Jekyll Island: A Serene Southern Getaway with a New England Touch
This past week I had the pleasure of visiting Jekyll Island, GA, for the first time. A work trip to shoot Spring content for bloggers (@walkinginmemphisinhighheels and @alicekerley) was the reason for our visit! A beautiful Spanish moss covered Oak tree drive greeted us at the entrance of Jekyll island. Just down the lane and around the corner, the majestic Jekyll Island Club Resort peeked above the tree lined sky as we drove underneath all the hanging moss. The sweet covered porch of this sprawling estate welcomed us with a sense of luxury and southern hospitality. However, to keep to its New England traditions, there was a gorgeous manicured lawn ready for a splendid game of croquet! Oh, the croquet lawn was marvelous! Each day of our stay, I’d walk out front to find a fun group dressed in white playing a riveting game of croquet. It made my heart so happy to watch them play, young and old.
The staff at Jekyll Island are so kind and welcoming. They made our stay wonderful! With my love for New England and the fact that Jekyll Island was founded by New England families, I was so curious how the island would be similar. It was fun to discover little hints of New England influence on this charming southern island. On our history tour of the island, it was fascinating to see the New England architecture in the residential cottages where the families stayed for the season. Another small New England detail I greatly enjoyed was the delicious Georgia white clam chowder.
During our stay, we thoroughly enjoyed a few of Jekyll Island’s several fabulous activities. A few of my personal favorites were bike riding around the island, playing a round of afternoon croquet, snacking on ice cream from the sweet shop, visiting the sea turtle hospital, taking a stroll in one of the gardens and a peaceful morning walk on Driftwood beach. Other activities we wish we had had more time for included dolphin watching, boat rides, horseback riding on the beach and many more bicycle rides!
Jekyll Island was such a lovely getaway made up of dreamy leisurely days with the ocean breeze in the air, guests dressed in white playing long games of croquet, meals out on the covered porches and magical sunsets along the water. It is the perfect setting to host a gorgeous wedding weekend, too. ;)
I look forward to my next visit to Jekyll Island!
