Carolinas, Georgia & South Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Alex Leviton [105]
Great options on St Simons range from a satisfying three-hour kayak trip through the island’s marshes with Southeast Adventure; or, if you don’t feel like getting in the marshes but want to knock a few balls around them, you could head over to King & Prince Golf Course at Hampton Club, one of Georgia’s finest courses; or educate yourself in a museum. There are a few here, but the Maritime Center Museum is the most interesting, covering coastal Georgia’s maritime history in a Roosevelt-era coast guard station that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.
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“I love to kayak through the salt marsh on Jekyll Island. In the early morning, it’s still cool – you don’t bake in the sun and you can see lots of animals. There are so many birds, manatees, and even an occasional sea turtle. The Tidelands Nature Center (www.tidelands4h.org) offers trips out there.”
Alicia Marin, Jekyll Island, GA
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Settle in at the Village Inn & Pub, a lush property with a little extra character (and a nicer price tag) than most in the area. Not as well located or as comfy but a steal for the barrier islands is the Sea Palms Inn, located on Frederica Rd heading to the island’s north side.
Being the most developed of Georgia’s barrier islands, there are more nighttime distractions on St Simons than her neighbors. Stop into Blackwater Grill for good Lowcountry/Cajun, including the area’s must-try culinary creation, Brunswick Stew. The house shrimp and grits are also perfect. Gnat’s Landing, across the parking lot, is a great bar in this area – folks spill over each other on the outdoor deck here. On Sunday, it’s the place to be. If you head out in the village, it’s all about Rafter’s, a blues bar that is the local watering hole of choice for both St Simon socialites and the mainland khaki brigade.
The next day it’s worth booking into the Lodge on Little St Simons Island, a former hunting lodge on the private Little St Simons Island; otherwise, take a day trip from St Simons. This unhurried, 10,000-acre island is an unspoiled jewel. Four successional stages of vegetation (dune meadow, wax myrtle and sweet grass, pine forest and climax maritime forest) make it a haven for kayaking, interpretive nature tours and birding. It’s a miraculous getaway – full of European fallow deer, sea turtles and gators – that is preciously undeveloped. The Golden Isles’ other private island, Sea Island, isn’t very visitor-friendly unless you’re staying at Cloister Inn, the coast’s most luxurious property.
Departing St Simons, cross the sail-evoking Sydney Lanier Bridge to the Jekyll Island Causeway, the gateway to Jekyll Island. This glorious island – 65% undeveloped – was once the stomping ground for America’s rich and famous, and it’s not hard to see why: woodlands and marshlands dominate the landscape here, peppered with some of the most interesting architecture this side of Charleston. Stop at Jekyll Island Information Center for a wealth of information and brochures and continue down the marsh-hemmed causeway to the entrance to the island.
Sleep in a bygone era at the massive Jekyll Island Club Hotel, a historic Victorian monolith dating back to 1886 that once hosted folks with names like Rockefeller, Goodyear, Macy, Vanderbilt and Pulitzer. Their winter cottages are now the highlight of the Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District. Built between 1884 and 1929, these historic mansions are some of the prettiest structures you ever did see. Most are closed to the public, but you can go in the Old Infirmary, once owned by Joseph Pulitzer and now a two-story book and gift shop that’s well worth a stroll. You can see inside a few of the fancier buildings on a Jekyll Island Museum trolley tour. Alternatively, rent a bike from the hotel; the whole island lends itself to