Located in the on the southeastern coat of Georgia is Jekyll Island, a small island retreat nestled in the marshes that the south is known for. While some people have made their permanent home here, the island feels isolated. With few hotels and no major city center, Jekyll Island is the perfect get away spot.
Jekyll Island use to be where families set up winter homes to enjoy the beauty and the warmth that the coast offered. Here, the Jekyll Island Club was built to entertain and house guests. Many of the more prominent guests built their own cottages nearby. The club functioned until the 1940s, when the State of Georgia bought the island. The club still stands today as the main hotel on the island.
The resort is built in the Victorian fashion and is right on the riverfront. Some of the cottages have been turned into guest rooms as well. The club has extensive grounds to wander around and to enjoy the draping oak trees, the Spanish moss floating in the limbs, and the marsh grass blowing in the breeze. The original cottages of the guest of the club are still on the grounds of the hotel. Visitors can wander around the outside of these cottages, some allow people inside as well.
Offered at the resort are several activities. A croquet field is right in front of the hotel and always promises much fun, whether you know how to play or not! There is also a golf course and tennis court if you prefer a more challenging game. You can rent bikes and ride around the island: along marsh trails, down the beaches, or around the grounds. You can ride horses along the beach or through the live oaks or if you prefer take a carriage tour of the hotel grounds. You can learn about the island and the hotel through a variety of history tours given.
Near by is Saint Simons Island, which makes for a great day trip. St. Simons is bigger than Jekyll Island and has a more vibrant nightlife, as there are more restaurants. St. Simons has an old fort, Fort Frederica and is the sight of a famous Southern battle, Bloody Marsh Battle. Interestingly, enough St. Simons was a Spanish city in a British colony, which only provoked conflict and resulted in a decisive win for the British at the Bloody March Battle. Other, historical landmarks include: First African Baptist Church, Avenue of Oaks, and St. Simons Lighthouse Museum.
Check out https://www.jekyllclub.com to schedule your trip and to learn more about Jekyll Island.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
