My birthday less than 24 hours away, the drive into Brunswick offered no sign of nightlife, or even just life. Abandoned railroad tracks, empty docked boats and bare pavilions offered a rather vacant setting as I drove into the city. Oaks draped in Spanish moss were plentiful, one famous oak being the 900 year old Lovers’ Oak where it’s said that in the 12th century Native Americans would meet their lovers under the mystic branches of this tree.
I hadn’t actually booked a hotel yet, so I did a quick search based on location on booking.com and chose my hotel based on the fact that they claimed to have the HBO channel. For those who don’t understand the significance of this, it’s the channel in the U.S. that airs Game of Thrones. And there was absolutely. no. way. I was going to miss any episodes just because I’m road-tripping the USA!
I checked in to the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham and got myself all dressed up, I was about to turn 26 after all – I wasn’t going to end my 25th year without a drink! Heading into town, I could see flashes of light in the distance as a storm was in full swing in one part of Brunswick. It wasn’t long until the storm caught up with me and I could no longer drive for the heavy rains that flooded my windshield. I pulled over by what appeared to be a dock and admired the loud rumble of thunder that actually shook my car. Bright flashes of lightning tore the sky, temporarily lighting up the boats lined up by the shore – I guess it was a dock.
Eventually, the storm let up a little and I found the one and only bar in Brunswick that was open; Tipsy McSway’s.
There was all of about 5 people in there when I walked in, the kitchen had closed already but they still made me a little grilled sandwich which I enjoyed with my cocktail. I’d clearly walked in just after an altercation because the pub was buzzing with the goss on what was obviously the most drama that Brunswick had witnessed all year. I was an obvious outsider, sitting by myself at the bar all dressed up, so the pub regulars introduced themselves to me. They were a group of 5 men, all getting away from their wives for a weekly drink and catch up.
One of the lads decided to catch me up on the recent town drama: A guy had matched with a girl on tinder and arranged to meet in this bar, but little did he know that the girl knew he had a girlfriend and decided to teach him a lesson. So she turned up to the date with a friend and they both decided to give him a piece of their mind before storming out. He remained sat on a table, now with a small gathering of local pub regulars, looking rather stunned.
After celebrating with my new friends, I head back to the hotel for my top priority; Game of Thrones. Where, to my disappointment, my TV did not have the HBO channel that I needed! But I have to give major kudos to the manager on duty, who literally swapped out my chunky old TV for a new flatscreen version so I could watch my beloved TV show! What an actual legend! So, you could say, the first thing I did as a 26 yr old was watch GOT! #priorities
St. Simon’s
So on my birthday, I decided to treat myself. I love beaches, so when I heard of St. Simon’s Island I was looking forward to enjoying it’s beaches. It’s said to be the largest of the golden isles in Georgia’s coast.
There’s plenty to enjoy on St. Simon’s besides the beaches. There’s a lighthouse museum, golf course, spas, cycling or even dolphin watching!
I could have spent longer here, but I wanted to catch my next Island before sunset!
Jeckyll Island
Jeckyll Island. What can I say? I was in actual awe when I saw the driftwood beach of this island. In all my life, I’d never seen anything so eerily beautiful as the exhibition of bare, fallen trees that lined the shore.
The sand was soft as powder and a shade of nude-brown that matched the driftwood making the trees look as if they are reaching out from the under-world.
This beach has been voted as one of the top 10 most romantic beaches in America, which could explain the wedding photos taking place, as the sun was setting, a few meters ahead of me.
It’s an absolute must-see if you ever make it to Georgia!
Join me next in my favourite place (no bias intended); St. Mary’s!!