So at some point, just pull up a chaise and give in. The wide shoreline, loved by loggerhead sea turtles, is your gateway to the surrounding tributaries of a saltwater tidal marsh, alive with creatures including dolphins, giant horseshoe crabs, and pelicans. Test the world-class fairways and greens at the Lodge, the Cloister’s posh sister resort, a short shuttle ride away on St. As a guest at the Cloister, a sprawling resort complex, you can learn archery, practice skeet shooting, fine-tune your backhand on the tennis courts, fish for tarpon, or simply indulge in a massage. A massive canopy of live oaks draped in Spanish moss and a salty breeze will greet you.Ĭommitting to a resort vacation on a private isle may require a leap: Will there be enough to do? Sea Island, long a playground for the Southern elite, offers an almost absurd variety of activities. Simons Island, itself a lovely vacation spot, then proceed down a private drive.
To get there from mainland Georgia, cross St. Slow down the clock and take the famously scenic Highway 17, which follows Georgia’s inlet-fringed coast, for the final leg to Sea Island, a key-shaped sliver of oceanfront property owned by a consortium that operates the two lavish resorts in the area. Stay in Savannah, the next stop, just long enough to absorb its lush antebellum vibe. Atlanta is easily the most metropolitan of the cities on the route, but dogwood, oak, and elderberry trees push in everywhere. Look for inven- tiveness in unexpected places-a sus- tainable brewery run by two passionate owners, a tiny curated hotel, and an am- bitious new restaurant called Sinema in the Berry Hill neighborhood (say hello to chef Dale Levitski, who recently moved to Nashville from Chicago).īright green hills and thickly forested ridges emerge as you drive alongside the Tennessee River. When you cross the Cumberland River and pull into the neon-blazed streets of Nashville, you’ll get a sense of why Music City has taken on a new moniker of late: Nash Vegas, meant to suggest that the iconic place has evolved into something more creative, daring, and hip. The South arrives quickly as you roll through Kentucky horse country in the hills surrounding Louisville and approach Tennessee.