Jekyll Island, via Pixabay.
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
JUNE 6, 2023 | Many of the newcomers to Georgia aren’t getting the full pleasure of living in Georgia. They move here from the West, the Midwest and the Northeast, and soon think: “Oh boy! We’re within a hard day’s drive to the Florida beaches.”
Little do they know. The wonderful Georgia coastal communities have many attractions that the Florida sand doesn’t have, are a little closer, and much less expensive, on the average. These newcomers seem to recognize the pleasures of the Georgia mountains, perhaps because the mountains are closer to the population core, but never consider giving much thought to the coast of our state and its barrier islands.
They would be in for a pleasant surprise. Let’s tick the islands off, north to south.
Savannah, the birthplace of Georgia, is 4.5 hours from Lawrenceville, all along interstate routes. Enjoy its charm, its elegant homes and 22 squares in the one-square-mile downtown, and its different way of living. Tybee Island is 26 miles away, has a good beach and a growing hotel and rental market.
The Golden Isles of Georgia are off the coast near Brunswick, 300 miles away, and are favorite places of ours.
- There’s St. Simons Island, with its pleasant village, four miles of beach and plenty of rental houses and hotels. We enjoy the beach around the former Coast Guard Station. East Beach is a good quality living area.
- Sea Island is highly exclusive, admitted only at one gate with approval of residents. There is The Cloister at Sea Island Club, an ultra-element destination. There are many elegant homes for sea living with five miles of unobstructed beaches.
- The third of the Golden Isles is Jekyll Island, essentially a state park, with 10 miles of open beach, and a few hotels facing the beach. The island was once the Millionaire’s Island, owned by the wealthy as the best beach on the Atlantic coast. The state of Georgia in 1946 purchased the 14 mile long island for $650,000! What a bargain! You can park in lots facing the ocean, and walk directly to the beaches.
At the southern end of Georgia is Cumberland Island National Seashore and Georgia’s largest barrier island at 16 miles long. Most people drive to St. Marys to board a ferry for a day trip to this island. You can camp on the island, with a reservation. Many explore this protected island on rented bicycles, but there are no restaurants on the island. Bring your own food. St.Marys is five hours from Atlanta.
Though all these destinations are great, we must admit that we come back again and again to St. Simons Island, a mixture of activities, seaside businesses, full time homes and lots of rental properties, plus several mighty good restaurants. It’s more everyday living than the upper-crust of Sea Island, and yet not so out-and-out beachy as Jekyll, and is much easier to get to rather than having to take a ferry to Cumberland. If you are a golfer, St. Simons and Jekyll are your best bets. And fishing, of course, is all around you on the coast.
As for seafood, we often return from the coast with fresh shrimp and crab in our coolers. No, not big Dungeness crab, but the wonderful sweet Georgia blue crab. You can make it a delightful night picking and eating the Georgia crab. Many catch their own off a pier or in a boat. All you need are weighted lines tied around chicken necks, and a net to land the crab. Sooome gooood!
You newcomers, consider the Georgia coast for your next vacation outing!
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Follow Us