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| Horton House |
But it got even greater last year when the facility at St.
Simons was closed for repairs and the conference was moved to Jekyll. A dream come true! Jekyll is gorgeous, a state park actually,
and not overly developed. Even when we
were at St. Simons, we almost always took an afternoon to go to Jekyll where we
love to do the 22-mile bike ride around the island. The ride takes you from expansive ocean views
and residential neighborhoods, through a historic area featuring the nearly
300- year old remains of the Horton House.
Farther, you pass the tiny prop planes at the Jekyll airport (more like
a takeoff and landing strip) and eventually reach the majestic century-plus old
Jekyll Island Club and the remaining restored grand “cottages” of the rich and
famous from that age. You can ride down
to the fishing pier past the marshy hangouts of white egrets and blue herons,
then back to the main road through more island neighborhoods and into the
island’s small commercial district of shops, restaurants and a few hotels. It makes for a wonderful afternoon ride that
we never tire of.
But above all, I look forward to being near the ocean on
Jekyll’s beautiful beaches. And what a fantastic bonus that our hotel is just a
short board walk down to the beach.
While I love the mountains, for me there is nothing as completely calming
as the ocean, and Jekyll is absolutely perfect for this experience.
When I am here, I start every morning with a walk on the
beach. The warm ocean breeze and smell
of the salt water instantly dissolve any stress. Fall is a perfect time to come because not
only is the weather still quite warm, but the beaches are quiet – no crowds, no
rows of beach chairs, towels or umbrellas. The beach is pure. Super peaceful.
The continuous sound of the crashing waves and the
singularity of the expansive ocean create a meditative experience that allows
me to think and focus – or not think at all.
Walking along the water’s edge, I forget about worries or come up with
clear solutions to stuff in my head. Jekyll beaches have lots of surprises
including tons of sand dollars in perfect condition that wash up every day, so
of course, no trip to Jekyll is complete without picking up a few. I’ve never actually seen any sea turtles on
the beaches, but I’ve seen their telltale tracks on the dunes.
The mystery of the ocean also draws me. That beneath the surface the ocean holds an
entire universe of unseen creatures and ancient shipwrecks is fascinating! As a
child growing up in Florida, I had a huge seashell collection and loved learning
all about them from my books. Thinking
about ocean ecology makes me want to find a biography of Jacques Cousteau.
Coincidentally, or maybe not, I’ve picked the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum in
Savannah as our excursion on the way back home today.
We leave in just a while, but a few days here @Jekyll_Island
have been lovely and ever so restorative.
Peach Passion blog is written by Fran Putney -- writer,
editor, storyteller and Principal at Intown
Communications.
