We enjoyed our January trip to Jekyll Island so much that we decided to come again when we had to pivot on our previously scheduled May trip. This time there were gnats and sand fleas but the golf cart trips erased those problems. We again had a blast. And would you believe it – we still have things left on our Jekyll Island to do list.
We spent peaceful afternoons at the beach across from the campground. There is a huge fishing pier, a picnic area, horseback riders, and a bridge over to the beach.
The pier where cargo ships pass by
The bridge over to the beach
And we also just happened to have a very photogenic subject who highlighted the beautiful scenery.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is always a must see.
The Dolphin Cruise was a neat way go get out on the water. We saw more dolphin than usual for the cruise. The huge shark tooth gave me another item to add to my to do list – hunt for teeth on Shark Beach.
We had never been to Horton Pond. They have ranger programs there about alligators. It was fun to watch the turtles, alligators, and birds.
One of the prettiest beaches and most unusual beaches on Jekyll – Driftwood Beach
On another beach day we rented an umbrella and chairs, hunted sand dollars, and enjoyed the solitude (conveniently in front of the Westin’s amenities). This was our third beach on Jekyll – each one has a unique beauty.
The Jekyll Island Campground is very woodsy, with moss-covered trees, unpaved roads and campsites, with tight spaces. Joe’s backing skills were up to the test, though. Our neighbors were impressed that he safely put the trailer between two pines at 11 pm with a whole four inches to spare on one side and seven inches on the other.
The campground has a bird habitat with tons of feeders and two swings where J and I spent time swinging and and identifying as many birds as we could: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Cardinal, Blue Jay, and Robin and more.
Our list of animals sightings included: rabbit, deer and fawn, horses, raccoon, american bottle-nose dolphin, loggerhead turtle, softshell turtle, sand dollars, armadillo, alligator, and squirrels.
The food was so good and the golf cart was so fun that we ate out twice a day. Half of the time at the the Sunrise Grille in the village (for a killer breakfast and shockingly good seafood) and the other half at The Wharf (where the scenery rivals the fabulous food and live music).
We ended our visit with a trolley ride through the historic district and the included house tour. Each time we do the trolley we learn more about the interesting history of Jekyll. This time it struck me that the island has skirted disaster through its many lives (the indigenous people, the very early settlers, the millionaires, and the state of Georgia).
Native Americans travelled to the island to hunt and fish. Then British colonists came to the island. General Oglethorpe (Georgia’s founder) tasked Major Willam Horton with establishing Jekyll as an outpost to bolster Fort Frederica against Spanish attack from the south. A variety of plantation owners came next, and then, in the the island’s heyday, it was a hunting retreat for the nation’s leading families who represented 1/6th of the world’s wealth in 1900.
When submarines off the coast of Georgia made the island unsafe during World War II and the millionaires were behind on their taxes after the war, the State of Georgia assumed ownership in 1947. The cottages in millionaire village had fallen into disrepair and the furniture was hastily scrambled into storage without tracking the location it came from. It has taken the state many years to gradually restore the millionaire village cottages, place furniture, restore floors and wallpaper, build infrastructure (roads and bridges), and to develop a land use plan to preserve the beauty of the island for future generations. This trip, I was struck with how close we came to losing this treasure? Thank you Jekyll Island Authority!
On our next visit we try to hit some of the things we missed this time – rent bikes, Shark Beach at low tide, Village shops, St. Simons, and putt putt. And if we finish those up, I plan to start the list all over again! It is kind of sad to say, but Jekyll Island is surpassing St. Simons as my new island home. The natural beauty is winning me over.