We really didn't know what we were in for as we approached the area from Jacksonville. Sure, we'd heard of these places, but that was about it, since neither one of us had ever been here. What a total surprise! First, we're actually staying in Blythe Island, near Brunswick,Ga. Just about every place near here is an Island. The park we're in is surrounded by beautiful marshland. There are fishing piers, which are well used by the locals, and they tell us of their catches of shark, rays, and normal fish like trout. They also have a large population of giant bunny rabbits of all colors, roaming the place and looking for a handout! We can't stress enough how gorgeous this place is. St Simon is about 15 minutes away, and is the real center of beach activities. As you drive onto the island, the amazing homes line the road in, and the tree covered streets become more dense with foliage. Some of the older houses are basically covered up with it. The village is very quaint, filled with shops and restaurants, mostly the tourist type of places of course, so we've chosen to eat the local cuisine..at home. We spent an entire morning under a beach umbrella, soaking up the local (with some tourists) color. The accents are so thick from the friendly folks who approach us to say "good mornin'", we can hardly understand them. Jekyll Island is much less populated. There are a few newer hotels, but mostly there are the 100 year old plus houses of the ultra rich who built this place as their private enclave for their winter activities. Names like Goodyear and Crane (plumbing) appear on the house markers. There is the Jekyll Island Club too, where we did stop in to have lunch, with it's croquet lawn, in the front, and big stately front porch. It was the center of activities and still thrives today as a high end resort. The entire place is stunning and the first great surprise on our way up the coast towards Savannah and Charleston. Starting here, we are on uncharted territory.
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