Cumberland Island National Seashore is located near St. Mary’s, GA. Featuring pristine forests, undeveloped beaches, and wild ponies - the island offers treasure island vibes and feels absolutely wild in the best way.

To get to the island, you’ll need to book a ferry from St. Mary’s to the island. There is a fee for the ferry and a fee for entry to the island itself. Altogether it’s about $60 minimum to access the island. 

The island is about 18 miles long and is accessible on foot and bicycle. 

I chose to hike a wide circle around the southern tip of the island. The hike was about 6 miles and included forests, beaches, and ruins.

Fort Pulaski National Monument is on the way to Tybee Island from Savannah. The fort has an entry fee and nice visitor center.

The fort has mounds and a moat to explore.

Additionally, there is a hiking trail on the property out to the Cockspur Island Lighthouse. The trail is about 2.2 miles in length and flat/easy to navigate. 

From the fort, I then went to Tybee Island for the afternoon. The beach was not crowded at all and there were still tons of shops, eateries, and ice cream shops open for winter. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find a ton of sand dollars here and really enjoyed walking the beach. 

Located right outside of Savannah, the wildlife refuge is a 4.5 mile drive-thru park along the Savannah River. The park encompasses 30,000 acres of vital wildlife habitat. 

The visitor center is down the road from the actual start of the drive-thru. I put “Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive” in my GPS and got to the park no issue.

The park is free and open sunup to sundown.

I’ve heard that in warmer months you can see 8-10 foot alligators on the banks of the Savannah here. I saw tons of birds, which were a beautiful site.

The drive was not crowded at all, but there are pull offs in case you want to move faster or slower than others in the park.

I explored downtown Savannah over two afternoons - eating and shopping. Here are the highlights:

📍Forsyth Park - A 30 acre park featuring the city’s most famous fountain. Take a stroll, take a rest on a bench, shop the local vendors, or look up at the Spanish moss. 

📍Other squares to walk through - Monterey, Madison, or Chippewa

📍Coco and Moss - Located downtown, this sushi restaurant is quaint but features big flavor. I recommend a reservation due to limited seating. I got two sushi rolls - my favorite was the Rose Roll. Absolutely decadent!

📍Midtown Deli & Bagel Shop - The BEST bagels I’ve ever had. Period. I recommend the jalapeño bagel with plain cream cheese. This is clearly a local staple. I saw the same people there every day I went back and they were greeted by name. A must stop!

📍E. Shaver Booksellers - This was recommended as a stop  when I researched downtown. I personally would skip this on my next trip. It was incredibly crowded and difficult to enjoy. 

📍ShopSCAD - Located off Bull Street, ShopSCAD features art for sale by students of the art and design school. 

📍Press - Located off E. Broughton Street, Press is run by SCAD students. The vibes were phenomenal. It was the perfect stop to rest my legs, enjoy a cup of coffee, and look at more student art. 

📍Peaches - A children’s boutique located downtown. Such a sweet and very southern store - featuring clothing, games, and books for children. I did some 2026 Christmas shopping here for my nephew. 

📍Custard - A must stop boutique featuring eco-conscious clothing, jewelry, and accessories. This women owned shop was such a joy to walk around. I bought myself a souvenir here.

📍River Street Sweets - Your stop for pralines and other sweets. Best praline I’ve had since a trip to New Orleans. 

📍B. Matthew’s - A Southern restaurant featuring steak and seafood. I had the biscuits - life changing. Seriously, I’d write a million postcards about those biscuits and the honey butter. I also had the crab cakes and fried green tomatoes. Did I waddle back to my car because I was so full? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes.

Located near Savannah, GA, specifically on the Isle of Hope - the historic site features live oaks, Spanish moss, and historical ruins.

The Isle of Hope is an island, or a peninsula, depending on the levels of the salt marsh, pictured.

In addition to colonial ruins, there is evidence of Native Americans inhabiting the Isle of Hope for thousands of years. Evidence of tools and materials used by Paleo-Indians have been found on the property. 

Visiting Savannah in the winter was still stunning. The live oaks, Spanish moss, and other greenery, make the city remain lively despite the cooler temperatures. 

The family of Noble Jones, a colonist who settled Wormsloe, still remains living on the property today. Additionally, there are “tabby” ruins - which are made of oyster shells and lime - a concrete mix of the time.

I’ve linked to the trail I generally followed. The visitor center has been overhauled and moved, which adds about 1.5 miles to the trail I took. You’ll want to start at the visitors center, leave the back and go right toward the arch and live oak road. From there, you can make your way to the back of the property toward the tabby ruins and salt marshes. 

June 2023 | Lula Lake Land Trust  - 3 miles, Moderate | 2.5 hours southeast of Nashville, TN

There are a variety of options available at Lula Lake Land Trust (LLLT), including guided hikes. Access to LLLT requires a reservation and they are only open to the public a couple of times per month.

I opted for the 3 mile, moderate, guided hike which gives hikers views of the meadow, lookout, waterfall, and lake. LLLT does not allow swimming on the premises.

The hike was moderate. There were some steep inclines and the trail down to the waterfall is rocky. I highly recommend hiking poles for this one. They really help steady yourself on the rocks.

The waterfall is about 120' tall and the lake is a beautiful emerald green. I highly recommend the guided hike where you can learn more about the history of the land trust and all the amazing species of wildlife and plant life unique to Lula.

April 2023 | Canyon Loop Trail - 2.5 miles, easy | 6 hours southeast of Nashville, TN

The canyon was created in the 1800's as a result of poor farming practices. Today, there are gullies as deep as 150 feet. 

This trail is well marked and fairly flat. You get great views of the canyon throughout the hike. I wouldn't make a special trip to hike this area because the trails are so limited and the park is remote but if you're in the area, it's pretty unreal to see canyons like this in the south.