Island Hopping

We spent a few days last week on Georgia's Golden Isles. Our good friends, and traveling buddies, Bob and Joan Schmitt, had been in Florida for a couple of weeks and were going to stop and visit with us on their way back to Illinois. But, instead, we all decided that we would meet at Jekyll Island and "do the islands" for a couple of days and then head back here to our house.
Good plan.

Jerry and I have been down there about 3 times now and it's always beautiful. They hadn't been before and we always enjoy showing it to new people. We met at the visitor's station on Jekyll Island and checked into our rooms at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Yes, that's where the Rockefellers, Pulitzers, Vanderbilts, etc. used to vacation...and now the Schmitts and Simonses. They still play croquet on the lawn in front of the hotel. We were just watching, but we weren't sure the players knew what they were doing. Jekyll is small and sparsely populated and it didn't take much time to see the whole island. We did that before eating seafood at Latitude 31...the restaurant on the pier. The next day we checked out the Georgia Sea Turtle Center as well as the sweet shop, book store, etc. which are all just behind and a short walk from the hotel. I am always fascinated by the trees down there. The large, old live oaks with the Spanish Moss hanging from them are awesome.

The next day it was on to St. Simons Island. A short drive away, but a very different feel to it. St. Simons is much more populated and much busier. We had time to grab lunch and do a lot of shopping all up and down the few blocks near the pier before checking into our rooms at the King and Prince Hotel. What a beautiful place! We have not stayed there before and were very impressed. After getting settled in our very nice rooms, we were looking over the menus for all the local restaurants. I was on a quest for good seafood for a couple of days. There were lots to choose from! But about that time the weather turned nasty. It was very windy and cold and threatening rain at any minute. We decided not to go out in that and to have dinner in the dining room of the hotel. Another good plan. When they brought me my shrimp cocktail and bruschetta it was so pretty I had to take a picture of it!

The next day the sun came out and everything was beautiful again. We took the trolley tour of the island and the lady that runs it is both entertaining and informative. After that we toured the light house. I have done all that before, but this time I had just finished reading "Lighthouse" by Eugenia Price, so it all had more significance. Then we chowed down one more time in a local eatery before heading back to Covington. Bob and Joan spent Saturday at our house resting up before the last...and longest...leg of their drive back home.

All in all, these golden oldies had a golden time on the Golden Isles and it's a trip I'd recommend to anyone.