Travel gives you the opportunity to view different perspective, allows you to live in new knowledge and grants you the chance to experience a piece of the past.

That’s exactly what Jekyll Island is all about: offering visitors a trip back in time to a simpler, unhurried way of life. The protected natural beauty, lovingly restored historic structures and the kind, patient people that live/work on the island, give you the sense that time itself has slowed.

Jekyll Island is a Georgia State Park, and maintains a strict conservation clause, which limits future development to preserve wildlife and protect the scenic beauty. This is AMAZING but also means that the Island depends on tourism to generate income and stay afloat. These are the sacred places we must help flourish! My goal is that after reading this post, Jekyll Island will make it to the top of your bucket list and, upon your visit, you soak up all the gifts this special piece of paradise shares with it’s visitors!

WHERE TO STAY

There are several resorts on the island, all of which are beautiful, but the Jekyll Island Club is BY FAR the most incredible place to stay. Every inch of the property is overflowing with stories of a time before ours. Staying at the resort allows you to join in on some of America’s wealthiest family vacations as the club was once frequented by legendary lineage like the Vanderbilts, Rockafellers and J.P. Morgan. Cool, right?!

If you’re looking for real southern hospitality, this is the place you’ll find it. The staff are very kind and attentive with all guests, the property is drool worthy and the club includes the perfect mix of relaxation and fun as far as the “activity list” goes. Play in the weekly croquet tournaments, enjoy a craft cocktail, ride in a horse-drawn carriage or dig into a seafood dinner on the wharf. This club knows how to do things right!

WHAT TO DO

Beaches

The beaches on Jekyll Island are unlike anywhere else. Known for their natural bounty, each of Jekyll’s beaches is completely different than the other. With ten miles of shoreline, there’s a beach to suit everyone!

Driftwood beach and it’s hauntingly beautiful silhouette has been named one of America’s top ten most romantic beaches. Covered with the weathered bones of pine and water oak trees, this beach is a stunning, quiet place for adventure. I visited this spot on three different occasions in August and I never found the beach to be crowded which only adds to the raw beauty of this one of a kind locál!

Great Dunes beach is the most popular and easily accessible beach on Jekyll. It has just about everything you need for a stellar beach day with friends and family: Plenty of parking, picnic pavilions, an activity deck, showers, restrooms, a volleyball court… It’s all here. Also, your furry friends (dogs) are allowed to join you on Great Dunes AND… this is my favorite part… This beach is, more often than not, covered in sand dollars! Just remember that the grey ones are still living so be sure to leave those in the water 😉 Only take home the white sand dollars like the one pictured above!

Glory Beach Park, Oceanview Beach Park and St. Andrews Beach Park are a few of the other noteworthy beaches on Jekyll.  If you’re looking for a quiet, secluded place for a walk or a picnic this is the place to do it.

Jekyll Island History Tour

There are several tours available on the island but I decided the Jekyll Island history tour was right up my alley. Walk along winding sidewalks shaded my plantation oaks, explore the historic cottages once occupied by Americas wealthiest families and listen to tales passed down through time. This entire tour is FASCINATING and it’s unreal to experience how stunning life on this island was hundreds of years ago.

The Faith Chapel Tour, Passport Century Tour, Rockefeller Experience, Carriage Tour – all of these show you a different side to this charming, intriguing island. Whichever one you choose you wont regret your decision but I HIGHLY recommend committing to one of these during your time here!

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

“Noggin! Duuude!”

Meet a real life “Crush the Turtle” (Finding Nemo 😉 ) at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center! This is Georgia’s only sea turtle education and rehabilitation facility. It is open to the public from 9am -5pm daily and offers visitors the chance to take a closer look at some of our most precious marine life. With interactive exhibits and experiences this is a great way to learn about the important work being done to save turtles and other coastal wildlife. If you love animals, like I do, then this is a must! Who can say no to turtles?!?!

Outdoor Activities

Jekyll island is made up of more than a thousand acres of maritime forest, 10 miles of shoreline and, (most of the time) beautiful sunny skies! This the perfect recipe for outdoor adventures and the Island has it all!

• Biking
• Bird watching
• Fishing and boating
• Golf
• Horseback riding
• Kayaking and paddle boarding
• Tennis

Be

The moments I feel most alive, the closest to God, the greatest sense of comfort, usually involves being outside. In awe of natures beauty and surrounded by the peaceful sound of wind in the trees is where my heart feels most captivated and when the answers to my questions seem to find their way into my hands.

The activity I look forward to most on Jekyll Island isn’t really an activity at all… It’s simply to “be.” To exist. To stay still and give my dreams a little bit of space to grow. You don’t get to do this all the time and most assuredly not in a place as beautiful and magical as Jekyll Island. May this be one of your favorite and most treasured moments spent on, in my opinion, Georgia’s most precious Golden Isle.