"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." — Tim Cahill

Six hours. We drove six hours in the car and still ended up in the same state. How is that even possible?

I'll admit I'm not the most patient road trip companion. Sometimes it's all I can do not to ask my husband, "Are we there yet? How many more miles?"

Many miles and hours notwithstanding, our destination and the people we were going to see were well worth the wait.

Last week, we took a quick trip to St. Simons Island so my husband, Mart, could speak in a college class taught by his long-time friend and former co-worker, Scott. We drove down two days early to see the sites on the island and spend some time with Scott and his wife, Debbie.

St. Simons is the largest of the Golden Isles of Georgia, which also include Sea Island, Little St. Simons, and Jekyll. Situated between Savannah, one of my favorite places in the whole wide world, and Jacksonville, Florida, the Golden Isles captured the hearts of Spanish explorers who came here more than 400 years ago. They were looking for gold and found it, of a sort, in the beauty of this area.

One of my favorite things here and in Savannah and Jekyll is the large, old live oak trees with Spanish moss hanging from their branches. They're everywhere, and it's all I can do not to take a picture of every single one.

Here's a single one for you.

We kicked off our visit with Scott and Debbie with dinner at the best BBQ joint on the island, Southern Soul, named "The South's Best BBQ 2018" by Southern Living magazine. It was outstanding. I laughed hard at the stories the three of them shared about the old days, and I ate my fill of soulful goodness. It was a great way to end our travel day.

The next morning, the forecast called for rain and delivered quite well. Mart and I didn't let it dampen our mood, though, or deter us from our plans. Debbie loaned me her polka dot rain boots, which kept me dry in the deluge and garnered a few compliments along the way.

Scott went to work, and we started our rainy day with breakfast with Debbie at Palmer's Village Cafe. After more yummy food and lots of stories, Mart and I did some shopping in Pier Village. The buildings are historic, and if you've been reading Glimsen for very long, you know I love historic buildings. This door at the used bookstore caught my eye.

We drove to the beach but since we couldn't see the water--only what was pouring from the sky--we kept going. We rode around the island, looking at beach houses, and dreamed about what it would be like to live there.

One of the best things about traveling is the dreaming.

Soon it was time to eat again. Ha! We met another friend, Mary, for lunch at a local spot called Boulevard Cafe. She and Mart had also worked together years before, so it was fun getting caught up with her over yummy salads and soup. She has lived in St Simons for much of her life, so I enjoyed hearing a bit about life on the island.

Mary, bless her, got us a pass to see The Cloister on neighboring Sea Island. What a treat! The Cloister, which I've heard about for years, is "the only resort in the world to achieve four Forbes Five-Stars ten years in a row." It was stunning.

What do you think?

A bride who gets married here can walk down that staircase like a princess and stun her Prince Charming below.

After leaving the Cloister, we went off in search of other types of beauty on St. Simons, which I will share with you in the next post.

Until then: what is your favorite thing about traveling? Let me know in the comments below.

I'm honored that you've taken time out of your day to stop by my blog, Glimsen. Here at Glimsen, I share glimpses of the beauty around us in nature, the arts, and the unexpected. If you like what you see, click the blue button below to receive my posts and updates by email, and you'll also get a free gift of beauty in your inbox (see below). I look forward to connecting with you!