Kelly Revels always knew she wanted to live on St. Simons Island. Growing up, she and her family would drive across Georgia from Cuthbert, a small town in the western part of the state, to spend summers in the tight-knit coastal community. Her dream came true when she fell in love with and married a local. Since moving there, Revels and her friend and business partner Bryce Brock have opened the Vine, an event and landscape design company that’s also home to a garden market, and the Park, a “micro-resort” with just five homes for rent that they debuted last year. The Park’s intentional design and the duo’s insider knowledge help guests live like locals—and will perhaps inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to call St. Simons home. Here, Revels and Brock share their favorite ways to spend time on the island.
Getting Around: “When we get home from a busy week, we park our cars in the driveway and we don’t get back in them until Monday,” Revels says. “We take our golf carts and our bikes everywhere. We wanted that to be the same experience for our guests.” One of the only times Brock uses her car on weekends is to drive down to the marina to go boating with her family. “I live within a five-mile radius of my office, the kids’ school, the yoga/cycle studio, the grocery, and everything else I need,” she says. “It makes it possible to juggle everything I have going on.”
Breaking a Sweat: “Bryce and I start every morning at Omcore. Patricia [the owner] is an island native, and her classes and staff are the best. There are some days where a third of the whole class will be all Vine girls,” Revels says of the fitness studio. Brock adds, “The vibe is great. It is challenging and gives me a minute to shut everything else off.”
Fueling Up for a Beach Day: “One of the most amazing things about St. Simons Island is that most of the businesses are owned by our friends,” Revels says. “My daughter, Lulu, has made this tradition when we go to one of our favorite restaurants, Frosty’s. She orders an ice cream cone, then hops up on the counter by the register and talks to all the customers and the staff. She’d sit there for hours if we’d let her!” Revels calls Wake Up Coffee Company “just the coolest spot to see and be seen,” and, “on the weekends we love to take the golf cart to the village and eat at The Half Shell. A favorite would be the raw oysters when they’re local.”
Unwinding: “I think the culture and social scene is what you make of it,” Brock says. “I love that everything is so laid-back—that is what I crave at the end of the day.” She and Revels enjoy entertaining in their backyards, but both recommend Barrier Island Brewing and grabbing seats at the bar at Ember, a farm-to-table restaurant that emphasizes wood-fired cooking. And for a little extra relaxation? Try “One Love Organics for a facial,” Brock says. “If you only take one suggestion from me, that would be it. Hands down: best facial ever.”
