Wonderful historic site that was a former rice plantation. The same family lived in the home for…read moremultiple generations and the last heir left the estate to the state of Georgia. Beautiful antiques, cool grounds, and amazing landscape. All left in It's original state. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts. Definitely worth visiting!

The history of this region is worth thinking about, but tough to see. Most of these sorts of…read moreplantations are long abandoned; the story of how this one fell into the hands of the state government is told, along with other context, on a half-hour tour of their small mansion. The tour starts on the hour, and having arrived shortly in advance, they told me to drive down a service road that said not to drive down on it so I could park at the house and make it on time. The tour content focuses on the family line that owned the house; there is some discussion of the people they owned early in its history, but a more detailed take on the forced labor system involved in rice farming is given in the museum back where one starts. It is a distinctive and difficult topic, but the films they play offer a relatively level-headed take. The area is very swampy now; I got outside of the house and thought to wander around and take pictures, but was immediately beset by flies. Fortunately, I had the luxury of my car. Seeing these places in person makes one wonder how anyone ever lived and labored here without modern conveniences. There's plenty of food for thought.

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.

One of the oldest surviving buildings in Georgia, the structure is very well preserved. It is,…read morehowever, just a shell. No interior or roof. It dates back to the British colonization after much of their colonies were taken the Spanish. Across the street is the du Bignon cemetery that has five well-preserved graves. The walls are made from a unique product - "tabby" is made from burning oyster shells to create lime and then mixed with sand and water to make a cement. There is parking nearby. You do have to pay to enter the island. [Review 19258 overall - 571 in Georgia - 228 of 2023.]

It was a beautiful house, however it has burned completely to the ground by a person trespassing…read more There was no protection to keep people off the property. This was a great piece of history lost.

Tony and I traveled up the coast from Jacksonville FL to Darien GA. We located this home on Route…read more17, Butler Island Plantation. This is not the original Plantation house, this is referred to as the Huston House (second owners) Plantation was a Huge Rice Plantation owned by Major Pierce Butler, one of the founding fathers of USA. When he died property was handed down to his unwed daughter Frances Butler, over 436 Slaves sold in 1859 and this was considered the largest slave sale in American History. During Civil War, the plantation was abandoned. After Civil war attempts made to revive and reconstruct the plantation but it never happened. Sold in 1926 to Tillinghast Huston and turned into a Lettuce & Dairy Farm. Now it's owned and ran by State of Georgia Natural Resources. Free for use, you can walk around, picnic, and enjoy the area, even fish here!!

Back in the day in the 1800's, Vernon Square was like a hub they had a couple banks here, and this…read morewas also a place to socialize. Now it is the center in which the Open Gate B & B resides, as well as two churches and a few homes. It has a nice water fountain and nice grass and trees. A perfect place for the kids and dogs to run and enjoy the day under the trees. It is a nice quiet simple spot to think about what it must have been like here in past times!

Vernon square is a lovely place to read. Nice quiet park and it is beautiful. Picnic. Ďog walk…read more Just beautifully put together with some history behind it...

This is a definite 'must-visit' historic district when visiting Jekyll Island, Georgia. The…read moreatmosphere is amazing and it has an awesome collection of historic cottages as well as uniquely curated shops in addition to a few cool restaurants and eateries. We took the Landmark Trolley Tour to begin our visit and this gave us a great foundation of where to go and what to do. After the Trolley tour, we walked back beginning with Wake up coffee and ending with Faith Chapel. Such an amazing atmosphere and historical significance from the Georgia Gilded Age. A self-guided tour is free and the Landmark Trolley Tour is $20 per person.

Walking or biking around the historic district is just perfection, no other way to describe it…read more While it's a good distance to walk, it's manageable. I'd suggest buying a ticket to the Mosaic Museum and trolley tour (buy the trolley ticket and you get in the museum and chapel free) and tour the district first. After the tour you can stroll at your leisure along the homes and decide which ones you want to visit with some knowledge in your pocket. The trolley tour also gains admission into the Rockefeller home, Indian Mound that is just amazing.

I've seen this bridge dozens of times as I drive I-95 but it isn't the I-95 bridge. The Sidney…read moreLanier Bridge carries four lanes of US-17 over the Brunswick River. It is a cable-stayed bridge that is the longest spanning bridge in Georgia and is 480 feet tall. It is named for poet Sidney Lanier (1842-1881) who was hailed in the South as "the poet of the Confederacy." The bridge was completed in 2003 and features a span of 1250 feet that has 185 feet of clearance over the water. It has four lanes of traffic. The original Sidney Lanier Bridge was opened June 22, 1956, and was built by Sverdrup & Parcel, the same firm that designed the I-35W Mississippi River bridge which collapsed in 2007. On November 7, 1972 the ship African Neptune struck the bridge, causing parts of the bridge to collapse and causing several cars to fall into the water. Ten deaths were caused by the accident. On May 3, 1987 the bridge was again struck by a ship, this time by the Polish freighter Ziemia Bialostocka. If you squint your eyes, you could see this bridge being compared to Charleston's Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge https://www.yelp.com/biz/arthur-ravenel-jr-bridge-mount-pleasant-2?hrid=adycp2YtNWJNWD6GJRhgFA though this one has straight pilings where the Charleston bridge is diamond shaped. [Review 15746 overall - 428 in Georgia - 1250 of 2021.]

Spectacular views of the coastal Georgia area from the bridge. From his bridge you can see Jekyll…read moreand Saint Simons Island and downtown Brunswick Georgia. I won't add to or reiterate what other reviewer's have done here so well. All I'll say here is this: see the photo below. This is what a view from the bridge looks like during a hunters moon. It's a view few will ever see unless they live in the areA. A trip to this bridge is worth it with you stop at Saint Simons, Jekyll, or Brunswick or not. It's about 8 miles off of I 95

Last year I found myself in a facility for relaxation and professional growth known as the Camden…read morecounty jail. This facility uses exhilarating, immersion group therapy. After going through a rough divorce and taking a trip to GA, I found myself gaining admittance to the exclusive Camden County Jail. A kind hearted state trooper escorted me to a group session with my soon to be, new best friends. Soon after being locked in a 10'X12' therapy room with 10 other non-volunteers, I learned why Camden county jail is so famous for its curative therapy sessions. The group was led by a bearded almost budda like figure. He was calm and soothing when he let me know, in his orange jump suit, that I would be out of there in a couple of hours. He was being transferred up but he was there to guide me while he could. Even though he was being held there for child porn or murdering his wife or both, he kept his cool for the benefit of the group. Another member was there for running from the cops when apparently a person that he was selling unregistered pharmaceuticals to was actually an undercover therapy consultant for Camden county jail. They quickly grabbed him after he wrecked his car trying to leave and put him in our session so he could grow from the experience. Some people just don't want help. It was a sort of intervention. The other eight were similar and we all bonded while being in "deprivation chamber therapy." That is being confined to a 10'X12' room with no toilet, with 10 other non-volunteers. We could hear the screams from the solitary confinement therapy chambers. This is only for the most dedicated non-volunteer members at the Camden County Jail. In these therapy sessions you will "find yourself," in a Timothy Leary type of way, and occasionally poop may be smeared on the walls from what I understand. As my session ended I was released with a young marine who had been put into our session for the same "therapy" as me. While we were leaving a man with no clothes on, that could not close his eyes, was banging on the door to get in. Apparently he had tried some sort of drug therapy with less than great results. "Camden County Jail" does not use any drug therapy. They stay focused on the teachings of both Jung and Freud. Talk therapy only, and sleep deprivation. The lights never turn off. Cutting edge psychotherapy. Anyway, me and my new young marine friend both looked at each other as we realized that our group would be changed without us, but that this new non-volunteer member would bring much to the ongoing group session, even though he was completely naked. We both left and were allowed to wear shoes and have our belts back. This is proof that you have finished your session and grown in your understanding of yourself. I learned a lot from my short time at the Camden County Jail. First, everyone screws up and it could always be worse. Second, avoid the naked guy with crazy eyes.

Best accommodations in South Georgia. Premium bed and breakfast service with friendly staff. They…read morealso provide free shuttle service to and from court. Excellent place to stay if you need a vacation away from annoying family. The book selection could use some updating. Otherwise it was the refreshing boost needed once I got back home. My friends and family told me how good I looked after the vacation.

The Jekyll Island Authority is the Ranger office. Jekyll is GA state owned, and it's a hybrid of a…read morestate park, and government-regulated tourist area. The Island Authority is the ranger station authorized to patrol and protect the island, and its wildlife. The best way to get to know the island wildlife is to take a Ranger Walk. There are other programs throughout the year, but from Dec-March, the bald eagles hatch their young, and can be observed in their nests. Jekyll Island is home to a variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals, as well as some very cool plant activity. Ranger Erin headed my walk, and it was extremely fun. Our group was about 10 people, and my toddler was able to join free of charge. We did plant and animal spotting, and the information Erin pointed out was so fascinating to me. We saw and learned about salt marsh succulents (that can provide fresh water if needed), sweet gum trees, Resurrection ferns, Yaupon hollies, muscadine vines, tasted pickle wort (a delicacy in London), and we crushed up wild bay leaves to smell their beautiful scent (which I wish someone would bottle into perfume!). We learned that Spanish moss is an epiphyte, and its closest relative is pineapple. We saw black needle rush that really is like sharp needles, and learned that Timucuan tribes used it to sew clothing. We saw a number of birds (I'm sorry I cannot remember them all), and learned that egrets almost went extinct for the use of their feathers in ladies' hats. Erin brought a telescope on the walk, and let us all have a few turns looking at the eagles' nest. She explained they were lucky to have an eglette a couple years in a row, and gave a lot of info on bald eagles. She estimated their nest was the size of a VW Beetle, which was amazing because we were so far away, it seemed a lot smaller. But eagles are fiercely protective of their young, and she said they must sense the telescope gazing from their tours, because the parents had built up the wall on that side of the nest for further privacy. We saw a female gator named JC, who was pregnant. She was lounging in a freshwater stream, but our ranger showed us a nearby salt marsh, where gators spend an equal amount of time. She said health benefits abound for gators to cross-inhabit these micro-ecosystems, such as using salt water to clean freshwater bacteria from their mouths. Erin said the gators had never hurt anyone, and their department is much more concerned about human injuries to gators (like from speedboats, and one had been shot). She named several of the resident gators of Jekyll, and noted where they usually could be found. The largest, Sauron, is 11.5' long, and likes to hang on the main golf course. Erin was so informative, and added many on-the-job experiences to her stories, such as how she has to hold gator mouths shut when they track them to collect data. She said they don't have many muscles to open their jaws, so holding them shut is not as hard as holding them open. When you hold their mouth open, they're really powerful to resist because of their muscles needed to chomp on prey. That made me feel better about our safety, but I was still a little nervous. I cannot say enough about the ranger team on Jekyll. I felt so safe in their hands on the island. Their programming quality goes above and beyond to entertain and educate visitors.

Hoping the JIA reads this…read more It's with much sadness and overwhelming disgust that I see Maxwells missing from the list of merchants to occupy the new village. We built a home on Jekyll in 1962, still have it, and spend lots of time there since retirement. Over the years we have learned to depend upon Maxwells for anything we needed to do repairs and upgrades and recently signed a petition to keep the store going on the island, obviously to no avail From the list I see of the future merchants, money does the talking. What a crying shame that Mr. Hooks and his crew are bowing to mercenary influences.