BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, DRIFTWOOD & BIRDS
Jekyll's Islands Driftwood beach has been beckoning me since I first heard about it 5 years ago, and this December I eventually made the visit. I had visited the island about 24 years ago with my family and remember it being a very historic island, with old many old historic houses. I'd always wanted to take my husband, Christof, there.
Christof, Toby (our dog) and I headed up to St. Augustine, as we often do over Christmas, for a 5 day break. We usually just hang around the town and beach, but this year I wanted to explore a little further, and Jekyll island was a perfect escape and not too much of a drive. I would eventually have the opportunity to photograph it's famous beach.
The drive up A1A to Jacksonville was delightful as usual and we explored a few beaches along the way. Toby was in his element, enjoying the sand and surf. In Jacksonville we to I-95 the rest of the way, to save time.
Jekyll Island has changed a whole lot in 24 years and is very built up with loads of residences and hotels along the beach front. I barely recognized it and found it hard to even locate the historic homes that were there before. Its beaches did not disappoint though and I was elated to find not just one, but two driftwood beaches. One on the west and one on the east side of the island. This presented a bit of a dilemma, however, as I could not decide which one to visit at sunrise. Eventually I decided to visit the west beach at sunset and witness the sun setting, and the east beach at sunrise to watch the sun rise. It worked out brilliantly, the west side beach being a great bonus.
Besides the driftwood and the beaches, Jekyll Island is also a birdlovers paradise and home to an abundance of wading birds, I saw herons, egrets, ibis, and storks - all in great numbers, and I assume there are many more species that I missed.
Coming from Fort Lauderdale, the chilly low 50 temperatures did provide a bit of a shock to my system, but it was bright and sunny and proved to be perfect weather for long walks along the beaches and trails. Jekyll Island is an outdoor lovers paradise and provides endless hiking and biking trails which criss-cross the island. The only complaint I have is that I wish I'd had a few more days here. Next time we will definitely spend at least 3 nights.