Jekyll Island: A Cycler’s Dream

Being a tour guide and avid traveler, I had always thought that I needed to travel to find intellectual and cultural stimulation. But since the shelter-at-home order is forcing us to stay well…at home, I’ve decided to take advantage of what “home” has to offer. I visited nearby Jekyll Island, Georgia, where I discovered there are twenty-five miles of bike paths.

It was a gorgeous, sunny late-April day. After renting cruisers from Beachside Bike Rentals, we set off on the island’s well-maintained bike paths. Heading north, the path follows the beach. There are many turn-offs where it is possible to park our bikes and stroll onto the beach.  After dipping our toes in the refreshing Atlantic Ocean (you are not allowed to loiter and sunbathe these days), it was time to get back on the bike and ride! We passed the quaint and well-maintained town center and oceanfront hotels, the popular golf courses (of which the island has four), and middle-class beachfront residences.

Then an off-road biking path led through beautiful, isolated marshes to the evocative Driftwood Beach. This beach is the most iconic part of the island and has been voted one of America’s “Ten Most Romantic Beaches” thanks to its gnarled pine and oak trees. This north corner of the island’s slow erosion made the soil unable to support these trees, which then fell and decayed over time. This has resulted in an otherworldly landscape with a seeming graveyard of trees.

From here, in St. Simons Sound we spotted the giant overturned boat, the Golden Ray. This 656-foot boat’s capsizing and catching fire last September was big local news. It was departing from the Port of Brunswick and headed to Baltimore carrying 4,200 new cars when it capsized for reasons still unknown. The Coast Guard is planning to slice it into eight huge chunks to dismantle it. It will be interesting to see how this work progresses!

Back on the bike, a tree-shaded, quiet loop brought us past the Horton House, the tabby ruins of a plantation home (tune into another post for the history of tabby), and the Jekyll Island Club Resort, the island’s majestic fin-de-siecle hotel. Even though this romantic hotel set amidst the grounds’ moss-draped oaks still welcomes guests, in these days of quarantine it appears to be a ghost town; its gaping windows are dark and empty and its surrounding shops’ doors are shut tight (update: it reopened May, 13! Click here for details).

A quick cycle along the main road led back to the beach and the end of our journey (we skipped the South loop – we were tired!). Even from this four-hour jaunt, it is clear why Jekyll is one of the “Golden Isles” because here, time seems to stand still as you soak in the bright sun on the beach, on a relaxing bicycle ride, or over a cold, refreshing frozen yogurt.  

If your interest in the long history of this island has been piqued, tune in soon for a historical post!