Day Trips: Little St. Simons Island, Brunswick & Jekyll Island

Island Guide: Top Picks | Shopping | Restaurants | Savannah | Okefenokee Swamp | Sea Marshes | Events | History | Day Trips to Little St. Simons/Brunswick/Jekyll Island | Sea Island | Fishing | Birding | Golden Isles Overview

Little St. Simons Island Just a 15-minute boat ride away lies a rich and varied natural Georgia vacation spot. Little St. Simons Island, great for anyone seeking a famly beach vacation, boasts abundant wildlife, seven miles of pristine beaches, ancient maritime forests and shimmering marshes. Day trips are the perfect introduction to this privately owned, 10,000-acre oceanfront beach resort just off St. Simons Island. Day Trips Include: Boat transportation between Georgia vacation spots St. Simons Island and Little St. Simons Island, A guided Island tour and interpretive program led by an experienced naturalist, A bountiful lunch of Low-country specialties, An afternoon on the beach, a seven-mile strand of undeveloped natural beauty perfect for a family beach vacation. Day trips run from 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM, and are recommended for anyone over the age of 12. Day trips are scheduled monthly and reservations are required. For more, go to their web site. Brunswick Brunswick's streets and squares were laid out on Oglethorpe's Savannah Plan in 1771. George Washington proclaimed Brunswick as one of the five original ports of entry for the Colonies in 1789. Today, Brunswick is nurtured by an ongoing revitalizion and restoration program for Georgia's second largest concentration of historic structures. Visit our bustling waterfront, home to The Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza, shrimp boats, cruise and casino ships, a marina, and vessels from around the world. Enjoy the charms of Old Town Brunswick, with its Victorian commercial buildings, grand residential homes, historic banquet and reception facilities, and delightful bed & breakfast inns. Explore streets of quaint shops, restaurants, art galleries and antique dealers. Cultural and historic festivals, performances and special events are scheduled throughout the year. For more, go to their web site. Jekyll Island A one-day trip Jekyll Island must include a tour of the National Historic Landmark District, also called the Millionaire's Village, home of the Jekyll Island Club. Many of the cottages have been restored, and anyone who is fascinated by old homes will love the tour. The current restoration project is one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. Jekyll has a fascinating history dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. The island was purchased from John Eugene duBignon in 1886 for $125,000 by some of the wealthiest men in America as a hunting resort. The names of the owners are recognizable to most history buffs, and include J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, Marshall Field, John J. Hill, Everett Macy, William Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Richard Teller Crane. The island was prized for its "splendid isolation." Today, the island is owned by the state and is definitely worth the short trip. The island is flat and has over 20 miles of biking and hiking trails. There are numerous places to rent bicycles, and all will provide a map of the island with the bike paths marked. For more, go to their web site.