dad and I both ordered the pan seared flounder (one of my favorites) special-- it was served with risotto and a roasted red pepper sauce.  I also tried the coconut gelato. Delicious!

We had another more casual dinner at Brogen's, a bar and grill right in the downtown area of St. Simon's Island.  My sister Emma and I decided to introduce the rest of the family to fried pickles... they had no idea what they were missing! And then I tried the blackened tilapia sandwich, which was tasty and enormous. It was also great to order tilapia since I can't fix it at home anymore for my poor allergic husband.

My sisters Megan and Libby (above) went into town everyday to wander around and cause trouble. That's when they discovered Yobe and the magic that is a serve yourself frozen yogurt shop. They made sure to bring us in after dinner at Brogen's and showed my dad the frozen yogurt ropes.

And on the last night we ordered takeout from Sal's, my dad's favorite pizza place on the island. That's him (the last man standing) with my sisters at dinner at the cottage.

The trip was brief, but just what I needed-- a little time in the sun (which led to a surprisingly severe sunburn), a few good night's sleep, and some quality time with my family. Here's hoping we can do it again next year-- and that the Chicago weather behaves enough for me to get there on time!