The Perfect Jekyll Island Day Trip from Saint Simons

Jekyll Island is a 20-minute drive from Salty Dog, and it belongs on every Saint Simons itinerary. It's smaller, quieter, and preserved in a way Saint Simons isn't, which makes for a perfect contrast of a day.

Morning: Driftwood Beach

Start at Driftwood Beach on the north end. It's an old-growth maritime forest that's been slowly claimed by the ocean, and the result is a landscape of bleached driftwood tangled across the sand. Go at low tide. Bring a camera.

Late morning: the Jekyll Island Club

Head south to the historic district. The Jekyll Island Club was the private winter retreat of Morgans, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts for a few decades around the turn of the twentieth century, and the campus has been preserved beautifully. You can tour the main clubhouse, walk the grounds, and eat lunch at the Wharf or the Crane Cottage.

Afternoon: pick one

• Summer Waves Water Park — if you have kids, this is the right call. It's small but the right size for a half-day.
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center — a working rehab facility for rescued sea turtles, with a surprisingly excellent indoor museum.
• Tidelands Nature Center — hands-on marsh ecology, touch tanks, and kayak rentals if the weather is good.
• The 4H Tidelands or horseback riding on the beach — book ahead.

Evening: back to the cottage

Dinner on Jekyll is fine but not exceptional. Save your appetite for Saint Simons. The Half Shell, Southern Soul Barbeque, and Echo at the King & Prince are the standby favorites.

Logistics

Jekyll charges a $10 per-car entry fee (called the parking pass). Pay at the entrance gate. Restrooms are plentiful. There's no traffic until 5pm, when everyone heads home; beat the line by leaving at 4 or after 6.