Wednesday, November 24, 2010 (Laura S. Walker State Park, GA)

We were going to Jekyll Island today  http://www.jekyllisland.com/ so there would be no dilly dallying this morning. But it was still later than we had hoped to get away. We still had a few ants showing so Steve did another quick spray and too much chit-chatting with neighbours, I guess! It was 9:40 by the time we headed out for the 70 minute trip straight east on highway 82 to Jekyll Island. I was a little concerned by the clouds this morning but as we headed towards the coast, the clouds disappeared and we had a beautiful sunny day.

We stopped at the Visitor’s Information Centre (which is about 2 miles before you actually get to the Island) and after getting a map and directions, we continued on. There is a “Greeting Station” as you get onto the island where you have to pay a $5 parking fee to park on the island...interesting. The literature says that it is used to support conservation and stewardship of the natural and cultural resources of the Island...well, okay then. We found the Island History Centre...oops, “Center”...and after parking in the huge, but almost empty, parking lot, we found that we had just missed the 11:00 tour of the historical area. The next tour was at 1:00, so we started off in the museum. We learned that the island’s present day prominence as a favourite vacation spot was prefaced by an era of unrivalled status and prestige. Beginning in 1886, for well over five decades, the island was the exclusive domain of the Jekyll Island Club—the winter retreat for some the most elite and wealthy families...the Rockefellers, Pulitzers, Vanderbilts, Morgans...to name a few. As usual, there was so much reading!! But very interesting, especially when you get to the part after the island was bought for $125, 000 and fifty-three prominent Jekyll Island Club members created an exclusive gilded era island retreat for family and friends.

Just after 12:00, we thought we should go eat our picnic lunch before the 90 minute tour started at 1:00. The tour was great...what a wonderful way to really find out about an area. The guided tram tour of the 240-acre historic district included entry into two “cottages”...hardly cottages!  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the cottages.  The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District is one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the south-eastern United States. The Jekyll Island Clubhouse is now an award-winning four-star Jekyll Island Club Hotel; the Club Wharf is now a seafood restaurant; the Club Power Plant is now the Georgia Sea Turtle Centre; and a number of other buildings that housed servants are now a shopping area. A number of cottages also house other things...for instance, the Goodyear Cottage houses the Jekyll Island Arts Association and gift shop; and the Mistletoe Cottage showcases the work of a renowned Jekyll Island sculptor. Another one, the Furness Cottage is now a book and antique store. The first Trans-Atlantic phone call was even made from the island by Alexander Graham Bell who had become ill and could not make it back to New York in time. So they strung cables to the island so he could make it from there! The tour was well worth the $16 is cost...we really enjoyed it!

These are pictures of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel...

This is Indian Mound Cottage, owned by the Rockefellers....one of the two cottages we had a tour of.  You should have seen the size of Mrs. Rockefellers bedroom!  Very opulant!

This was the Rockefellers (and others) favourite mode of transportation around the island...

 

The Goodyear Cottage...

The Crane Cottage (yes, the fellow who started all the bathroom stuff...faucets, toilets...)...

This is the first Condominium...it had 6 large suites in it...

After the tour of the historical district, we went to the Georgia Sea Turtle Centre (georgiaseaturtle.org). It is Georgia’s first sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education facility providing state-of-the-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles. Again, there was much reading but we learned a lot about sea turtles and even saw the hospital room where they are treated and then the “recovery room”—the rehabilitation pavilion where a number are being nursed back to health.

This is Griffin.  He was found in 2007 with a

gastrointestinal infection.  He also had a stroke making it impossible for him to dive.  So he will live in that tank for the rest of his life...

 By the time we had finished at the Sea Turtle Centre it was after 3:30 and we still wanted to drive around the island. Once back in the truck we headed north and stopped at the ruins of the Horton House, a circa 1742 remnant of English colonization. Constructed of tabby (we’ve learned a lot about this seashell and sand mixture used a lot for construction of buildings back then), Horton House was built by Major William Horton. He had established a thriving plantation on Jekyll Island in the 1730’s.

Across the street was the DuBignon Cemetery, another prominent family back in the 1700’s...

Our next stop was the Clam Creek Picnic Area and Fishing Pier where we walked to the end of the pier and took lots of pictures.

After that, we continued around the tip and headed south along the east side of the island where there are plenty of hotels and resorts dotting the oceanfront...all with a lovely beach. Unfortunately, a portion of the road on the southern tip of the island is closed. I understand they are doing some major renovations to the area...new shopping centre and gas station.

It was about 4:30 when we left the island and headed home. As you can see, we’d had a full day! It was pretty close to being dark by the time we got home, but we had one quick drink outside as the sun was setting. We then headed inside for dinner and some TV.

The campground was really starting to fill up as people arrived to spend their Thanksgiving weekend here....still hoping we’ll get an invite for turkey dinner tomorrow...haha!