Posts Tagged ‘ beach vacation ’
Celebrate Mother’s Day on Jekyll Island with an Island Treasures Hunt
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Bring mom to the beautiful beaches of Jekyll Island next Sunday, May 11, for a special Mother’s Day Island Treasures Hunt. Island Treasures are the unique and colorful glass globes, hand-crafted especially for Jekyll Island by artisans across the country. Volunteer “Beach Buddies” hide the celebrated glass globes on Jekyll Island’s beaches in January and February, for beachcombers to discover throughout the spring and summer. This year, in celebration and recognition of Mother’s Day, Beach Buddies will hide an additional 20 Island Treasures on Jekyll Island’s beaches for a special Mother’s Day Island Treasures Hunt. Twenty lucky moms will find and keep their own special Mother’s Day gift while beachcombing with their families on Jekyll Island.
To complete your Mother’s Day weekend, Jekyll Island offers a variety of affordable accommodations and activities sure to please mom. If mom isn’t among the 20 lucky finders, she can always purchase her own Island Treasure from the large assortment for sale at the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center or online at http://www.jekyllisland.com/islandtreasures. The gift shop at the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center also offers hand-crafted pottery, jewelry, purses, home decor and unique gifts for mom. For more information on Jekyll Island and the Mother’s Day Island Treasures Hunt, contact the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center at 1-877-4-Jekyll or visit our website at http://www.jekyllisland.com.
Another Fun Geocaching for Island Treasure’s Event!
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008We’re so glad everyone had fun at our 2nd Annual Geocaching for Island Treasures Event. Most importantly, we’re glad everyone made it home safe! Let me just say that we would NEVER put a cache–especially an Island Treasure out in the Marsh. We don’t want to endanger our guests! One treasure hunter thought for sure it must have been safe since it was for the event and ended up being rescued by our fire department. Thanks to our fire department!! I’m not sure what happened to our coordinates. I’m no expert with the GPS, but I pushed the button to get the coordinates, and it gave them to me. I apologize to those who were lost. It certainly was not intentional! : ) Below are the cache logs from the event! Hope you to see all of you next year. Bring friends! Maybe we’ll hide something else in the fall!
Cache Logs
March 4 by mountainclimbers (48 found)
We were hoping to view results of the day, thanks for the communications. We found a green orb that was very well hidden. We heard the story of the the “stuck in the muck” geocacher. Don’t let this discourage you form returning to Jekyll Island it is a fantastic place to vacation. Great fun and thank you to the organizers for making such great fun for us. Yes it was like the amazing race wasn’t it.
March 3 by JT & PJ Cole (558 found)
Another beautiful day on Jekyll Island. Did not find any orbs. Maybe I will have better luck next time.
JT & PJ Cole
March 2 by tennistn5 (43 found)
We had been looking forward to this day, after moving to Brunswick 7 months ago, and even camped at Jekyll this past weekend. Took husband and 6 and 4 year old boys with me and at the first coordinate we came to, we were looking around, and this older man came up and said, “Are you looking for this?”, holding up a glass ball. He said, “I have been looking for these all week and just saw it in the woods when you came up.” Our hearts sank as we mentioned it was for a contest (hoping he might give it up, but he didn’t). We went over to another couple of coordinates and found a gift card underneath the Edy’s Ice Cream place. We were dissappointed about not getting an orb but really enjoyed the excitement of the race and hunt (like Amazing Race!). We would definitely do it again. Suggest using some other colored flag to mark find since those orange/red flags were all over the island and possibly doing it an hour or two earlier in the morning and also MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR. Applebee’s, Wal-mart, and Target gift cards would be nice. 
March 2 by gunkholen (28 found)
Interesting event..nice to meet some folks..wish there had been a social time at the end of the event to visit with the folks and talk geocaching…some of the waypoints were not accurate
March 1 by mtnjeepers (374 found)
We really enjoyed this event + tour of Jekyll Island.This was our 1st visit . We did find a gift card, but sadly no glass floats. we also had problems with the coords being off. we enjoyed our visit + plan on returning . thanks to all for making this event possible
March 1 by tybeany (113 found)
we have been waiting for this event since last year. we went to jekyll last january on a lark and found out about the island treasures. that day we did not find one but not for lack of trying. enjoyed meeting everyone at the airport and then we were off! racing to our first set of coords, we foud a gift card after several minutes of looking tree cover was heavy. continuing on with my wife driving and me punching in the coords, we made our second stop and came up with an orb! my wife made the find and said it was just the colors she was hoping for. after waiting for a whole year sucess was good. it was only 11:30 and just like that we were done.
we went to the visitors center and got it registered. I recommend everyone who found one to do this. They will give you a nifty bag to put it in, also you get a certificate of authenticity and a paper about the artist who made yours, yes it’s all free.
ours is #59 and it’s made by Mark Ellinger.
We had a great lunch at Sea Jay’s and then headed to the visitors center. The Visitor’s center was full of fun things and so we had to take our time in choosing how to spend our gift card. We decided on a Ceramic Turtle tile and a blue embossed plate, we really enjoyed the ladies there, they were helpful and very charming. Some extra Jewels of the island. We stopped by the Sweet Shop on one of our cache finding excursions, and got some tasty chocolate, and ice cream. We love Jekyll Island, and this is a day we will not soon forget. The thing we really enjoyed was everywhere we went, people were friendly and happy to help with anything you ask. I think it is great that everyone has gotten behind the Geocaching we would love to see Tybee get that excited. Thank You to everyone for such a fun trip.:) By the way we did not enjoy the 5 ticks and the sand gnats, but hey they are unwelcome everywhere.
March 1 by change-is-good (391 found)
It’s always a good day when I come to Jekyll Island and this was no exception. Several years ago, my daughter was going to start geocaching with the name “Wolf Wing”. However, after several geocaching sessions in which she was “forced” to go along because it was a family event, she has become sort-of anti-geocaching. With the prospect of finding an “Island Treasure”, she agreed to come with me to this event. (We’ve spent many hours walking along the beaches with no luck.)
We started the day by driving past a long line of cars at the Welcome Post. (At $35 per year, the annual pass is a good deal if you come to Jekyll Island very much.) We drove around a little with our GPSs to get oriented. We then drove to the airport, unloaded our bicycles, and did a leisurely ride around the historic district to get further oriented. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and this was probably the best part of the day.
We went back to the airport, and while waiting for the event to begin, met the other geocachers gathered for the event. Then it’s off to the races. I went north and “Wolf Wing” went south to the historic district. At the ruins, I’m only .60 miles away, so I decided to ditch the car and get on the bicycle. Big mistake. I hit a dead end, turned around and headed back to the car. Loaded the bike back up and drove on around to what turned out to be driftwood beach. Stopped within 200 feet of my goal and after a quick search, made the find. And, it’s an orb!
By now, with all of the bicycle riding and running, my legs were quivering. I loaded in another set of coordinates, and this one was only several hundred feet away. I started running again, and as I approached, I got just ahead of another geocacher who was also running. Arriving at the coordinates, nothing. Several other geocachers arrived, and after about ten minutes of searching, someone else found it. There was either a coordinate problem or a tree cover problem. And I think there may have been a third set of coordinates in this area. Oh, well, that’s all part of the game.
I went back to the airport, unloaded the bicycle, and rode into the historic district to find “Wolf Wing”. She had found a gift card! We took the photo at the Stables and rode around the historic district a little more. Then, back to the airport and load up. We headed home, tired but happy.
March 1 by Geo Odyssey (330 found)
It was great fun, we found one gift card. An island treasure would have been swell, but it wasn’t to be. Wish we had a little more time to meet, greet, and socialize.
Nifty Navigating to all cachers,
Narda, Frank, & Polar the Cache Bear
Brunswick, GA
March 1 by bluemoon4515 (3 found)
This was lots of fun!
March 1 by emlibero (1 found)
We had a great time at this event! We found an island treasure out by Horton House…awesome!
March 1 by GARanger (139 found)
Had fun again. My wife and I found 2 gift cards. It would be great if more globes could be hidden each year. If you don’t find one quick they are all gone in a hurry. TFTH.
GARanger
March 1 by TheGreatScotts (927 found)
We take great pride in claiming this smiley! Especially the Mr. because he definately earned it!! See link for details about what happened: (visit link)
Unplug and Unwind on Jekyll Island
Friday, February 29th, 2008
Would you rather surf the ocean or the World Wide Web? Watch a movie or a campfire? Which do you think your children would choose? A Nature Conservancy-funded study showed that many of us would likely choose the movie or the Web. We’re more removed from nature than we have ever been in history. As a nation, we’re becoming more “indoorsy”, and that’s not a good thing.
The study reports that visits to U.S. national parks have been declining since 1987, after having risen for the previous 50 years. Researchers said that video games, home movie rentals, going out to movies, Internet use, and rising fuel prices explained almost 98 percent of the decline. The drop in attendance comes as our use of electronic media has risen - something that researchers call “evidence of a fundamental shift away from people’s appreciation of nature.”
“When children choose TVs over trees, they lose touch with the physical world outside and the fundamental connection of those places to our daily lives,” said Steve McCormick, President and CEO of The nature Conservancy.
Jekyll Island is an ideal place for you and your family to reconnect with nature. It has been and always will be a place of natural beauty and conservation because 65% of the island will always be in its natural state. Everything you need to reawaken your inner Thoreau is here-nestled safely and conveniently on Jekyll Island.
“We demonstrate our values in the way we allocate our time,” said Patricia Zaradic, an ecologist with the Stroud Water Research Center who worked on the study. “Research indicates that children who experience nature with a mentor develop an appreciation of nature as adults.”
Children who are led by their parents to experience nature firsthand also learn habits that support a healthy lifestyle. Spending time engaged in the natural world is far preferable to spending time parked in front of a television screen.
So leave your laptops for another day. You need not give up your video games for good. But you can unplug from this 21st century world, and give your attention to the beautiful, great outdoors and the diverse creatures living within it. Jekyll Island promises something special for every member of your family, regardless of age or interests. How many video games can say that?
Come and see what’s outside on Jekyll Island!
With 10 miles of unspoiled beaches, beach lovers have plenty of space to sunbathe, swim, walk or search for shells. You’re sure to see many live creatures as well, including hermit crabs and sand dollars. Preserve the Island’s shoreline environment by leaving these interesting beach dwellers just as you find them and take only a few of your favorite shells.
As a barrier island, Jekyll Island’s beaches are unique and ever-changing.
For your convenience, public showers and restrooms are located at several sites and picnic areas.
Here is a bird lover’s paradise. A vast variety of birds make the island home. In addition to those, the island serves as a resting place in the spring and fall for migrating species on the Atlantic Flyway. The island has been designated an “Important Birding Area (IBA)” by the Georgia Audubon Societies. It is one of 18 sites along the Colonial Coast Birding Trail and boasts several significant birding sites: near the Welcome Center on the Jekyll Island Causeway; at Clam Creek on the northern side of the island; and at the “Glory” beach near the Jekyll Island Soccer Complex. New birding platforms are scheduled for construction at Driftwood Beach and the St. Andrews picnic area.
With 206 campsites available on 18 wooded acres, Jekyll Island has something for everybody– from tent sites to full hook-up to pull-through RV sites. The campground offers a long list of amenities, including restrooms, showers, pay phones, laundry and a full-service store with food, ice, bait, propane, supplies and bike rentals. Daily rates are available year round. For guests wishing to stay a bit longer, the campground offers a week-long special: stay six days and the seventh is free. Monthly stay rates are available November through March. Other times, a 14-day camping limit may apply.
The Georgia 4-H Tidelands Nature Center offers hands-on exhibits for the kids as well as guided nature walks and kayak or canoe tours. Guided activities include nature walks, Historic District Landscape Tours, and Turtle Walks (from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center), offered from May through August).
On a guided nature walk, you will spend a couple of hours to walking the beach, maritime forest or marsh with an experienced naturalist.
Explore the area by kayak or canoe on a three-hour guided tour of the local salt marshes and estuarial waters. Learn about wading birds, fiddler crabs, marsh grass and dolphins. There’s no better way to observe birds, fish and other coastal creatures in their native habitat.
Both canoe rentals and kayak tours are available March through October. Sea Kayaks, a more maneuverable and stable relative of the traditional kayak, also are available for saltwater excursions. Rentals, instruction and guided tours are available by calling (912) 635-5032.
Jekyll Island is perfectly suited for travel by bicycle. With more than 20 miles of paved trails, you can explore a broad range of scenery, from beaches to forests to Jekyll Island’s own Historic Landmark District and campgrounds. Free trail maps are available at the Jekyll Island Welcome Center.
Jekyll Wharf and Jekyll Harbor Marina are two points of access to the many water activities along coastal Georgia. Spend a day sightseeing, dolphin spotting or on a sailing tour.
For the fishermen, the island’s knowledgeable fishing captains know all of the best spots to catch a variety of fish, including Tarpon, Whiting, Red Drum, Sea Trout, Triple Tail, Spotted Sea Trout, Striped Mullet, Sheepshead, and Black Drum, just to name a few. Loggerhead sea turtles have found safe haven on Jekyll Island. Their nests, tucked among the dunes of Jekyll Island’s beaches, have made the island a major site for conservation and education. Sea turtle nests are marked and monitored by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. From May through August, female loggerhead turtles swim ashore, dig their nests and lay their eggs.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a $3 million center, includes a learning center, rehabilitation center and veterinary clinic, is the first of its kind in Georgia. The Center officially opened June 16, 2007. For more information about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and related programs, visit www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org
Jekyll Island has been a golf destination since 1898, when Jekyll Island Club members added the first course on the island near the present-day airport. Today, Jekyll Island boasts 63 holes of golf on three 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course, earning Jekyll Island the bragging rights as Georgia’s largest public golf resort. During course design of Pine Lakes Course, Clyde Johnston incorporated “Family Friendly” tee boxes, making this the only course in America that allows players of all ages to compete evenly.
Boasting 13 clay courts (seven of which are lighted), the Jekyll Island Tennis Center earned a spot among Tennis Magazine’s “25 Best Municipal Tennis Facilities” in the country. The Jekyll Island Tennis Center hosts six USTA-Sanctioned tournaments annually, as well as junior camps throughout the summer. Ongoing adult programs include clinics and round-robin tournaments, which are offered between October and March. The Center’s staff can arrange pick-up games for single players, as well as offer private and group lessons. Also available are rental racquets and ball machines, as well as equipment repair. Weekly, monthly and annual single-person and family memberships can be purchased as well.
For a totally different perspective, saddle up and experience Jekyll Island on horseback. Guided tours originate from the Clam Creek picnic area on the island’s north end, make their way though maritime forests and along the salt marshes, then return along beautiful Driftwood Beach. Reservations are required and can be made Monday through Saturday (weather permitting) at Victoria’s Carriages and Trail Rides at the Island History Center on Stable Road.
There are plenty of ways to unplug and unwind on Jekyll Island. If you need some ideas, just check out www.jekyllisland.com or our Welcome Center on the Jekyll Island causeway!
Jekyll Island Sunrise Memories
Friday, December 21st, 2007
I had been reading about Jekyll Island for the last couple years, and we finally had the good fortune to stop there for a night back in October. After visiting, I wish our schedule would have permitted a much longer stay. Anyway, I’m sending a picture of sunrise from behind the Clarion resort on Oct. 8. I often find myself staring at this pic and taking a mental vacation back to Jekyll Island. Hope to be back soon.
From Ralph B. Davis, KY
Thanks Mr. Davis!!!
December Beachscape
Thursday, December 13th, 2007
Read December’s Beachscape Online!Take a Virtual Bike Ride
Thursday, December 13th, 2007
Bike Riding on Jekyll Island is one of our favorite things to do! We get exercise, family fun time, and we get to see the historic district, the beach, and some of the most beautiful sites in nature. We rented a “surry” from Jekyll Island Bike Rentals so we could take a video camera with us to try and share how wonderful the ride is with all of you! Forgive the bumpiness. It’s not the trail–it’s the videographer!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4193207826829148229&hl=en
Read November’s Beachscape Online!
