Jekylle Island Driftwood Beach

Jekyll Island is a state park located off the coast of Georgia. It is accessible by car or by boat. I gave myself enough time to get to the Driftwood Beach 30 minutes before sunrise. I should have arrived an hour before to find the right location for photographs.

In planning to visit Jekyll Island, there are some things that should be known:

Plan ahead. The island is very popular and camping is booked many weeks in advance. I had to take camping at Southern Retreat RV Park which had many issues.
To get to Jekyll Island, you will need to drive to the mainland and take the Jekyll Island Causeway. The causeway is a bridge that connects the island to the mainland.
There is a toll to access the causeway, which is currently $8 per car. You can pay the toll using cash or credit card at the toll booth. It is good for the entire day until mid-night. I actually left the island and came back.
Once you are on the island, there is a visitor center where you can get information about the island and its attractions. The visitor center is located at the entrance to the island.

During the December holiday season, there are lights that are part of the tour of lights. After the causeway, the lights begin. I guess the lights remain on all night, because when I arrived in the morning before 7:00 am the lights were on.

Driftwood Beach

I drove directly to the Driftwood Beach entrance. A sign indicated the entrance to the beach. Five cars were already in the parking lot. The path to the beach is about 300 feet. The first glimpse of the beach was something I’d never seen before.

It was clear that I should have given myself a little more time to decide which shots I wanted to take. The sky was quickly turning orange and the sun would be poking up over the horizon shortly. I spent the next three hours walking among the huge driftwood trees scattered for a mile along the beach.

Bike Trail

I drove around for an hour to get a sense of island but a found the bike was more useful in really seeing the island. I found parking (free everywhere on the island) near the convention center. There’s a very flat bike trail that makes a loop around the island. The trail goes along the beach, through the trees, over the marsh and along various historic sites. Along the route there are many plaques that make the ride interesting and provide a chance to rest.

Bike Path: Near Airport

Bike Path: Wood Walkway

Bike Path: Marsh

Bike Path: Beach

Horton Tabby House

As I rode, I came across the Horton plantation area. The Horton Tabby House (ca. 1820) is a historical site located on Jekyll Island, Georgia. Tabby is a type of concrete made from oyster shells, lime, and sand. It is believed to be the oldest surviving tabby structure in the state, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is now operated as a museum by the Jekyll Island Museum.

Major William Horton was a plantation owner and military officer who lived in the early 19th century. it is believed that he was born in South Carolina and served in the military during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he became a plantation owner and lived on Jekyll Island. He was also involved in local politics and served as a member of the Georgia legislature. After he passed in 1834, the House was passed down through his family until it was sold to the Jekyll Island Club in 1886.

Jekyll Island Club

The Jekyll Island Club, a group of wealthy industrialists and socialites, used the house as a guest cottage until the club was dissolved in the 1940s. It was a retreat for some of the wealthiest and most influential people in the United States, including J.P. Morgan, William K. Vanderbilt, and Joseph Pulitzer. The house was then donated to the state of Georgia and opened to the public as a museum. The Jekyll Island Club was in operation until 1942, when it was dissolved due to financial difficulties and the onset of World War II.

Members of the club built grand mansions and villas on the island, and the club became known for its lavish parties and social events. In addition to the social activities, the Jekyll Island Club also had a number of amenities, including a golf course, tennis courts, and a beach club. The club was also home to a number of research facilities, including a marine biology laboratory and an observatory.

As I rode around the Jekyll Island Club Resort, I realized that the shops were open to the public. I stopped to have a cup of coffee and have a pastry. I parked my bike at the bike rental shop and tried to blend in.

Cafe and Shops

Sunset At Driftwood Beach

I returned to Driftwood Beach about an hour before sunset. The sky to the east, over the ocean, had a blue hue to it. There were chairs setup on the beach for a wedding. The blue sky provided an interesting backdrop for the driftwood. The ocean was very placid. The waves were ripples.