Doreen and Laura's Excellent Adventure: Back to Georgia

Georgia's coast

(Sightseeing)

March 27, 2018 - March 31, 2018

Our goal now is to work our way up the Atlantic coast. In Georgia we started with Jekyll Island. It was purchased by a bunch of wealthy friends who like to hunt and fish. They formed the Jekyll Island Club and built a large clubhouse. They also wrote up the general rules for how the island was to be developed and used. As members they were each expected to build a cottage on the property and they did so with a relish. Here are some of the cozy "cottages" they built!

These old live oak trees are all over the area where the clubhouse and cottages are found. I fell in love with them immediately.

Especially beautiful with the azalea's blooming and ferns draping their branches.

Later generations more or less lost interest in their Jekyll Island getaways and the island was sold to the state of Georgia in 1947. With a 10 mile beach it is now a major resort area complete with big name hotels, golf, fishing, tennis, bike and hiking trails, a water park, etc. We managed to stay one night at the state campground on the island but it was booked up the rest of the time we were going to be in the area.

The original members built a non-denominational chapel on the island which was served by various ministers from the mainland. It has a beautiful Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass window which was installed under the direct supervision of Tiffany himself.

Faith Chapel

Tiffany window in the chapel.

Near the campground at the north end of the island is driftwood beach. We expected a beach like we have on the Pacific coast but this was totally different. Seemed less like driftwood and more like trees that died in place and fell over.

Isn't that white sand beautiful?

The island is also the home to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. It acts as an educational and rehabilitation center. They have wonderful exhibits including a window where you can watch turtles being cared for by the staff. Many have wounds from boat collisions or from being entangled with fishing gear. At the center their wounds are treated until they can be released back into the ocean. We learned there are 5 types of sea turtles.