#10 Colonial Coast, Georgia

  Colonial Coast, Georgia

This island-filled area is a dream for the nature-loving family – and for a history lesson or two on your spring getaway. Twelve barrier islands, constantly reshaped by funnel-driven tides, contain as much natural and human history as you can pack into one vacation.

Fort Screven, for example, is priceless for its Spanish-American War-era structures and weaponry. For a taste of earlier history, check out the towering walls, artillery tunnels, moats and even a drawbridge at the Fort Pulaski National Monument. Or visit the remnants of 19-century high life: old mansions, plantations and luxury vehicles connected to names like Thomas Carnegie and Henry Ford.

This area is also widely known for its spectacular selection of bird species – more than 300 in all – and most of them can be seen along the 60-plus miles of the Colonial Coast Birding Trail. These 18 spectacular points weave from the islands to the mainland and back again, featuring just about every natural environment you can think of. White sand beaches fade into salt marshes; visit old rice fields, tropical forests, tidal rivers and of course shoreline. At trail’s end, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge – preserving the largest swampland in North America – teems with wildlife beyond your “wildest” imaginations.