Travel fun things to do in jekyll island georgia

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Jekyll Island, Georgia is a well-kept, paradise secret, but those who know of its existence keep coming back to visit year after year. Located approximately an hour below Savannah and an hour north of Jacksonville, Florida, Jekyll Island still maintains a secluded wildness not found often along the popular east coast.

You catch your first glimpse of the island as you travel across the salt marshes and up onto the long, high bridge that connects the island with the mainland and Brunswick, Georgia. Even before you reach the toll booth and the entrance to the island, you might get lucky and see the fin of a dolphin as it swims along the calm waters of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Accommodations are plentiful. You can stay in one of several beautiful hotels, rent one of the many lovely homes, or even stay at the local campground, which is set in a rustic, wooded area. Once youve settled in, it will be time to explore.

Maybe you want to take a leisurely ride around the island first. Everyone moves at a slower place here, and you wont want to be the exception. Although there is a shopping center with gift shops, a grocery store, post office, and restaurants, Jekyll Island does not embrace the commercialism found in many beachfront towns.

This community has worked hard to preserve its natural beauty. Neat, wooden boardwalks have been built over the dunes to protect them. You are encouraged to enjoy looking at the dunes, but please dont walk on them. Large oaks with wispy, Spanish moss are in virtually every yard on the island, and there is plenty of undeveloped forest and marshland.

Because the island is only about seven miles long, you can access almost any area by bike, and you will definitely want to bring your bike or rent one when you arrive. The historic area of the island gives visitors a glimpse of how the rich and the famous once spent their leisure time. Names such as Rockefeller, Pulitzer, and Vanderbilt are synonymous with the history of Jekyll Island, as some of these wealthy families were former owners of the island, and they used it as their own private retreat, known as the Jekyll Island Club.

Now owned by the state of Georgia, Jekyll Island encourages tourists to take a tour of some of these millionaires homes, many of which have been restored to their original condition. You can find information on the Jekyll Island Club National Historic District at the Jekyll Island History Center. While there, you might want to sign up for one of the narrated horse and buggy rides or tram rides.

You definitely want to visit the fishing pier at the north end of the island. It is located next to the Clam Creek picnic area. Be sure and pay attention to the tide schedule every day and plan on walking along Clam Creeks beach area at low tide. Here you will find some of the best shelling on the island. If you are lucky, the shrimp boats will be just off the island, trolling along the bay, and you might see a school of dolphins. Since the dolphins tend to follow the shrimp boats, they can swim very close to shore at times. Located across from Clam Creek is the islands campground.

On the south side of the island is St. Andrews picnic area. As you walk along the calm waters of this bayside beach, you will usually find several people wading through the shallow waters with large nets, seining for ocean treasure. As they bring their bounties up onto the shore, be sure and wander over to see what they have caught. You might see shrimp, crabs, flounder, jelly fish, and even a baby shark or two.

Deer are abundant on the island. In the evening, be sure and drive slowly. Deer may suddenly run across your path. Dont be surprised to see deer grazing in the yards of many of the homes on the island or along the fairways on the golf courses. Deer arent the only wildlife on the golf courses, however. You can usually catch a glimpse of an alligator or two lazily floating in one of the golf course ponds.

Speaking of golf, Jekyll Island is home to sixty-three holes of golf, and the courses are first class! You dont have to be a professional golfer to enjoy the courses. One of the courses has tee boxes for all ages. Two putt-putt golf courses are also on the island.

If you have children, you must visit Summer Waves Water Park. With its various water slides, wave pool, lazy river, and kiddie area, this water park will appeal to any age. The Jekyll Island Nature Center is located close to the water park, and offers children and adults a hands-on education about all of the wildlife and nature that is abundant here. Visitors can usually see a real baby loggerhead turtle.

Guided turtle walks are another popular activity on the island. Jekyll Island prides itself on doing all it can to preserve the natural habitat of the endangered loggerhead turtle. A group of volunteers keep watch over the nests that are scattered over the dunes. If you were to come upon one of these nests on your own, please dont disturb it in any way. During the summer months, you can tag along on one of the turtle walks, and maybe, if you are lucky, catch a glimpse of a loggerhead turtle.

Horseback riding excursions are offered daily during through the summer. Youll ride along the beach and through the maritime forest. Sunset rides are incredible! Charter boats are also available for fishing trips and dolphin watches.

Valdosta State University sponsors summer theater productions at Jekyll Islands own outdoor amphitheater. Every summer, you can see up to three different musicals, each worthy of Broadway, performed under the stars.

As you can see, Jekyll Island offers couples and families many wonderful activities and attractions. Visit Jekyll Island, Georgia, an island paradise, for the vacation of a lifetime!