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The Coastal Isles Of Georgia | |
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WEEKEND GETAWAYS - Friday, September 28, 2007
Make The Most Of Your Vacation - From Coast to Coast!
Greetings Getaway Lover,
The coastal isles of Georgia are a string of lush,
subtropical barrier islands meandering lazily down
the state's Atlantic coast from Savannah to the
Florida border. The islands have a long history of
human habitation; Native American relics have been
found here that date from about 2500 BC. The four
islands known as the Golden Isles -- Little St.
Simons, Sea, St. Simons, and Jekyll islands -- are
great vacation spots. The best way to appreciate
the barrier islands' rare ecology is to visit
Sapelo and Cumberland islands or take a guided
tour.
Happy Trails,
Jan
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--DESTINATION: Coastal Isles Of Georgia
Each coastal isle has a distinct personality, shaped by
its history and ecology. All the Golden Isles but Little
St. Simons are connected to the mainland by bridges in
the vicinity of Brunswick; these are the only coastal
isles accessible by automobile. Little St. Simons Island,
a privately owned retreat with guest accommodations, is
reached by a launch from St. Simons. Sapelo Island is
accessible by ferry from the visitor center just north
of Darien. The Cumberland Island National Seashore is
reached by ferry from St. Marys. About 50 miles inland
is the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which has a
character all its own. All Georgia beaches are in the
public domain.
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--WHAT TO DO AND SEE:
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Nature Preserve, Cumberland Island National Seashore
Though the Cumberland Island National Seashore is open
to the public, the only public access to the island is
via the Cumberland Queen, a reservations-only, 146-
passenger ferry based near the National Park Service
Information Center at St. Marys. Ferry bookings are
heavy in summer. Cancellations and no-shows often make
last-minute space available, but don't rely on it. You
can make reservations up to six months in advance.
From the park-service docks at the island's south end,
you can follow wooded nature trails, swim and sun on 18
mi of undeveloped beaches, go fishing and bird-watching,
and view the ruins of Thomas Carnegie's great estate,
Dungeness.You can also join history and nature walks
led by park-service rangers. Bear in mind that summers
are hot and humid and that you must bring everything
you need, including your own food, soft drinks, sun-
screen, and insect repellent. There's no public trans-
portation on the island. www.nps.gov/cuis. COST: Round-
trip ferry $12, day pass $4, annual pass $20. OPEN:
Mar.-Nov., ferry departure from St. Marys daily, 9 AM
and 11:45 AM, from Cumberland 10:15 AM and 4:45 PM;
Mar.-Sept., Wed.-Sat. additional departure from
Cumberland 2:45; Dec.-Feb., Thurs.-Sun., ferry depar-
ture from St. Marys 9 AM and 11:45 AM, from Cumberland
10:15 AM and 4:45 PM.
Address: Cumberland Island National Seashore, Box 806,
St. Marys, GA 31558, USA
Phone: 912/882-4335 or 888/817-3421
Fax: 912/673-7747
Ebo Landing
Historic District/Site, St. Simons Island
In May 1803, an "Igbo" chief and his West African
tribesmen became Geechee folk legends when they
"walked back to Africa," drowning en masse rather
than submitting to a life of slavery. Captured in
what is modern-day Nigeria, the tribesmen dis-
embarked their slave ship and headed straight into
Dunbar Creek, chanting a hymn. Though the site is
now private property, it can be seen from the road.
From the F. J. Torras Causeway, take the first left
on Sea Island Road, the first road on St. Simons.
After Hawkins Island Drive, look left (north) just
before crossing the small bridge at Dunbar Creek.
The landing is at the bend in the creek.
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
House/Mansion, Sapelo Island
Rice, not cotton, dominated Georgia's coast in the
antebellum years, and the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
is the last remaining example of a way of life that
fueled an agricultural empire. The main farmhouse, in
use since the 1850s when the original house burned, is
now a museum with family heirlooms accrued over five
generations, including extensive collections of silver
and Cantonese china. A guide gives an insightful talk
on rural plantation life. Though grown over, some of
the original dikeworks and rice fields remain, as do
some of the slave quarters. A brief film at the visitor
center complements exhibits on rice technology and
cultivation, and links to Sierra Leone, from where many
slaves were taken because of their expertise in growing
rice. htttp//gastateparks.org/info/hofwyl. COST: $4.
OPEN: Tues.-Sat. 9-5, Sun. 2-5:30.
Address: 555 U.S. 17N, 4 mi south of Darien, Sapelo
Island, GA, USA
Phone: 912/264-7333
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Other Places of Interest:
Neptune Park
Amusement Park, St. Simons Island
Named after St. Simons slave Neptune Small, Neptune
Park, on the island's south end in the village, has
picnic tables, a children's play park, miniature golf,
and beach access. The Casino swimming pool ($4 per
person), is open each summer near the St. Simons
Lighthouse. Bathrooms are available in the library
beside the visitor center.
Address: 550 Beachview Dr., St. Simons Island, GA, USA
Phone: 912/638-0305
Sidney Lanier Bridge
Bridge/Tunnel, Sea Island
Head south toward Jekyll Island on U.S. 17; you cross
over the longest spanning bridge in the state, the
soaring Sidney Lanier Bridge, which rises 185 feet into
the air. It's fittingly named for the Macon native and
poet who penned The Marshes of Glynn, considered a
masterpiece of 19th-century American poetry. It was
inspired by the breathtaking vistas of the salt marshes
surrounding Brunswick, St. Simons, and Jekyll islands.
St. Marys Aquatic Center
Amusement Park, Cumberland Island National Seashore
If the heat has you and the kids are itching to get
wet, head to the St. Marys Aquatic Center, a full-
service water park where you can get an inner tube
and relax floating down the Continuous River or
corkscrew yourself silly sliding down the Orange Crush.
www.ci.st-marys.ga.us/aquatic.htm.
Address: 301 Herb Bauer Dr., St. Marys, GA, USA
Phone: 912/673-8118
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--WHERE TO SLEEP:
Beachview Club
$110 to $220, Jekyll Island
Grand old oak trees shade the grounds of this luxury,
all-suites lodging. Rooms are either on the oceanfront
or have a partial ocean view; some rooms are equipped
with hot tubs and gas fireplaces. Efficiencies have
either one king-size or two double beds, a desk, and a
kitchenette. The interior design reflects an understated
island theme, and the unique meeting room in the Bell
Tower accommodates up to 35 people for business events.
Higher-end suites have full kitchens.
www.beachviewclub.com. 38 rooms, 6 suites. In-room:
kitchen (some). In-hotel: bar, pool, bicycles, public
Internet. AE, D, DC, MC, V.
Address: 721 N. Beachview Dr., Jekyll Island, GA 31527,
USA
Phone: 912/635-2256 or 800/299-2228
Fax: 912/635-3770
The Cloister
Over $220, Sea Island
The Cloister undeniably lives up to its celebrity
status as a grand coastal resort. You can get a
spacious, comfortably appointed room or suite in
the Spanish Mediterranean-style hotel designed by
Florida architect Addison Mizner, or stay in the
property's more recently built Ocean Houses, which
have dramatic suites connected by lavish house par-
lors with fireplaces and staffed bars. The state-of-
the-art spa at the Cloister is in a beautiful build-
ing all its own. You also get access to the nearby
Sea Island Golf Course. www.cloister.com. 212 rooms,
32 suites. In-hotel: 4 restaurants, bar, golf courses,
tennis courts, pools, gym, spa, bicycles, children's
programs (ages 3-19), airport shuttle. AE, D, DC, MC,
V. 3 meals.
Address: Sea Island, GA 31561, USA
Phone: 912/638-3611 or 800/732-4752
Fax: 912/638-5823
Holiday Inn Beach Resort
$70 to $110, Jekyll Island
Concealed amid the dunes and live oaks of Jekyll's
southern oceanfront, this moderately priced resort
hotel has a private beach and a boardwalk that winds
through the palms and native flora. Each room has a
balcony; none have ocean views, but the beach is only
a short walk away. Golf packages include your choice
of nine area courses. www.holiday-inn.com/jekyllislga.
198 rooms, 6 suites. In-hotel: restaurant, bar, tennis
courts, pool, gym, bicycles, some pets allowed. AE, D,
DC, MC, V.
Address: 200 S. Beachview Dr., Jekyll Island, GA 31527,
USA
Phone: 912/635-3311 or 800/753-5955
Fax: 912/635-3919
--WHERE TO DINE:
The Beachcomber Bar and Grill
Southern, $7 to $16, St. Simons Island
No shoes, no shirt, no problem in this small, rustic
eatery where the walls are covered with reed mats and
the barbecue smokes away on a cooker right beside the
front door. Touting themselves as the "onliest Bar-B-
Que joint on the island," the Beachcomber has every-
thing from sandwiches to pulled pork, ribs, and
brisket by the pound. AE, MC, V.
Address: 319 Arnold Rd., near Ocean Motion, St. Simons
Island, GA, USA
Phone: 912/634-5699
Bennie's Red Barn
American, $11 to Over $22, St. Simons Island
The steaks are cut fresh daily and cooked over an oak
fire in this barn of a restaurant that has been serving
St. Simons for 50 years. Though there's room for 200
people, it feels just like family with the checkered
tablecloths and the big open fireplace. There's also
fresh local seafood. The pies are homemade. And there's
music next door at Ziggy Mahoney's Thursday-Saturday.
www.benniesredbarn.com. AE, D, MC, V. No lunch.
Address: 5514 Frederica Rd., St. Simons Island, GA, USA
Phone: 912/638-2844
Gnat's Landing
American, $7 to $22, St. Simons Island
There's more than a little bit of Margaritaville in this
Key West-style bungalow catering to the flip-flop crowd.
Seafood is their specialty with a gumbo that's outta
sight. Besides being the strangest item on the menu, the
fried dill pickle is also the most popular. And, of
course, there's the "$8,000 margarita," which is about
how much owner Robert Bostock spent in travel and
ingredients coming up with the recipe. There's live music
Sunday nights and once a year there's "Gnatfest," a party
blowout with live bands for all those pesky regulars. AE,
D, MC, V.
Address: 310 Redfern Village, St. Simons Island, GA, USA
Phone: 912/638-7378
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The travel destinations and events that appear in this
newsletter have been selected by our editors. Apart from
those offers clearly set apart from the text, none of the
links presented here are paid promotions for any company
or organization.
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