JEKYLL ISLAND

After spending five tense days negotiating trouble spots and fog as we passed through Georgia, we were relieved to finally see the welcoming docks of Jekyll Creek Marina. What an absolutely delightful place this island is! For us it has three things that make a holiday destination perfect—fun, food and frolic.

For fun, the Tidelands Nature Centre offers interpretive walking and kayaking tours of the marsh and local eco-systems with lots of hands on activities. There are golf courses for adults and mini-put for children. But best of all is the incredible historic district. This 240 acre area includes more than thirty beautifully preserved buildings dating from America’s “gilded age.” This is where the Rockefellers and their moneyed friends built elaborate summer residences all of which have been restored to their former glory and are now open for public tours.

For frolic, miles of wide sandy beaches beacon the beachcomber or swimmer. Bicycles are available to rent and twenty miles of trails wind their way through beautiful island scenery. There is also a tennis center and water park—complete with slide and wave action pool.

“Foodies” will appreciate the various dining experiences offered at “The Jekyll Island Club.” This magnificent edifice forms the centerpiece of the historic district and is where Rockefeller and his cronies met to entertain their influential visitors. Here it is possible to experience and authentic “English High Tea” or Sunday morning “Brunch,” the latter, a veritable feast complete with carving station and champagne included in the tariff. Everything is served amid the opulent surroundings of “The Club” and it’s impossible not to feel pampered.

Equally enjoyable is the opportunity to “mix in” with the locals at the charming restaurant located on the grounds of the marina itself. This is where the “good ‘ole boys” meet to share a few drinks and enjoy the house specialty “low country boil.” This regional dish is a flavourful concoction of bite-sized pieces of shrimp, sausage, red potatoes and corn-on-the-cob. It is accompanied by fresh slaw, rolls, and banana pudding—all you can eat! While we were there, a motley assortment of locals sporting overly stretched muscle shirts, sagging shorts and longish hair in a variety of styles were listening to country music and knocking back a few beers. On the other side of the room the local police constabulary, immaculate in freshly pressed blue shirts, military style hair-cuts and patten leather holsters formed a stark contrast to the laid-back local lads. Both groups smiled at us as we entered and we felt equally at ease with them both. But as we were leaving, a “staged” rukus involving two of the locals erupted outside causing all eight officers to leap from their chairs and rush out to break up the brawl. When the “fighting” youths said “Aw, we’re jes foolin around” the police ordered them to “Get back to work!” And we watched as they lazily shuffled off, occasionally glancing back with sly eyes and chuckling at having successfully “baited” the police. Interesting group dynamics.

Unfortunately, we were only able to spend a single day on Jekyll Island but were so impressed by what was available here that we plan to make a mini-vacation of it when we pass back this way in the spring. With warmer weather it promises to be even more enjoyable than what we experienced this time around. And we’ll have to make sure that we arrive on a Sunday in order to enjoy that wonderful Brunch at the “The Club”.