St. Marys, Georgia, the Gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore, is a small coastal village located in southeast Georgia. One of Georgia’s best kept secrets, St. Marys is rich in history, natural beauty and Southern hospitality, and along with Cumberland Island National Seashore, offers the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As you stroll along the waterfront, you will be captivated by the friendly people, the mild climate and the charm that are unique to St. Marys. Come visit us soon!

9 miles east of I-95 between Brunswick, Georgia and Jacksonville FL, you will find a variety of accommodations, including 3 charming bed & breakfast inns: Belle Tara Inn, Spenser House Inn, and Goodbread House; Riverview Hotel, a historic hotel on the waterfront, and family style modern motels and mini suites with kitchenettes, including Cumberland Island Inn & Suites and Cumberland Kings Bay Lodges.

St. Marys offers a very wide variety of dining establishments, with menus for everyone’s taste, from traditional Southern cooking buffet style to legendary coastal seafood, steaks and chops. You’ll find a deli, coffee house, Greek and Mediterranean Grill, Japanese Steak House, Mexican, and delicious burgers, bring your appetite!

Charming St. Marys affords visitors a gracious welcome along tree-lined streets where white picket fences surround many of the historic landmarks. Gift and antique shops housed in turn-of-the-century buildings offer hours of browsing. Take the 45 minute ferry to Cumberland Island National Seashore, visit the Welcome Center and House Museum at Orange Hall, visit Oak Grove Cemetery, dating from 1801 and including graves of veterans from every war. The Submarine Museum near the Waterfront is one attraction not to be missed! Enjoy fantastic Golf and views at Osprey Cove Golf Course and Laurel Island Links, explore nearby Crooked River State Park, or the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, just 45 minutes away.

St. Marys is accessible from I-95 Exit 2, on State Road 40. Most of the lodging and many dining facilities are within walking distance of the Historic District. By boat, St. Marys is on the St. Marys River, just west of the Intracoastal Waterway, offering docking and marina facilities for transients.

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The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine

St. Marys, Georgia
Welcome to Historic St. Marys, Georgia, Gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore. Visit our site for all the info you need to enjoy our charming city.

St. Simons Island is one of the best kept secrets on the East Coast, offering a great variety of activities for all ages. Relaxed, family atmosphere has made St. Simons Island a favorite destination for generations.

Lodging on St. Simons Island includes quaint Bed & Breakfasts, guest cottages, inns, motels, and world class resorts.

St. Simons offers a delicious variety of menus and restaurants, where you can dine in or take out, from seafood to pizza.

History rules this island, and Fort Frederica National Monument is a good place to start your tour. Christ Church is a lovely spot nearby where the Wesley Brothers preached to colonials under Gen. Oglethorpe. Don’t miss the Lighthouse, enjoy golf, tennis, carriage and trolley tours, charter a fishing boat, rent a kayak, bring your bike.

You can get here by car, I-95 exits 6-8, plane, or boat. Plenty of car rentals are available if you fly in, or rent a bike!

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Coastal Georgia Travel Region
Coastal Georgia offers endless opportunities for adventure for the whole family, from Savannah to the Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island.

Golden Isles Navigator
Golden Isles Navigator is your Guide to the Georgia Coast, from Savannah to St. Marys.

High Tide’s Guide to St. Simons Island
High Tide’s Guide is your online guide to the Island, also available in print.

Brunswick is a great weekend getaway. You can visit the historic downtown area or take the car and explore the islands at your own pace. Sample some of the region’s seafood or take a leisurely cruise on the water. Golfing, fishing, you name it. There’s plenty of shopping too… factory outlets, malls and one-of-a-kind shops.

Embassy Suites at the Glynn Place Mall (two miles east of I-95 exit 8), and the Jamison Inn are two of the nicest establishments in the area and offer a number of “extras” you don’t pay extra for.

Most of the national chains are located at I-95 exit 7. Budgetel, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Motel 6, Ramada, and more are right here. I recommend the Shoney’s Inn. It’s far enough away from the Interstate to be quiet yet close enough for you to walk to several restaurants and plenty of shopping!

There are several fine restaurants located in the city of Brunswick as well as at the three major I-95 exits. The Grapevine Cafe in Brunswick’s historic district (Newcastle Street) is a must stop. The commercial area around the Glynn Place Mall (2 miles east of I-95 exit has a number of restaurants too!

The areas major commercial strip and home to dozens of restaurants is right at I-95 exit 7. Fast foods like McDonald’s and Taco Bell to the area’s best. I recommend Jinright’s Seafood House (2815 Glynn Avenue) and Matteo’s Italian Restaurant.

The best way to see the Brunswick area is by car. The Golden Isles Welcome Center on I-95 (southbound between Exit 8 and 9), and US 17 (at Torras Causeway) have self-guided driving tour maps available. Be sure to visit Downtown Brunswick and Lover’s Oak at the intersection of Albany and Prince Streets, a legendary tree said to be over 900 years old. For shopping, check out the Magnolia Bluffs Factory Shops right off I-95 exit 10, and the Glynn Place Mall, about two miles east of I-95 exit 8 on GA 25.

Brunswick lies east of I-95. Exit 6 (US 17) takes you into the city from the south. Exits 7 (US 25, US 341) and 8 (GA 25) enter Brunswick from the north. Jekyll Island is located just southwest of the city, via US 17 and Jekyll Island Road. St. Simons Island is located east of the city, via GA 25 and the Torras Causeway.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about Brunswick, Georgia.

The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine
Golden Isles Navigator
Information about Georgia’s Southern Coast including Brunswick, Sea island, Cumberland Island and the region.

History enthusiasts will want to visit the Atlanta History Center and its gardens to see exhibits on the history of the city and to tour its two house museums.A fine small museum, the African-American Panoramic Experience, chronicles the history of blacks in America.

The lack of a grid system in most parts of the city will confuse drivers. Some streets change their names, including the city’s most famous thoroughfare, Peachtree Street. Adding to the confusion, 60 other streets in the metropolitan area use the word Peachtree in their names. Before setting out anywhere, get the complete street address of your destination, including landmarks, cross streets, or other guideposts, as street numbers and even street signs are difficult to find.

THE ABBEY 163 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA, USA Phone: 404/876-8532 $20 to Over $50 Downtown Southern User Rating: Rate It Established in 1968, the restaurant is housed in a former church. Stained-glass windows and celestial music played by a harpist in the former choir loft reinforce the ambience. Dishes range from the dramatic lobster claw salad with mâche, mango, and apple to a grilled elk chop with dauphinoise potatoes and turnips. Desserts, such as the white chocolate and roasted banana napoleon, let you finish a meal with sweet abandon. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.

MUMBO JUMBO 89 Park Pl., Atlanta, GA, USA Phone: 404/523-0330 $20 to $50 Downtown Seafood User Rating: Rate It A long bar skirts the left side of this establishment, guiding the eye to the rear dining room. Sleek young staffers conduct guests to tables. The menu emphasizes game in cool weather, fish and shellfish in summer, and regional ingredients and locally grown produce all year round. Dishes that tempt include heirloom tomatoes with milk-sweet buffalo mozzarella, rabbit, and the famous Mumbo Gumbo, a light seafood gumbo. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch weekends.

ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER 130 W. Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta, GA, USA Phone: 404/814-4000 Educational Institution The museum highlights materials native to Georgia, with a floor of heart pine and polished Stone Mountain granite. Displays are provocative, juxtaposing Gone With the Wind romanticism with the grim reality of Ku Klux Klan racism.

Also on the 33-acre site are the elegant 1928 Swan House; the Tullie Smith Farm, with a two-story plantation plain house (1840s); and McElreath Hall, an exhibition space for artifacts from Atlanta’s history. COST: $7. Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30, Sun. noon-5:30. www.atlantahistorycenter.org

Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (ATL) (off I-85 and I-285, 13 miles south of downtown, PHONE: 404/530-6600; www.atlanta-airport.com/) is one of the biggest and busiest airports in the country.

By Train Amtrak (1688 Peachtree St., PHONE: 404/881-3060 or 800/872-7245) operates its Thru-Way bus service daily from Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama, to Atlanta’s Brookwood station. Another bus goes daily from Atlanta to Macon, Georgia.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about Atlanta, Georgia.

The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine

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