Tuesday, September 16, 2014 -- Exploring Jekyll Island

Today's excursion took us to Jekyll Island, another of the Georgia barrier islands. Even I had heard of the Jekyll Island Club, the winter retreat founded in 1886 for some of America's most elite families.  The club thrived through the early 20th century with an exclusive limited membership consisting of many of the world's wealthiest families at the time, most notably the Morgans, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts.  The club lasted 54 years, closing at the end of the 1942 season due to complications from World War II.  The club was designated an historic landmark in 1978, and the complex was restored and reopened as a luxury resort hotel in 1985.  Many of the original grand cottage residences, built around the Queen Anne-style "clubhouse" in the late 1800's and early 1900's, have been restored and several are open to the public. 

We started the day with a short film on the history of the Club and then embarked on a narrated trolley tour of the historic district.  

Our trolley driver provided details on the beautiful homes, and we were able to tour Mistletoe, a 15 room, 5 bath "cottage" built by in 1900 by Henry Porter, a manufacturer and US senator.  

Misteltoe

The second stop was to admire and tour Faith Chapel, built in 1904 to serve as the non-denominational chapel for members of the Club.  Its simple design reflects the relaxed feel of the island, and one of the stained glass windows is a signed example of the work of Louis Tiffany.  

Our tour was followed by an excellent lunch, at the very elegant Jekyll Island Club Hotel.  After eating, some of us relaxed on the porch while others posed by the Plantation Oak, the largest and oldest oak on the island, estimated to be nearly 400 years old.  Perhaps some of us will return another year to stay at this four-star resort and National Historic Landmark.  

After lunch, many of us toured the Georgia Sea Turtle Center which serves as a hospital for ill and injured sea turtles.  In addition to viewing the many exhibits, we were able to observe an operation on a loggerhead turtle and see the concern with which the caregivers returned the turtle to his tank in the hospital.  Several of us now own sea turtle t-shirts or earrings as one of our souvenirs of the week.  We had additional free time to wander past the lovely homes or browse the shops in the historic district.  Of course when we returned to the bus, many of us were carrying shopping bags and new treasures.  

After the very full day and dinner at the hotel, we relaxed as naturalist Georgia Graves returned with another presentation, this time teaching us about the ecology and dynamics of these beautiful coastal islands.