If you have any appreciation for early American history, the Horton House ruins on Jekyll Island…read moreare absolutely worth a stop. Built in 1743 from tabby, a fascinating oyster shell and lime mortar used throughout colonial Georgia, these walls have survived Spanish raids, Georgia hurricanes, and nearly three centuries of harsh coastal weather. The atmosphere is wonderfully peaceful. No crowds, no noise, just moss-draped trees, the sound of the breeze and the birds singing. This site could use a little more facts about Major Horton, the DuBignon era, and the plantation history would make the experience even more meaningful for first-time visitors. Across the street from the Horton House ruins is the small DuBignon Cemetery, a tabby-walled enclosure containing the graves of five people: Ann Amelia du Bignon, Joseph du Bignon, Marie Felicite Riffault, Hector deLiyannis, and George Harvey. They owned the Horton House from 1790 to 1886 and operated the land as a plantation for over a *century. Still an over-all interesting history stop.

This was such an interesting historical site to explore. It's easily accessible -- right along the…read moreside of the road. We parked and walked over to the house. There are explanatory plaques about the tabby-built house along with a sign about tabby (the building material formed from a mix of sand, lime, oyster shells, and water). The house is one of the oldest of its kind in Georgia and is on the National Register of Historic places. Horton was in charge of the British troops stationed on island. He built this house as his residence and lived here from 1736 until 1748. (He died in Savannah in 1748 or 1749 -- I've read two different dates.) One other interesting note about Horton was that he had the first beer brewery in the state. What you see when you come here is the shell of the house. Open aired without a roof or paned windows. You can walk around the outside and inside. It's a good photo op for various views through the open windows. Later on, the house was occupied by the French du Bignons (who owned the island until they sold it to the American millionaires in 1886) from 1790 to the mid 1800's. Their cemetery is located across the street from the House, and you can easily walk to see this, as well, which we did.

Steeped in centuries of history, the Lover's Oak in Brunswick, Georgia stands as a testament to…read moretimeless affection and enduring strength. Legend speaks of this magnificent 900-year-old Southern live oak as a rendezvous spot for Native American lovers, whispering their vows beneath its sprawling branches. Located in the heart of the Brunswick Old Town Historic District, this living monument has witnessed countless stories of love and devotion. This tree is easy to find in the Historic District in downtown Brunswick. You'll see signs with directions to the tree throughout the area.

Lovers Oak is a very old Live Oak tree (dated to the 12th C), in the Historic District of…read moreBrunswick. It's in a residential neighborhood, at the corner of Albany and Prince Streets. There is kind of a median strip in the middle of the street, where the tree lives. It has a plaque and a small sign. The lore is that Native American lovers "met under the tree." Hmmm... and then what? Ate pizza? Anyway, it's a beautiful old majestic tree, with a trunk diameter of 13 feet!!!! Worth a look-see, and a photo. It's a lot more public now than it once was, but you could probably eat some pizza under it with your sweetheart.

Super unique experience in such a special place! This is Georgias well kept secret! It is amazing…read moreto study before going and it will make you appreciate it so much more when you go! In a spot the whole world is interested in and its future preservation is extremely important for future generations! The visitor center is so kid friendly and fun to explore! Coloring books a climbable treehouse, jukebox with animal sounds, large glass windows to see the swamp, an animatronic man telling stories about the swamps history etc and even a movie theater and shop! Truly a great visitor center and they're building a new one which I bet will be even bigger and better! We walked the trail to the large tower and then also walked to see the homestead! The tower hike was missing shade from the fire in 2017 but besides that it was super enjoyable. The homestead was locked up when we went but it was still super fun to walk around and peek in the windows. The adventure boat company was worth it to get out into the swamp with knowledgeable guides! Truly a remarkable special place. It's HUGE so make sure you know which entrance you need to go to. There are two and they are not close to each other haha.

A very informative 1.5 hour boat ride thru the swamp. Our guide was very well versed in all the…read morefacts of the birds, turtles, gators, plant life, history etc! The price per person has gone up alot since we were here years ago (now $35 pp) but I guess federal money to the preserve has decreased alot over the years too. We were here on a Friday and they were busy!

Once a year they have this juried art show; this is the 10th annual. The museum and art show are…read moremanned by volunteers; they provide a lovely lunch to all the artists (which is appreciated). They have an award ceremony for painting, photography and 3D art. To encourage the youth they also have awards for high school kids. I entered under 3D art my gourds ( was 4 gourd artists, metal sculptures, clay, wood and barnacle 3D art)and was pleased to take 1st place for the 2nd year in a row! Thanks a lot...it made my day!

Small local museum but with varied exhibits. The building is an old train depot built in the…read more1880's. There are exhibits on trains (see the caboose!), turpentine production, roadside motels, and Revolutionary War battles, along with history of the local towns. They recently added an exhibit on the FAA. The museum is open Saturdays (9 am - 1 pm) . They host special events like Railroad Days, ice cream social, art shows, and farmer's market.

Nice visitor center in Georgia. Close to gas stations and fast food restaurants. The center is a…read morebit cramped but there's a lot of information. The lady inside was nice but did not greet me when I walked in.... The restroom was clean and ample.

This place was an awesome stopping point from our car trip. The kids love the train and model for…read morethe city. The desk staff was so nice and gave us a scavenger hunt for the model. The bathrooms were very clean too!

Spanish over St Simons Island. 7 July 1742. The Spanish defeat lead them to evacuate the island a…read morecouple of weeks later. Overlook as the British would have seen Spanish crossings the marsh. Parking, 3 picnic tables, monument. Often overlooked major historical site. Good for a quick break.

If you like history, you'd enjoy seeing this battle site. Maybe bring a picnic lunch. This is…read morewhere the British stopped the Spanish, and secured the land to the north from Spain.

Small but worth it…read more Learned all the footnotes about St Mary's. Whole trail is visible to its self. Would take less than 10 minutes to walk non stop. 20 when reading all the signs. Word of caution. Gravel is not friendly to disabilities or flip flops. No bathrooms here. 5 minute walk down the road to another park and bathrooms.

I discovered this while walking toward the pier. It's right next to the cemetery. To be honest-the…read morecemetery was the best part of this little side trip. The history walk was very small and it's rained the past few days so it was kinda swampy and wet. There were a few places I didn't want to go because of that. The cemetery, however, was really cool. Lots of old graves some with overgrown vegetation and tombstones from the lat 1800's.

We adored our time here! Drift wood beach was so unique and beautiful. I saw a family ride horses…read morethrough it and if we come back I'm going to figure out how to get to do that! Haha. The seemingly endless sidewalk to circle the island or become immersed in the forest or stroll by the historic district were enchanting! We were lucky enough to see the turtle sanctuary, see some surgery being performed, and even the release of some turtles back to the ocean! It was a special stay and we truly would love to come back.

Jekyll Island: A Beautiful Nowhere…read more Let's start with the facts. Jekyll Island is gorgeous. Postcard-level gorgeous. If you're into palm trees, slightly ominous marshland, and skies that look like they're about to film a Nicholas Sparks movie, this place is for you. The Vibe: The historical district is stunning. Seriously. I half-expected a ghost in a hoop skirt to appear and offer me a glass of mint julep. But once you finish whispering "wow" at the old buildings and the Spanish moss, a strange feeling hits you... boredom. Beautiful, well-landscaped boredom. For Families? Perfect. Kids? Bring them. They'll love it. There's enough open space for them to run around and maybe learn a little history if that's your thing. For Lovers? Surprisingly... yes. If you and your significant other want quiet, privacy, and zero distractions, Jekyll is your spot. Want to disappear from the world and have deep talks about life while staring into the ocean? You got it. Want to cheat in peace and not get recognized? This place is not a Coldplay concert; no one will find you here. For Party People? Absolutely not. If you're looking to party, dance, go wild, or even just see a stranger under 50 doing something mildly questionable, keep driving. Jekyll is where excitement comes to retire. The Hotel: I stayed at the Holiday Inn. It was great in a "this-is-definitely-not-a-five-star" kind of way. Clean room, ocean view, no bugs doing parkour on the bathroom mirror. But make no mistake, this was a luxury motel at best with beach access. They say it's a resort, but your expectations should hover somewhere between "summer training barracks" and "bougie rest stop." Amenities: There's a Starbucks on the island if you feel like leaning into your basic side. It's right by the roundabout, because of course it is. Nothing screams 'island escape' like iced coffee in a paper cup near a traffic circle. The Toll: Yes, there's a toll. Ten dollars to get on the island. That's not a metaphor. You will literally pay to enter. By the time you read this, inflation might've nudged it up to fifteen. But if you're paying for privacy and to avoid humanity, it's arguably cheaper than therapy. Final Thoughts: Jekyll Island is like dating someone really attractive who has no hobbies. You'll enjoy the view for a while... then start wondering why you came. Would I go again? Yeah! but only if I had kids, a book to finish, or a secret I needed to bury.