Pitstop on Jekyll Island Georgia

When preparing for my Florida trip to see the final launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, I was attempting to loosely plan possible places to stop along the way.  I had never been to Georgia and was looking on Google Maps to see where a unique place to visit would be.  I noticed Jekyll Island and thought it looked interesting.  Although I only stayed there for two nights, below are some tidbits from me (along w/ some pictures and helpful links) that can give you an idea of what Jekyll has to offer.  I didn't scratch the surface here w/ what you can see and do, but its a start.

Whenever I travel blog... there will always be a section about photography, since that is the main purpose of my trips.  I like to get outside and take lots of pictures.  In researching what this island had to offer, I honed in on the northern part of the island, as it is known for it's driftwood (due to erosion).  Sunrise and sunset both offer great lighting on the driftwood in different ways and I spent the first evening and a large portion of the following morning just shooting driftwood.

Driftwood on Jekyll Island Georgia

Of course, an obvious thing to do is just stroll and sleep on the beach, which I spent plenty of time doing.  I found several areas tucked back in among driftwood and Spanish moss covered trees where I was all alone - it was great!

The island has quite a bit of unique history.  In the late 1800's, Jekyll was owned by the Rockefellers of the world and was exclusively open to millionaires as a playground.  Although this is an important part of the island's history, and there is plenty to see on the island reflective of this time period, I focused on a different part of the island that dated back to the 1700's.  I am fascinated by old ruins or abandoned buildings/houses and wanted to visit the Horton House.  This house was constructed in 1743 and is one of Georgia's oldest buildings.  The construction of the house is interesting in it's composition.  It consists of oyster shells mixed w/ sand, lime and water into a mortar called tabby.  More can be found on the history of the Horton House, the Jekyll Island Club, and the Historic District (along w/ additional events that took place on the island) at the link below:

http://www.jekyllisland.com/

The above link also has loads of other information on the island such as where to stay, where to eat, things to do, etc.  Its a great site for getting a feel for Jekyll and finding out what you want to do.  It also has an awesome map of the island that shows where everything is located (under Getting to Jekyll/Directions/.pdf map). 

Horton House Remains Jekyll Island Georgia

When it comes to food, I try to be as frugal as possible when traveling.  I try to pack my own food and minimize stopping to eat at restaurants; however, I thought it would be good to try one of the local places on the island (there are many and I have learned that I need to get into this habit more often when I travel - you can still be frugal if you try).  A couple I met had recommended SeaJay's.  I loved the drive to the restaurant, as it was tucked in back a dirt road by the marina.  An awesome welcome was the smell when I walked up to it... seafood seasoning!  I couldn't wait!  I sat outside and read my Kindle while waiting for my food.  The atmosphere was laid back, comfortable, and casual.  I ordered the crab cake sandwich w/ slaw (yum city) along w/ the homemade key lime pie (super yum city).  It rocked and I would definitely go back (would love to try the Low Country Boil).  Check out details/menu at:

http://seajays.com/

There is so much more I could go on about, but I'll stop here and suggest you check out the island website and take it from there.

Some additional tidbits to know:
1) There is a $5.00 "use fee/pass" that you will need to pay when you drive over the causeway to the island.  Small price for all that you can do.
2) As of February 2011, there is some construction (buildings and roads) going on - be on the lookout for road closures and detours.
3) Several hotels and cottages are available to stay at on the island.  I can only speak for the hotels and say that they don't detract from the island's charm too much.  They do have an island feel to them which is nice.
4) There are year round residents who live on Jekyll.  Please respect their property and privacy.

I'm glad I stopped on Jekyll Island.  I wanna make a return trip just to try more places to eat ;-)