I recently took my kiddos to Sea Island, Georgia for a beach vacation! I wanted to share more about where we stayed, what we did, and my overall thoughts about the vacation in case you are considering a trip here.
Why Sea Island?
My husband, Chris, was on his scholarship trip in Europe, and I was looking for a beach destination for the kids and I… that would be relatively close, (not international), safe, easy and beautiful. I didn’t want to have to worry about lugging chairs and sand toys to the beach, or figuring out what to do to entertain the kids everyday. I wanted ease, convenience, safety and a place where we could all relax (or relax as much as possible with two kids). Based on my wish list, a friend recommended Sea Island, Georgia, and I’m so glad she did!
The Cloister (Campus)
We stayed at a resort called The Cloister at Sea Island. It is absolutely gorgeous! It’s like a huge college campus. The Cloister (pictured above) has amazing rooms and restaurants. It is SO fancy and gorgeous, I saw two weddings while I was there. They even have afternoon tea.
The Sea Island Beach Club is another building with several pools and private beach access. It also has a candy/ice cream store, gift shop, game room and kids’ camp…so it’s really geared for kiddos!
The resort has received numerous Forbes Five Star awards.
Our Villa
We stayed in a one-bedroom suite in the Cloister Ocean Residences. These apartments or villas were more than 1,000 square feet and had everything we needed for our two week stay including a washer/dryer and kitchen. It even had a private porch area, where you could sip coffee in the morning or take blog pictures! 😉 The villa really felt like a home away from home. You can see the charming southern decor in the photos above. It took us 5 minutes to walk along the beach… to the Beach Club. The villas were on a stretch of beach that felt very private, and we spent quite a bit of time there (also pictured above). We didn’t have chairs or umbrellas, but for a quick swim or playing in the sand, it was perfect. There was also a private pool for the Ocean Residences, which we spent quite a bit of time going to since the main Beach Club pools were pretty crowded.
The Inn at Sea Island is very close and a more affordable option.
The Beach
The beach stretched for miles. The sand is quite firm so it was ideal for walking and jogging. There were also daily horseback rides on the beach. The water was VERY warm and calm. I never felt worried about the kids and the waves. One of the highlights of our stay was sailing on a Hobie for the “Dolphin Tour.” We saw dozens of dolphins. We even saw one flipping out of the water!
When To Go
The weather was quite hot and humid in June. I think ideally you should plan to go in April or May, but June was our only option. Trying to do things off the beach would be challenging because of the heat. It cooled down to about 80 at night with high humidity. Compared to 90+, that felt much cooler.
What I Wore
I have a video coming soon featuring many of the outfits I wore while at Sea Island. The general style is VERY southern and preppy. Think Lilly Pulitzer, madras plaids and lots of seersucker. I do not like to buy things just for one trip that I will likely not wear again so I packed things I love and wore a real mix from super casual to dressy looks.
How I Managed the Kids
One of the things I was most nervous about leading up to this trip was traveling alone with my kids. It’s always so much better to have an extra set of hands and eyes when you have younger kids. And, even though Gage is getting a bit older now, I was still worried. I think having our own apartment helped tremendously. It provided a safe, confined space we could retreat to when I needed a break. I also think sending them to camp a few days was a life saver. Camp gave me 5 1/2 hours of alone time, which I so desperately needed. There were definitely moments where I wanted to cry, and for sure I was cursing at my husband in my head. (Because obviously you blame your spouse even though it’s not their fault.) But, all in all… we really had fun! And, better still… I survived! It’s experiences like this that remind me how special single and military moms really are. You are my heroes!
Elizabeth told me she was meditating in this picture 😉
Verdict
The bottom line is… this is a five-star resort that is a no-brainer if you want to have a relaxing and upscale beach vacation with your family. There are a ton of activities for kids including Camp Cloister. The accommodations are amazing and you can choose from a variety of options, even renting large cottages or houses if you are planning on traveling with other families.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Just comment below. Also, I think if you liked this post, you will enjoy my vacation dresses post here. What I packed for my beach vacation here. And, these luxe, high-slit pants here. Don’t forget to subscribe to my exclusive newsletter. Thank you SO much for stopping by!
Hi Erin! I totally can relate to you about traveling for the first time alone and cursing your husband in you head when the kids are acting up, lol! this summer was the first time I traveled with my 3 kids by myself too. because of my husband’s work schedule this year, if we wanted to do anything for any considerable amount of time over the summer, i was going to have to do it on my own. I was so nervous too, but i did it and felt very proud of myself! drove from missouri to utah to visit family & vacation. when i was driving thru colorado, i thought of you!
p.s. i shopped the nordstrom sale this year for the first time, based on your & marnie’s recs! I’m in the process of building “my basics”!
WAY TO GO…and you did it with THREE kids! I’m VERY impressed!! SO happy for you. And, thanks for sharing re: Nordstrom Sale. Hope you got some great stuff! Erin xo
Oh my! tHESE ARE gorgeous pICS!!…..yOUR LOOK AND CLOTHING IS WONDERFUL AND HATS OFF TO YOU FOR TRAVELING WITH JUST YOUR KIDS….AMAZING
Thank you so much, Judy! I know it’s not that big of an accomplishment for most people, but I felt quite proud of myself for planning and keeping these little buggers entertained for two weeks while running my business with no extra help! 😉 Erin xo
Love all your looks 🙂 Your kids are adorable. I live in a small town about 2 hours from sea island. I have never been there but thinking we should go check it out. Glad you enjoyed your stay in georgia. <3
You should! It’s just gorgeous… it was REALLY hot, though. It must be super hot this week!
Did you get the american plan for your meals? is dinner still very dressy (coat/tie)?
I did not buy a meal plan. We stayed in a villa with a kitchen. I grocery shopped and cooked. We only ate out 3 times and it was in the most casual restaurants because the fancy ones were REALLY fancy and expensive.
Erin:
I’m a longtime lurker – and i love your posts. Sea island is a very special place, as our family has spent spring break there for 15 years. I sure hope you guys played bingo! it’s so much fun! Just curious – we usually rent a villa – but are jean shorts allowed in the ocean residence pool? The one thing i don’t love about going there is how formal it can be. Then again, the shopping (tibi outlet, anyone?!) is pretty decent for such a small place. ALSO HOPE YOU GUYS ATE AT SOUTEHRN SOUL BBQ – SO YUM.
HI LONGTIME LURKER… HAHA 😉
I went tO THE VILLA POOL IN JUST A SWIMSUIT AND COVERUP. I THINK THE NICER RESTAURANTS ARE QUITE FORMAL, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMED NORMAL. WE DID NOT PLAY BINGO. NOT SURE ELIZABETH AND GAGE WOULD HAVE SAT STILL FOR THAT! WE DID NOT EAT THE BBQ PLACE. WHAT A BUMMER. I LOVE BBQ TOO! THANKS SO MUCH FOR LURKING AND WRITING, TRISH! ERIN XO
Hi Erin,
I Just love your story on sea island! i’m a native of the area and you presented the cloister and sea island in an intriguing manner. It makes me want to take a weekend retreat ASAP. Beautiful photo shoot. I also follow you on You Tube. I love your style and presence. Great job.
Caryn
Thank you so much, Caryn. I thought the Cloisters were just gorgeous. The pool and beach club area were a bit too crowded for my liking, but the villas or ocean residences had its own pool which was rather quiet. It’s definitely worth a weekend getaway! Maybe wait until it cools down a bit, though.