Fun/Romantic things to do around Jekyll Island, GA?

November 7, 2006 9:14 AM

Fun/Romantic things to do around Jekyll Island, GA?

My wife and I will be leaving in a few days for our Honeymoon. We'll be flying into Jacksonville and driving to Jekyll Island. After spending five nights on Jekyll Island we'll be driving to Savannah and staying there for three nights. We're looking for fun/romantic things to do on Jekyll Island, there are enough great suggestions in the existing Savannah posts to keep us busy for a month!

Is 95 the best way to get from Jekyll Island to Savannah? We wont be in a rush so if anyone could suggest a more scenic alternative it would be appreciated.

(We'll be staying at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel on Jekyll Island, and The Gastonian B&B in Savannah.) Thanks!

posted by Svenny to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

I've never been to Jekyll Island, but Cumberland Island is nearby, maybe and hour or so by car (and I think the ferry to Cumberland departs only from St. Mary's). Most of the island is National Seashore, and there are ruins and wild horses running around...This would be, of course, away from the hustle and bustle:

Cumberland Island is Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island. Pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes whisper the stories of both man and nature. Come walk in the footsteps of early natives, explorers, and wealthy industrialists. Enjoy ranger guided tours or explore in quiet solitude.
posted by sneakyalien at 9:36 AM on November 7, 2006

Not romantic, but I'd consider it fun: visit Sapelo Island. It takes some planning, but it's a beautiful visit, and you can learn about the fascinating (to me anyway) Gullah/Geechee culture.

St. Simon's Island has a lot of restaurants - more than Jekyll Island, I think.
posted by Amizu at 9:37 AM on November 7, 2006

I lived just up the coast for a few years, on St. Simon's Island. I'm not as familiar with Jekyll, it is pretty small and remote, which is part of the charm. If you want a few more activities, SSI is a bigger Island. They have a nice pier to walk on at sunset, and a few restaurants and bars nearby. There is also a lighthouse you can climb if you think your calf muscles can handle it.

Sea Island has The Cloister Hotel, which is a big destination spot for honeymooners. I'm not sure what their rules are for guests vs. non-guests, but they have a full service spa and several restaurants. They also do some boat tours. I used to work there, it's a beautiful spot, but many activities are restricted to members and guests. If you can go for dinner at the beach club or a yacht cruise, it would be very memorable.

My favorite trip we ever took was to Cumberland Island National seashore. It's just a little south of Jekyl. You can walk around on an uspoiled, undeveloped beach and see wild horses, alligators and boars. Very cool.

You can take the Southern Coastal Highway (17/25) instead of I-95. It is not that much more scenic, I think no matter which way you go, there are just lots and lots of pine tree farms. But it does take you through a few small towns where you may see shrimp boats (if it's the right season, don't remember). It was our preferred route when we'd go to Savannah for the day.
posted by saffry at 9:46 AM on November 7, 2006

I *have* been to Jekyll Island, although it was a few years ago. But I love love love it. Cumberland Island = nature-y. St. Simon's Island = resort-y. Jekyll is what you get if you split the difference. Depending on where your interests are, you might consider renting bikes and riding on the trails through the maritime forests (yes, they have these on Jekyll too), or taking a nature hike in the marshlands (ditto). Or look into tours of the historic houses on the island -- I seem to recall the Rockefellers and other American icons kept vacation homes on Jekyll in the 1920's. Have a great time!
posted by somanyamys at 10:35 AM on November 7, 2006

Jekyll Island is a lovely place to visit - bring a bike or rent one as the trip around the island by bike is really fun. There is a fantastic restaurant at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel (at least when I was there last 4 years ago). If you haven't made reservations already, accommodations on the other (sea side) of the island aren't as classy but the beaches and the breezes and sunsets are fabulous. Cumberland Island is fun to visit (old plantations, a nice boat ride out) as is the Okefenokee Swamp (spelling!) -- both are a bit of a drive. When I have been there - four times now - we spend our time biking and enjoying the beaches. It is a non-touristy, no-hype kind of place but that has been a perfect pace for us at times. Enjoy your stay!
posted by bluesky43 at 2:26 PM on November 7, 2006

I live in Jacksonville. US17 going north from Jacksonville is not a particularly scenic route, and it doesn't get much better in Georgia, either. The road traverses low country marsh and salt flats, so you can see egrets, cranes, pelicans, gulls and other marsh birds, but you rarely get any ocean view, and no beaches. The paper and pulp mills that used to stink up the Brunswick area for miles have mostly now had scrubber equipment fitted, and only smell strongly of bleaching sulfites, a few days a year.

If you have the time, you might want to go a few miles farther east on I-295 from the Jacksonville International Airport, until it becomes Route 9, and then exit on Atlantic Boulevard. Head east on Atlantic Boulevard about 12 miles, and you'll run into the Atlantic Ocean at the intersection of the adjacent towns of Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach, and there are good places for lunch all around that area. Peterbrooke Chocolatiers has a shop there, where you can buy your honey some locally produced fancy chocolates for the ride north. After that, backtrack a couple of miles heading back west on Atlantic Blvd, and look for signs for Mayport and Route A1A North. Head out on this road, take the car ferry over the St. Johns River, and get a look at the John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier in port as you ride the ferry. Then drive north past the Talbot Islands State Park (stunning sugar sand beaches, turquoise water, and palm trees, egrets, cranes, and pelicans) and keep heading north to scenic Amelia Island and the town of Fernadina Beach. Plenty of nice old Florida places to eat and shop there, including a Ritz-Carlton hotel, although this only an hour or so straight driving time north of Jax (more if you've stopped for a walk on the beaches at the Talbot Islands). Stay on A1A north (which is actually straight west out of Fernadina Beach) for 11-12 miles to cross US17, or another 3 or 4 miles to I-95 north.

If it were me, I'd take i-95 for the safety and convenience from there to at least Brunswick, and really, all the way to Savannah.
posted by paulsc at 2:44 PM on November 7, 2006

Oh yes, if you're getting in late and want to eat dinner nearer to Jacksonville, I had the best meal of my life at the Ritz-Carleton Amelia Island. This was about six years ago and we did a six course tasting menu that really amounted to about twelve courses with all the pre-appetizers, palette cleansers, pre-desserts etc., etc.
posted by saffry at 4:12 PM on November 7, 2006

I second all the comments about St. Simon's Island. If you have a love of seafood, please visit the Georgia Sea Grill. Kim and Alan are simply the best. It is a popular place, so do call ahead for reservations. The recumbent bicycles are a blast to ride and there are a couple of places to rent them.

If I remember correctly, Jekyll Island has a toll of $3 or so per entrance. If that is still the case, I would look into a pass of some sort if you plan on leaving the island often. Your hotel may have some info on that as well.

Congratuations and enjoy your new life together.
posted by bach at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2006