Day 216 – 217
On Wednesday morning, 04/14/21, we got up fairly early and borrowed the marina golf cart to go pick-up the little two-seater Red Bug we’d rented for that day. It was a funny-looking, little electric car that Red Bug instructed Steve to plug in and charge liberally. Fortunately, we found multiple charging stations on Jekyll Island, so that wasn’t a problem.
Our first stop was the Jekyll Mosaic Museum on the island, which provided us with more than enough history and trivia about the island’s amazing past. After centuries of native American, Spanish, and then British inhabitants, General James Oglethorpe established Georgia as a colony in 1733. General Oglethorpe named the island now known as Jekyll Island after his friend, Joseph Jekyll, who had contributed 600 pounds toward the founding of the colony. Oglethorpe appointed William Horton to set up a military post in the area to protect Fort Frederica on nearby St. Simon’s Island. Horton setup permanent residence on Jekyll Island, establishing a plantation that was able to supply the population of Frederica with beef and corn. Horton also developed experimental crops on the plantation, including barley and indigo. After Horton’s death in 1749, his property on Jekyll passed through many hands, until it was purchased by Christophe du Bignon from France in 1792. Until 1850, the du Bignon family expanded and kept the plantation prosperous on the backs of slaves, which du Bignon first brought to Jekyll Island on a ship called The Wanderer. Several other large plantations blossomed on Jekyll Island and proved successful during this time. By 1860, the plantations on Jekyll declined in productivity, as the markets had changed and the soil became exhausted. In 1875, after the American Civil War, John Eugene du Bignon, a nephew of Christophe, became owner of property on the island when he inherited the southern third of the island from his father. John soon purchased the rest of the island from his siblings with a plan to market Jekyll Island as a winter retreat for the wealthy, that came to fruition in February of 1886. A clubhouse was completed in 1888. Fifty-three members purchased shares for $600 each, with a limit of 100 members imposed to preserve the club’s exclusivity. From 1888 until 1942, the club opened every January for the winter season, except for a few years when there were yellow fever outbreaks. It was one of the most exclusive paragons of the Gilded Age, and accommodated some of the world’s wealthiest people. Members and their families enjoyed activities such as biking, hunting, horseback-riding, and tennis, and they frequented the northern beaches. Some of the wealthiest members built their own “cottages”, mansion-sized residences that are mostly still standing in the 21st century. The Great Depression, World War II, and the institution of income taxes finally ended the Jekyll Island Club, and after the war the State of Georgia bought the island. In 1910, the Federal Reserve System was conceived and developed via a secret meeting held at the Jekyll Island Club. A Jekyll Island Authority came to be when the state of Georgia gained control of the island and was restructured in 1957, with an emphasis toward restoration and new development toward pubic use and tourism. Jekyll Island became a premier vacation destination for the US over the following decades and is now under the management of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. In addition to preserving the island’s lovely historic buildings, some of the later construction projects have included a Soccer Complex, a Tennis Center, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The island was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1978.
After the museum, and a fun lunch at Tortuga Jack’s, we took the Jekyll Island historical train tour around the island, one that was led by an entertaining tour guide in her 70s. Not only did she really know her stuff, but she was also comical, and kept the whole train laughing.
After the train tour, we visited Faith Chapel, a nondenominational church built for the elite wintertime residents of Jekyll Island. The chapel is lovely, perfectly maintained, and still utilized as a special event venue. We even saw a couple there who had returned for their 42nd anniversary, after originally being married in that very chapel. SO romantic!
We then drove our little Red Bug over to the Sea Turtle Center and learned all about its origin and current purpose. Naturally, I was in awe of the beautiful wildlife being rehabilitated in this facility. It’s obvious this center is well-funded and run with top-notch ability. While one of the facilitators was speaking to us, she motioned us all over to a particular tank she was showcasing that held an injured sea turtle. As instructed, we were all clad in masks as we moved in close to see the speaker. She then asked us all to “observe social-distancing” during her talk, which was laughable. There was only about 10 square feet in which to stand, and there were at least 15 people trying to observe her presentation! She indicated there were stickers on the floor for us to observe, but when the lady next to me and I both glanced downward, we saw she was standing on one of the stickers. Through her mask, she sternly mumbled, “I was here first,” which started me laughing with disbelief as I squeezed in within inches of where she was standing. She must not have been too concerned, because she stood her ground. Good grief, people!!
After our visit to the Sea Turtle Center, we observed the dinner reservations we’d made earlier at The Wharf Restaurant on Jekyll Island. The building which houses this restaurant was once used by visitors on boats arriving and departing Jekyll Island during the Gilded Age and the heyday of the Jekyll Island Club. The food, service and atmosphere at this restaurant were all wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
The following morning, we returned our Red Bug to its home, utilizing the marina’s golf cart. The weather was overcast and a bit chilly with an 80% chance of biting Noseeums. UGH! We braved the bugs and walked up to Zachry’s River House there at the marina for lunch, since that restaurant was closed for our first days on Jekyll Island. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our table, as Zachry’s is a happening place on the island! Zachry’s has both indoor and outdoor seating, and as we waited for our table, we watched as what we determined to be locals scratching at their scalps throughout their outdoor dinners. We decided the locals must be really tough and used to the Noseeums, as they all behaved as if they weren’t under constant assault! As we were newbies, and not tough enough to handle being eaten alive, we opted to stay onboard Legacy for our dinner that evening.
In addition to our full initiation to the Noseeums on this trip, another interesting discovery during our stay at Jekyll Island was that we had our first experience hearing Red Drum Fish and their strange mating calls, which the males make underwater in the evenings; a sound that was quite audible through the hull of our boat. A simultaneously odd and educational experience, to say the least.
Position: N 31° 02.778, W 81° 25.359
Total marina nights: 194
Total nights at anchor: 22