The small town of Brunswick and the Golden Isles of Georgia are a perfect spot to spend a weekend to tour historic monuments, savor Low Country and Southern cuisine, relax on the beach, and marvel at the surrounding natural beauty.
After spending a month wintering in south Florida, we decided to break up our drive to DC by spending a couple of days in the pretty southern town of Brunswick, Georgia, and the nearby Golden Isles, which include the barrier islands of St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island. Located roughly between Savannah and Jacksonville, the area is part of the Low Country, and home to many historic sites, beautiful fine ash color sand beaches, and beautiful landscapes of marsh, beach and live Oaks. There are great museums, good food, and plenty of leisure activities – golf, tennis, fishing, horseback riding, beaching, bird watching, boating and bicycling are popular activities enjoyed by both residents and tourists.
The region is steeped in history – it was originally inhabited by the Creek Nation tribes, followed by the Spanish, French and English who each contested the land that became part of the province of Georgia. Today, many of the permanent residents are Gullah, who are African American descendants of slaves who have a unique language and culture due to their historic geographic isolation.
Brunswick
Historic Brunswick, settled in 1738, and incorporated in 1856, is a major port on a peninsula formed by the East River. The peninsula is sheltered by surrounding Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. While it is a postcard perfect small town, Brunswick is steeped in history, attractions and weekly events to keep anyone busy.
The Old Town Historic District is comprised of a street grid with a series of 14 interspersed squares, similar to, but less formal than the squares of Savannah. On a typical day, the squares are a place to relax and watch time go by. But they are also used to hold various festivals and events, and live music is played at some of the squares on Friday and Saturday nights. While visiting the historic district, we were lucky to stumble upon the ‘Make it Funky Fest’ featuring free live soul, R&B, jazz, blues on Queen Square. A variety of food vendors were also on hand.
Lovely Newcastle Street is the main corridor through the historic part of the city. It’s lined with commercial buildings and squares at its northern end, and older stately homes at its southern end. Pretty Hanover Park, with its fountain at the center, separates these two ends of the corridor. Three blocks east is Union Street, another attractive street lined with beautiful historic homes. The low rise historic district is punctuated by the bell tower of the beautiful Old City Hall, built in 1889. Throughout the commercial area, one can spend time visiting the many antique stores, boutiques, restaurants, relaxing in the squares and appreciating the architecture and small town vibe.
Within the median of Albany Street, at the intersection of Prince Street, is Lover’s Oak, an enormous old Oak tree estimated to be over 900 years old. According to local legend, Native American braves and their maidens met under the majestic spreading limbs of this beautiful tree draped in Spanish Moss.
Located along the bank of the East River is Mary Ross Waterfront Park where one can watch the various shrimp boats and cargo ships. The park is the home of the Brunswick Bazaar and Farmer’s Market held three days per week (Tues, Thurs and Sat). In addition, the Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza holds a scale model of a Liberty Ship, similar to those built in Brunswick shipyards during World War II. The park is host to the annual Mayfair festival and blessing of the fleet, which celebrates the boating and shrimping industry, while also offering fresh seafood, arts, crafts, music and other entertainment.
Brunswick is home to the famous Brunswick Stew, a tomato based stew with rabbit (or squirrel) and a medley of vegetables including lima beans, corn and okra. Each October, the Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee holds a stew tasting contest, along with music, a pooch parade and a classic and antique car show. Brunswick is also known as the ‘Shrimp capital of the World’, and Shrimp and Grits is big here.
St. Simons Island
We based ourselves on St. Simons Island, the largest of the Golden Isles. St. Simons is known for its beaches, golf courses and resorts, and beautiful landscape. The island is generally flat surrounded by large marshes, woods of large Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss, and beaches made of a fine ash color sand. Most of the development is lower density, consisting of single family homes, with a few larger hotels and condominiums along the beaches. You won’t find any massive high rise condos or hotels here.
On the southern tip of the island is the old established commercial and residential area. Mallery Street is lined with a number of restaurants, boutiques, gift shops, a general store and ice cream shops, and is popular with both locals and tourists. The St. Simons Island Pier extends from the end of Mallery Street, and is a popular place for fishing and watching the sunset. We had a tasty southern style dinner at Barbara Jean’s, including a huge portion of meatloaf smothered in a tomato gravy, and Shrimp and Grits, which included a mound of cheesy grits covered with eight grilled shrimp and andouille sausage.
Redfern Village is a commercial area located near the airport off Frederica Road. This attractive shopping area has several restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, antique stores and other shops, designed in a village like atmosphere.
St. Simons has a number of beautiful beaches on the east side of the island, accessed from Ocean Boulevard. East Beach is the primary beach on the island, and is dog friendly, and public parking is available. Other beaches include Gould’s Inlet, and Massengale Park.
The St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum is a popular attraction. The lighthouse was originally built in 1811, but destroyed during the Civil War, and rebuilt in 1872. It is maintained by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the prior keeper’s residence houses the museum operated by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. The museum features lighthouse exhibits and a restored keeper’s dwelling.
A pretty site is the Avenue of Oaks. The two rows of Oak trees were planted in 1850 as the carriage entrance to the Retreat Plantation. Today, they welcome visitors to the Sea Island Golf Club.
Fort Frederica National Monument is located along the Frederica River. This fort, completed in 1748, was established by General James Oglethorpe as the military headquarters of the Province of Georgia during the early English colonial period. It was used to protect the province from Spanish raiders who were based in Florida, ensuring British control of the colony. At its height, there were 1,000 residents who lived in the town of Frederica adjacent the fort, until a fire in 1758 ensured its demise. Today, the national monument preserves the scarred remains of the fort and town, providing a glimpse of America’s colonial past. Nearby is the Stables at Frederica, where equestrian enthusiasts can take guided trail rides along the beach, through woods or marshland.
Directly off of St. Simons Island is upscale Sea Island. Only residents and guests have access to the island, which is host to the famous five star Cloister resort. Set on 50 acres and surrounded by the river, marshes, sea and five miles of private beach, the Mediterranean style hotel has seven restaurants, a spa, and access to three golf courses. The hotel’s security and remote location led it to being host to the G8 Summit in 2004.
Jekyll Island
Jekyll Island is a beautiful 5,500 acre sparsely developed island accessible from the Jekyll Island Causeway. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, the island later became part of the colony of Georgia and was home to a number of plantations. In 1886, the island was purchased by a group of wealthy families as a private retreat. Today, the island is a laid back spot for visitors to enjoy its beauty, history, beaches and other activities including golf, tennis, and horseback riding. All visitors are required to purchase a parking pass to enter the island ($8 daily fee). Passes can be purchased online or at the entry. The causeway leads directly to the hotel area, where major chains such as the Westin, Marriott, and Days Inn all face the expansive fine sand beach.
The Jekyll Island Beach Village is the primary shopping area that includes a number of shops, boutiques, services and restaurants. We ate at the Beach House, a restaurant directly on the beach. We enjoyed a delicious serving of fried green tomatoes stacked on brie and pepper jelly, a huge BBQ pork sandwich, and gnocchi smothered in a portabella mushroom / meat sauce, while enjoying the view from the screened deck.
My favorite beach on the island is Driftwood Beach, located on the northeast side of the island. The beach is aptly named due to the hundreds of trees and huge pieces of driftwood washed ashore that almost look like a piece of art. The adjacent Driftwood Beach trail, and North Loop trail traverse through beautiful woods and marshland.
On the southern end of the island is St. Andrew beach. Trails lead from the parking area to a pretty isolated beach that wraps around from the intercoastal to the Atlantic. Nearby is a viewing platform with great views of the tidal marshland. The trail includes exhibits explaining the history of the Wanderer, a slave ship that was converted from a pleasure schooner. The ship came ashore at this spot in 1858 with an illegal cargo of 500 enslaved Africans, well after the Atlantic slave trade had been prohibited by law.
Facing the East River, the Jekyll Island Club Historic District is a magnificent 240 acre historic district comprised of homes and a resort built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The centerpiece is the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. The hotel was originally the clubhouse for the Jekyll Island Club founded in 1886, a Gilded Age hunting and athletic attended by wealthy members such as Marshall Field, William Rockefeller and the Vanderbilt family. At one time, one-sixth of the world’s wealth was represented here. The club closed in 1942 and is now a beautiful hotel set in a spectacular setting. The hotel is surrounded by lush green lawns filled with huge live Oaks draped in Spanish Moss. Along the river, a pier leads to the Wharf restaurant, and a dolphin and boat tour operator. Tour tickets can also be purchased through Viator.
To the north and south of the hotel are the island cottages, but really mansions that were once the homes of the original club millionaires. Today, the guestrooms within the cottages can be rented by guests of the hotel.
The most iconic animal of the Golden Isles are sea turtles. Every year, between May and August, several species of sea turtles flock to the shores of the Golden Isles for nesting season. The hatching occurs between July and October, when the hatchlings make their way back to shore by moonlight. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a facility near the historic district dedicated to sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education. Here, visitors can learn about the rehabilitation efforts and watch the turtles being fed and treated. Turtle walks are held in June and July, where visitors can get a closer view of the nests. Also nearby is Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum. The museum is housed in a historic stables building, and includes interactive exhibits explaining the history of the island, as well as guided tours of some of the islands historic buildings.
