Whether it is the beauty, the history, or the excitement you seek, check out Jekyll Island.
You step out of our hotel onto a sandy sidewalk. Palm trees sway in a breeze that brushes our hair back from our faces. You hop onto a rented bicycle, and with the briny air to your back, you pedal past mansions built by J. P. Morgan and friends. You stop under a river oak and drink a bottle of water before pedaling on down to the dock where you'll catch a boat and do some dolphin watching.
If you're looking for history, Jekyll Island is the place to go. You prefer the beach? Then Jekyll Island is for you. If you'd rather hike wooded trails, you might be interested in Jekyll Island (just watch out for the alligators). A golf vacation? Jekyll Island has some of the most beautiful courses you'd ever want to play on.
Originally called Ospo by the Guale Indians, the name of the island was changed in 1734 to honor Sir Joseph Jekyll. Sir Joseph Jekyll had provided great contributions in founding the Georgian colonies. The island was acquired in 1791 by Christophe Poulain du Bignon. In 1886 the island was bought by a group of millionaire industrialists.
The Jekyll Island Club was incorporated on January 8, 1886. It was purchased by a group of wealthy families (some of the most famous being Astor, Gould, Rockefeller, Morgan and Pulitzer) from John Eugene du Bignon, an ancestor of Christophe Poulain du Bignon. The group purchased the island to serve as a winter hunting retreat. It is believed that the members of the Jekyll Island Club represented over one-sixth of the world's wealth at that time.
The families commissioned architect Charles A. Alexander to design and build a sixty-room clubhouse. The clubhouse was finished in November of 1887, and in 1901 an annex was attached.
In 1896, some members of the groups built a six-unit apartment building dubbed Sans Souci. Between 1888 and 1928, several of the members built their own private cottages on the island. Throughout the club's history, the members added a marina for their yachts, a swimming pool, tennis courts, bocci, and croquet facilities. The first golf course was laid in 1898, and two more were completed in 1909.
The club's membership declined during the Depression, and after the 1942 season, the United States government asked the group not to use the island for the duration of World War II. The group never reassembled. The State of Georgia bought the island in 1947.
Now the Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District is hailed as being the largest restoration project in the Southeast. The Historic Landmark District conducts tours daily with the exceptions of December 25 and January 1. Tours are available via tram, walking, or horse and buggy.
In addition to golf, historical tours, antiques and gift shopping, tennis and miniature golf, visitors to Jekyll Island can enjoy dolphin tours, sailing, and fishing. Freshwater fishing is permitted at the lakes beside the Amphitheater and across from Villas by the Sea, and saltwater fishing is permitted at the fishing pier. Both types of fishing require the proper license. Charter fishing is also popular at Jekyll Island. Visitors to the island also enjoy the bicycle and horse riding trails. Another popular spot is the Tidelands Nature Center. The Center features aquariums, exhibits and programs.
Even more than the activities, my husband and I enjoyed the beach. We visited Jekyll Island during the off-season. During our morning strolls along the beach, we had the sand, sea, shells, and sand dollars practically all to ourselves. I brought back several completely intact sand dollars for family members and friends. One caveat: When gathering shells, look inside to make sure there are no little creatures in there.
We found much of the wildlife to be rather friendly. On our first morning, a squirrel scampered into our bedroom. The squirrel became our buddy the day we had lunch on the patio. The furry rodent was so accustomed to hotel guests that he would even snatch potato chips from our hands if we offered them to him. We even have a picture of him doing just that. A man at the marina demonstrated that the ravens would also swoop down and take potato chips from your fingertips. He offered me a chip so I could share in this fowl activity; but thanks to my parents' constant warning that mother birds on nests would "peck your brains out" and Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds," I'm terrified of birds and left the chip snatching ravens to the professional.
My husband was eager to see an alligator in its natural habitat. When told where we might find one, we rode our rented bikes along the wooded trail to the lake. We did, in fact, see a baby alligator swimming in the lake; but we saw no mother alligator. However, when I heard a rustle in the bushes, I discovered that I can still pedal a bicycle faster than the Wicked Witch of West in "The Wizard of Oz."
So, if it's beauty, history, and excitement you seek, check out Jekyll Island. You won't be disappointed.
