A Fun Weekend in Jekyll Island

We spent a weekend at Jekyll Island over spring break and loved it. The girls have been asking to go there again, so that's a win in their books, too. 

We set off from our home in Acworth on Sunday, April 3, for a 3-day, 2-night stay at Home2Suites by Hilton on the island. Being in the center of Jekyll Island gave us access to several amenities, which made our vacation worthwhile. We were a short walking distance from the beach, within walking distance of restaurants and eateries, and a short bicycle ride to the Circle K gas station, and several sights across the island. 

The drive from Acworth to Jekyll Island didn't offer any exciting stops or sights, and if you've ever driven the long stretch of I-16 heading towards Savannah, you understand what I mean. Our most exciting stop was at the Golden Isles Welcome Center in Brunswick on I-95 S.   

Jekyll Island is a Georgia coastal barrier island located between Savannah, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of Georgia's Golden Isles, which include St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, and the mainland city of Brunswick.

Jekyll Island features one of the state's most pristine beaches and is a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly island. As a matter of fact, we only drove to get there and to get back home. The rest of our time spent on the island, our main mode of getting around was on bikes and on foot. We visited Great Dunes beach on our first day there (it was too cold to get in the water, but we still loved being there). We ate at Red Bug Motors Pizza and Sweet Georgia's Juke Joint. I will say this about food choices on Jekyll Island: there aren't many suitable options for children, and the ones available are either overcrowded and have long wait times and/or closed early, so that there were even fewer options after 5 pm. Our only saving grace was Red Bug Motor Pizza, the amazing hot breakfast included with our stay at Home2Suites (their coffee choices were top-notch), and the store snacks in the hotel lobby. 

On our second day, we rented bicycles for the day and headed out to tour the island. We rode past the Jekyll Island Club Resort and headed towards Horton Pond. But first, we stopped at Circle K to load up on drinks and snacks. The ride through Jekyll Island State Park offered some very scenic routes lined with palm trees, oak trees, and Spanish moss. 

The Horton House, named after William Horton, is an 18th-century tabby house and the ruins of an old brewery. It's a historical landmark situated right at the entrance to Horton Pond. The girls had fun exploring this historic structure and learning about its history using the many informative plaques on site. When we were done touring The Horton House, we headed off on foot to Horton Pond, where we sighted some turtles and an alligator. The trail leading to the pond was a little unnerving, but we had lots of company along the way, so it was not as bad. My fear was that we would encounter an alligator or snake while walking the trail. 

On our third and final day, we headed to Driftwood Beach. Driftwood Beach, just as its name implies, has a lot of driftwood; some fallen trees in the sand and water offer a scenic view of the ocean. We spent several minutes here just walking, admiring the view, and taking lots of pictures. The girls loved it and wanted to stay another day, but alas! It was time to get back to our lives in Acworth. 

Overall, our experience on Jekyll Island was one to remember. Most of the people we met there were pleasant and welcoming. But one experience that stands out was meeting a Nigerian who was there with his wife from the suburbs of Chicago. He was so excited to see fellow Africans on the Island that you would have thought we were old friends. He was so impressed to see us with our children and bicycles, on an island where we stood out, just having a good old time. I'm glad we met and that we made each other's days.  

We made a quick stop in Brunswick and St. Simon's Island on our drive home. In St. Simon's Island, we stopped at East Beach and Beachcomber BBQ & Grill to eat. There was a long wait for our food because of how busy they were, but it was a pleasant visit, and the food was delicious.