From Cotton to Glamour to Relaxation
Through most of the 1800s, Jekyll Island was a cotton plantation owned by the Dubignon family. But in 1886, 53 of America’s richest men pooled their funds and bought the island for $125,000, turning it into their private club. Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Pulitzers came to hunt, play tennis, bike and otherwise seek respite from the pressures of ruling the world. In 1904, Munsey’s Magazine described Jekyll Island as “the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world.”
However, World War II strained the resources of even millionaires. Beaches seemed less alluring when the Coast Guard was patrolling the Georgia coast for German subs. After the 1942 season, the millionaires gave up the club. Six years later, the island became a state park. “They took the padlock off Georgia’s fabled Jekyll Island here Saturday and threw away the key,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. Ever since, ordinary non-gazillionaire vacationers, beach lovers and yogis have been free to visit the island.
Aside from sunbathing, taking a tram history tour of the historic district is one of the most popular island activities. A tour guide describes the lifestyles of the rich and famous of yore and takes guests into two historic family “cottages” — which look more like mansions to most of us.
Those who stay at the Jekyll Island Club Resort will soak up history 24/7 as they wonder which millionaires once slept in their room. The club even has a few ghost stories. One former club member is sometimes seen walking on the now glassed-in riverfront veranda, his hands clasped behind his back. Another disturbs guests’ newspapers while they’re reading, perhaps still trying to stay up to date on the financial world. The most helpful is a late bellman in a pillbox hat who delivers dry cleaning to wedding guests.
The Yoga Retreat
Kelley Boyd, founder of the Savannah Yoga Center, says Jekyll Island is ideal for the seven retreats she’s led so far. “It’s a magical island rich in history and doubly rich in aesthetics,” she says. “Swaying mossy oak branches, beaches and a riverside, not too crowded and easy to get to.” Boyd’s retreat is no grueling ashram. Instead, she welcomes everyone from total beginners to long-time yoga practitioners. They can participate in all the activities, or opt out to nap, sunbathe or explore the island.
The August retreat kicked off Friday afternoon with a gentle yoga practice in the club’s air-conditioned ballroom. A buffet dinner followed, featuring Indian specialties prepared by the resort’s Chef Martin Heys. Saturday, Boyd offered sunrise yoga at the resort’s beach pavilion and another afternoon session in the ballroom. Chef Heys did a cooking demo at midday. Otherwise, participants had plenty of free time. The weekend finished with a Sunday morning walking beach meditation followed by a yoga session, then a big breakfast in the hotel’s dining room.
“I hope that they feel they’ve had a chance to put some life responsibilities on pause, stretch their bodies and their hearts, leaving rested, renewed and recharged,” Boyd says.
What Else to Do
Back in the club’s heyday, January to March was the season when millionaires converged on the island. But even in August, people brave the heat and find plenty of fun. Renting a beach cruiser and pedaling the island’s 20 miles of trails is the best way to explore, even for the most amateur of cyclists. The terrain couldn’t be much flatter and the trail is shaded by gorgeous trees dripping with Spanish moss.
The 4-H Tidelands Nature Center offers guided kayak tours of the salt marsh nearly every day. Paddlers might see stingrays burrowing in the mud, roseate spoonbills clacking their bills in search of shrimp, dolphins frolicking and even small sharks feeding. Or join a guided sunset stand-up paddleboard tour with Kingfisher Paddleventures, led by a former academic with a PhD in conservation biology.
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center attracts more than 100,000 visitors a year to learn about terrapins and peek into the fully functional veterinary hospital. Since Dr. Terry Norton founded the center in 2007, it’s treated more than 3,000 patients. True turtle enthusiasts can pay extra for a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility or to accompany staff to nesting sites on early summer mornings.
If You Go
Brunswick, Ga., has the nearest airport to Jekyll Island. If you’re planning to stay at the Jekyll Island Club and focus your activities there, you can take an Uber and then rent a bicycle to explore the island. If you want to check out other nearby islands, rent a car in Brunswick.