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OnSite in Georgia

Day 4

Driftwood Beach

Depart for Jekyll Island

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Depart for Savannah and return home

The group hit the road for Jekyll Island at an early hour to make the most of their final day in Georgia. They started the day at Driftwood Beach, one of the most photographed spots in the state, and then spent time at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, where injured sea turtles are rehabilitated. From there, it was a short trip to the Jekyll Island Club, a historic resort area that was a playground for some of the wealthiest Americans during the 19th century, and a tour and lunch at the beautiful Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

After saying goodbye to the islands, tour participants boarded the bus for the drive back to Savannah, where they left for home after four fun-filled and sun-soaked days on the Georgia coast.

Driftwood Beach

At the northern end of Jekyll Island, Driftwood Beach is often referred to as a tree graveyard. Natural erosion has left the beach littered with thousands of large pieces of driftwood, each smoothed by the crashing of waves at high tide. The beach makes a wonderful stop for group photos, especially as the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Each year, thousands of sea turtles hatch in the sands of Jekyll Island and attempt the perilous trek to the sea under cover of night. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center exists to help rehabilitate turtles injured during that journey, as well as adult turtles that have been brought in with injuries. Guests can see the turtles swimming in rehabilitation tanks in the on-site hospital or tour the museum, where they learn about the life of sea turtles and can watch special feeding demonstrations.

Jekyll Island Club Hotel

The who’s who of America’s moneyed elite flocked to the Jekyll Island Club in the late 1800s and early 1900s, built beautiful summer “cottages” and engaged in leisure activities at the resort. Today, the Jekyll Island Club is a historic site, with numerous buildings that visitors can tour, and the Jekyll Island Club Hotel offers overnight accommodations and beautiful settings for group meals. The FAM participants got to see some of the hotel’s distinctive spaces and enjoyed a farewell lunch of shrimp and grits before making their way back to Savannah for the trip home.

Brian Jewell

Brian Jewell is the executive editor of The Group Travel Leader. In more than a decade of travel journalism he has visited 48 states and 25 foreign countries.