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North End Beach, best walked at low tide, shows dramatic evidence of erosion, with the exposed roots of dead, decorticated oaks and pines producing a boneyard beach that wraps around to the eastern side of the island. The oaks have flat root mats and the pines have deep, vertical roots. During storms, the heavier oaks tend to tip over and remain, while the pines snap off at the roots and are carried off by the tides. Off the north end is the Brunswick shipping channel, which is annually dredged to allow deep-draft container ships to enter Brunswick Harbor. Geologists believe the dredged channel is responsible for the loss of more than 1,000 feet of beach since the early 1900s when dredging began. Sand drifting southward from islands across the sound is trapped in this channel rather than renourishing the northern beaches. The result is erosion with no accretion, and the Holocene fragment with its natural communities continues to adapt and change.
After North End Beach, the path turns south to border a marsh that experiences poor tidal circulation, thus supporting high marsh and marsh border flora that is less tolerant of salt water, such as the yellow aster-flowered sea oxeye and dark needle rush. On the other side of the marsh, which is accessible by beach during lower tides, is a fascinating and beautiful boneyard beach that reveals the erosion that has occurred on the northern end of the island. 
The southern trail, suitable for biking, follows the eastern side of Clam Creek to the North Beach Picnic Area. The bike path follows the marsh, where one can observe alligators, otters, deer, and snakes, along with bird life such as egrets, herons, painted buntings, yellow-throated warblers, clapper rails, and kingfishers. The path dissects some pine and cedar hammocks that are havens for wildlife, before reaching the North Beach Picnic Area. This site was closed in 1986 due to erosion problems. Today, it is the best example of a boneyard beach on a developed island off the Georgia coast. Some exploration will reveal how currents and tides are stripping away soil and undercutting and killing a maritime forest that tumbles onto the sands to create a beautiful boneyard beach. If the erosion continues, Clam Creek will connect with the Atlantic on the eastern side and create an island out of the Holocene northern portion of Jekyll.
by Danella Crews, Jekyll Island Authority
Providing non-invasive access to natural areas is a key component of the Jekyll Island Authority mission. The Wildlife Viewing Platform is a two-story structure built to provide the public with an extended view of the expansive salt marsh adjacent to Jekyll Island. By providing a better view of the wildlife that lives in the marshland, the Platform will bolster an appreciation for this rich habitat. Among the many wading and shore birds that guests can view from this spot are the beautiful American Oystercatchers, herons, egrets, white pelicans, and winter ducks including Black Scoters and Greater and Lesser Scaup.
The Wildlife Viewing Platform, located at St. Andrews Picnic Area is the second of its kind built on Jekyll Island. The first opened in November 2008 and is located near the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center. The Jekyll Island Authority Board is hosting the ribbon cutting to officially open the Wildlife Viewing Platform and thank the individuals, agencies, and businesses that provided monetary support and in-kind donations toward its construction.
by Andrea Marroquin
Due to the popularity of “The Holidays in History” tour offered the past several years, the Jekyll Island Museum has expanded what was just a weekend program into a showcase for virtually the entire month of December. “The Holidays in History” tour will provide snapshots of celebrations of the Christmas season in America through time.
Tours will begin at the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road with a guide shepherding small groups of guests through the centuries by tram. They will venture throughout the 240-acre Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District, richly decorated for the season.
“This tour will be really special,” promised John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Museum, a division of the Jekyll Island Authority. Guests will hear the carols that were popular in each period and encounter one costumed interpreter performing reenactments of how the holidays may have been celebrated, at different period-decorated cottages in the historic district. Along the way, meaningful customs of each time will be revealed.
“Our costumed characters will change frequently and will be a daily surprise,” Hunter said. “Guests will see the entire district and enter two of the cottages. But which cottage interiors they visit will also change on a daily basis. This enables us to be responsive to those guests who want to come back for a variety of experiences with us.”
Through the course of December, guests might witness a Victorian Christmas at Club Cottage in the year 1890. They might hear about the Jekyll Island Club’s seasonal celebrations inside historic Faith Chapel, built in 1904. They might take their revelry into a rustic hunting retreat at Moss Cottage in the year 1905. They might experience an Edwardian holiday season at Mistletoe Cottage around 1910. Or they might participate in festivities at Indian Mound Cottage in the year 1917.
“Jekyll Island is an ideal backdrop for this program,” Hunter explained. “Our history is so rich and our historic buildings span a very broad time range. The homes will be all decked out for the season. It is really fun to see history come to life here. This is a truly heartwarming and memorable program.”
Along the pathway through time, visitors hear holiday tunes of the past in celebration of the eras they travel through, from Victorian times through the Jazz Age. They also interact with a period character along their travel route.
Meet John Eugene or Alice Dubignon, filled with holiday spirit, during the time when their family owned Jekyll Island in its entirety. Bump into Head Housekeeper Minnie Schuppan, or Club Superintendent Ernest Grob, readying a cottage for the Club Members’ arrival. Share popular Christmas carols with a member of the Rockefeller staff. Or exchange Christmas greetings with a Club Member or Guest on their way out for a round of golf or preparing Faith Chapel for a Christmas party.
Hunter explained that the museum possesses an array of costumed characters to draw from as well as a talented crew of interpretive guides. Experiences will vary throughout the month of December and no two tours will be the same.
“We promise guests that no matter what day they come, they will glean an overview of how Christmas celebrations have evolved through time and experience the sights, sounds, customs, and pleasures of holidays past. We hope that this tour will help to spread the sentiment of the season and bring those joys into our guests’ holidays today and in the future,” Hunter said.
The Holidays in History program is offered daily, December 6-31, 2009 at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, & 3:00 pm, except December 24 and 25. The rate for this special seasonal tour is $16 for Adults, $7 for Children 6-12, and Free Under 6.
Coming back to sneak a peak inside some of the museum’s other decorated cottages? Hoping to meet a different costumed character? The Jekyll Island Museum offers a special discounted rate of $5 per person for a “second day” tour, so that guests can visit multiple cottages during the course of their stay. For more information contact the Jekyll Island Museum at (912) 635-4036.
To view a YouTube video sneak preview of the tour, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/JekyllIslandMuseum
One-half mile south of Clam Creek Road on the eastern side of North Riverview Drive are the remains of the Horton House. The two-story tabby structure, one of the oldest in the state, was built in 1742 after Horton’s original structure was destroyed by retreating Spanish, who had just been defeated by Oglethorpe in the Battle of Bloody Marsh. An exceptionally large red bay occupies the northwest corner of the house. Across the street in a peaceful setting of cedars, oaks and pines is the du Bignon family cemetery. The du Bignons owned the island for nearly a century before selling it to the Jekyll Island Club millionaires. Major Horton Road, on the north side of the property, connects with Beachview Drive on the eastern side of the island. This road becomes a trail that passes freshwater sloughs and a pond open to freshwater fishing.
Maj. William Horton served as forward lookout on Jekyll Island for Gen. James Oglethorpe during the British colonial period. Horton, who commanded English forces after Oglethorpe returned to England, is best known for having the first brewery in Georgia, the ruins of which are seen south of this site on the western side of Riverview Drive.
- Trail: 1-mile.
- Directions: From Brunswick, travel south on US 17, cross Sidney Lanier Bridge. At causeway, turn left toward Jekyll Island. Continue across Ben Fortson Parkway to dead end. Go left. Horton House Ruins and trailhead are on left past Clam Creek Picnic Area.
By Andrea Marroquin, Jekyll Island Programming Coordinator
A night-time excursion of Jekyll Island ventures inside Dubignon Cottage for spine-tingling tales!
Sheila Zynda, of Darien, GA, took Jekyll Island’s Folklore, Rumor & Myth tour last October and was enthusiastic. “I think Jekyll Island is a fantastic place to come for ghost hunting,” she said. “Besides the history, you might get to see something that you’re not expecting. “
Island visitors and staff alike have reported seeing unexplained orbs of light, smelling perfumes and cigars, hearing voices and laughter and Victrola music, experiencing cold spots, and sometimes even seeing spirits wearing period dress inside the shuttered buildings of the historic district.
In Zynda’s tour group, one woman captured an orb on her cell phone, while Zynda herself reported feeling a cold spot following her through a portion of the tour of Dubignon Cottage. Others saw flickering lights in the empty buildings as the tour moved through the twilight under the moss-draped live oaks.
“It’s an experience that you might only get once in your lifetime,” Akins said with an enjoyable shiver.
These phenomena are by no means new. Apparitions have been reported for many years throughout Jekyll Island’s 240-acre National Historic Landmark District. Nearly every cottage has some deep mystery or restless soul associated with a grand love story, an untimely death, a great misadventure, or a little mischief.
Tour guides lean on their professional knowledge of the island’s past to interpret the supernatural happenings. The Folklore, Rumor & Myth tour is peppered with stories of Jekyll Island’s historic characters in attempts to explain the reported sightings.
Guides note that different individuals have identified several spirits that have been encountered through comparisons with historical photographs. Those that have been identified include William and Savannah Struthers, Eddie Gould, Jr., and Walter Jennings, as well as Peggy and Marian Maurice. Others appear but remain nameless.
As the haunting mysteries multiplied over the years, Jekyll Island Museum staff began to collect the tales. Annually, during the month of October, they share the unusual stories they have heard. On the Folklore, Rumor and Myth Tour, guides usher guests to spots where apparitions have been sighted and unexplained events have occurred. Guests are then led inside one of the historic district cottages for more spine-tingling stories as darkness falls.
Wes Gruenke, a museum guide, often brings his groups inside Dubignon Cottage, calling it “the most paranormally active house we’ve got.” He notes that the Southern plantation home is the oldest house on the island, after Horton House.
To view a YouTube video preview of the tour, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/JekyllIslandMuseum .
The Folklore, Rumor & Myth Tour departs from the Jekyll Island Museum at 100 Stable Road on Friday nights, from October 2-31, 2009 at 7:00 pm. Admission is $16.00 for Adults and $7.00 for Children 6-12. The tour is recommended for ages 10 and above. Reservations are requested. For more information or for reservations, call 912-635-4036.
Please note the following traffic changes and road closures during the Shrimp & Grits Festival Weekend, September 18-20.
FRIDAY – All parking will be in the Historic District
SATURDAY& SUNDAY – All General Parking will be at the parking lots just north and south of the Convention Center.
Guests will be transported from parking lots near the Convention Center to the Festival via free busses provided by Coastal Georgia Charters and Tours. The shuttle drop off will be in front of the History Center. Guests can cross at over at Pier Road. Shuttle will run approximately every 10 minutes.
Shuttle Hours: Saturday – 9:30 AM – 10:00 PM. Sunday – 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM. These hours equate to 30 minutes before the festival opens and an hour after the festival closes.
Parking and Traffic Direction will be provided by Allegiance Security Group. We ask that guests follow their direction.
Exceptions:
a. VIP Guests – VIP Guests are those who have purchased a VIP Package. The VIP parking lot will be located off of Old Plantation Rd across from Jekyll Island Bookstore. Guests must purchase VIP packages in advance.
b. Handicap Parking – Handicap Parking will be in the Historic District in the Parking Lot near the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, must show a handicap parking pass.
c. Staff – Staff and Volunteers will utilize the same parking lots as the VIP guest. Parking lots will be located off of Old Plantation Rd across from Jekyll Island Bookstore.
Road Closings:
Shell Road will be closed on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20.
Old Plantation Road in front of the Jekyll Island Bookstore – Saturday, September 18 – Sunday, September 20.
The parking lot behind Morgan Tennis Center – Friday, September 18 – Sunday, September 20.
Riverview Rd leading to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel will be closed to through traffic September 18th – 20th.
Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival on Jekyll Island celebrates coastal cooking and southern hospitality. Since its inaugural year in 2006, the event has brought attention and public awareness to the unique sweet taste of Wild Georgia Shrimp. One of the primary purposes of Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival, is to bolster an affinity for Wild Georgia Shrimp. Highlights of the festival include, the amateur and professional cooking competitions, shrimp boat excursions, shrimp eating contests, cookbook signings, cooking demonstrations and much more. The festival is completed with live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, and a kids’ fun zone!
Festival Grounds Times
Friday, September 18 – 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 19 – 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday , September 20 – 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Enjoy $3 samples of Shrimp & Grits form each of the vendors on Friday.
Mark your calendars…The 7th Annual Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding & Nature Festival will take place October 8th-12th at Jekyll Island and along the GA coast. Come for the weekend, just a day or a few hours. Activities span the entire Georgia Coast and will appeal to a wide spectrum of the public from the casual nature enthusiast to the serious birdwatcher. An exhibit hall,”The Rookery”, featuring conservation-based organizations and vendors, will be in the Jekyll Island Convention Center.
There will be seminars, interactive programs, field trips, boat trips to barrier islands in outstanding natural habitats spanning the entire GA coast. They will be guided by expert naturalists and biologists. The Jekyll Island Convention Center will have “The Rookery”, an exhibit hall with conservation based organizations and vendors, live raptor show, activities for children and much more. Saturday night the keynote speaker is Donald Kroodsma, author The Singing Life of Birds.”
Early registration begins August 29th online and most popular field trips will likely fill up quickly. For information please visit www.jekyllisland.com, email info@coastalbirding.org or call 1-877-4jekyll.
by Danella Crews, Jekyll Island Authority
The Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) Board has approved an increase to the daily parking fee charged to enter the island. The daily parking fee will increase from $3 to $5 per vehicle per day, effective August 1, 2009. The new rate will make Jekyll Island consistent with the entry fee charged at other Georgia State Parks, which the Department of Natural Resources increased to $5 in April. The last time the Jekyll Island parking fee was changed was ten years ago when the fee was adjusted from $2 to $3 in 1999. Parking Fee revenue is used to help fund improvements to the public areas of the island. The increased rate could generate up to $1 million per year. The annual parking pass was left unchanged at $45 per vehicle per year.
by Beth Burnsed, Jekyll Island Authority
Summer Waves Water Park on Jekyll Island is now open all week just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Regular park hours are Monday-Friday are 10 am – 6 pm with extended park hours on Saturday and Sunday.
Summer Waves Water Park offers six rushing water slides, the Turtle Creek lazy river, kiddie play zone, Splash Zone with a giant tipping bucket, and the Frantic Atlantic Wave Pool with waves reaching 2-4 feet high. In addition to cooling off, this season guests can “Have a Rockin Summer” at Summer Waves 
Water Park with in-park Wii Rock Band and karaoke competitions every weekend. For a quick, cool bite to eat the park features Larry’s Giant Subs and several snack stands serving cool drinks and cool treats.
Park Hours subject to change. For more information contact Summer Waves Water Park at 912-635-2074 or visit www.summerwaves.com. Be a fan of Summer Waves Water Park on facebook.com.
