IDEAL DESTINATION There’s more to love on Jekyll Island than balmy weather and having beaches to yourself. A winter visit to the southern end of Georgia’s Golden Isles means you may spot migrating wildlife, like bald eagles and endangered North Atlantic right whales. Experience the island’s nature with a park-ranger-led walk to explore the maritime forest and pristine shoreline. Explore Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum for its captivating local history and eye-popping fashion exhibit. Depart from the museum for a guided trolley tour to glimpse centuries-old Gilded Age homes. Strike out on your own for a self-guided walk along the educational Wanderer Memory Trail , where you’ll follow the true story of Umwalla, an African boy on America’s last known slave ship, as he journeys from capture to freedom. Search the island for hand-blown glass globes during the Island Treasures festival (held throughout January and February), then take home what you find from the artistic scavenger hunt. Try your hand at fishing and crabbing along miles of shore, with stops at panoramic Jekyll Island Fishing Pier and meandering Clam Creek . Finally, wander the hauntingly beautiful Driftwood Beach , an ideal place for a keepsake photo where sun-bleached wood spreads like fingers across the sand. DON’T-MISS EVENTS Holly Jolly Jekyll turns the island into a winter wonderland, with trolley and carriage rides beneath light-covered trees, drive-in holiday movies, a market and much more. NYE Live! at The Battery Atlanta celebrates with a bubbly toast and midnight balloon drop, plus all sorts of New Year’s revelry like a live DJ, mechanical-bull riding and the Bowl Game Watch Party. Let Atlanta Ballet transport you with a magical performance of “The Nutcracker,” with updated choreography by Yuri Possokhov, fanciful costumes and high-tech sets. 50 #EXPLOREGEORGIA HOLLY JOLLY LIGHT TOUR, JEKYLL ISLAND/JEKYLL ISLAND AUTHORITY
Official State Travel Guide 2023 Georgia Official State Travel Guide: Page 50
