Palm Trees & Live Oaks
While it is chilly & rainy here in Atlanta, a few hours south this past weekend we experienced a weekend of perfect fall weather, beautiful beaches, palm trees, live oaks draped in spanish moss & most of all Southern hospitality.
We drove down to one of the most beautiful islands off of the coast of Georgia & we were instantly taken by the beauty & historic charm that was inherent in every aspect of Jekyll Island. In fact, pulling up to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, our 16 year old said under his breath “this is beautiful.” Which was a big compliment coming from him. And I obviously agreed, just look at this beauty of a place! Not to mention the history in these walls. The Federal Reserve was created in this building & the first transcontinental phone call was made on a four way conference call between Washington DC, New York City, San Francisco & Jekyll Island.
Chloe requested that we stay in the princess tower… sadly, I informed her that wasn’t an option. 🙂 Her request was instantly forgotten once we opened the doors to our rooms & their adjoining sunrooms. I was obsessed with this space & the time spent in our hotel, was spent in this area. The windows were all opened allowing the warm island breeze to blow in, reminding us we were definitely on vacation.
As we were not able to grant Chloe’s wish of staying in the tower, we jumped at her next request. To head down to the beach. She had never been to the beach before… And I couldn’t keep up with her! Once she saw the sand she was off.
Now it is November & not optimum temperatures for bikinis & swimming, she had no fear & ran right in. One of her favorite activities was finding shells to share with her class when she got home. Now I have a knack for hunting down fun finds for the home, I am tragic when it comes to shells. My husband will find an intact huge shell that he can make music with (I kid) but really, he has a gift. So our little lady went off with daddy to find some treasures of her own.
The cooler temps didn’t bother my stepson at all. He was all about the ocean & made it quite a ways out.
I on the other hand stayed on the sand!
After drying off, we spent the day biking throughout Jekyll Island’s Historic District. Going through stretches of Palm Trees & then landing under the majestic live oaks which are my personal favorite. Especially when draped in that silvery spanish moss.
We stopped along the way at various shops & made a few new friends. This horse was so sweet! It kept nuzzling Chloe, which she obviously loved.
And after biking, we upgraded to another mode of transportation for our weekend. A fun little electric car called a Red Bug.
With the Island being as small as it is, it was great to be able to hop into our Red Bug if we needed to head out anywhere. They are called Red Bugs as a historical reference… Below, you can see Chloe & I in the original Red Bugs that use to get the islands prestigious guests like J.P. Morgan & the Rockefellers around the island in years past. Chloe & Todd even got the opportunity to hitch a ride in the original version.
We played lawn bowling & ring toss on the lawn between our hotel & the Rockefeller’s house. She is too little to understand the significance of this, but her brother was definitely impressed after we made him google a few of the names of guests that would play here every year.
We picnicked under the oaks on proper Southern Fare. Turkey & Pimento Cheese sandwiches with homemade pickles were among my favorites… and of course, the sweet tea.
We played putt putt during an afternoon & even got a few holes in one. And also celebrated my husband’s birthday on Jekyll as well, but one of our favorite opportunities was at their Sea Turtle Center. We all had the chance to shadow the amazing staff behind the scenes & help in their everyday job of rehabilitating sick & injured Sea Turtles.
I helped to feed close to thirty one month old Diamond Back Terrapin Turtles that were smaller than the palm of my hand. Even making special meals for the two smallest of the group. I also helped with this turtle that is recovering from an arm injury.
We learned that they treat a lot of these injuries with Honey & Honey Comb as a natural version of Neosporin if you will. And use a special epoxy as a sort of waterproof bandaid to help heal any cracked shells. Besides the beach, this was by far Chloe’s favorite part of the trip.
We had such an amazing weekend on Jekyll Island & were honored to be there for the island’s rededication. The Govenor of Georgia, a friend of the island, flew down for the ceremony & rededicated the playground for the wealthy to the people of Georgia. I love living in a state that has both beautiful mountains on one end & historic islands on the other. This was a trip we will always remember & plan to head back in the Spring. I think we have found our spot.
And after a rough few weeks personally, it was so nice to be able to relax and sleep in.
Now it is time to dive into the holidays. I’ll be back sharing my holiday decor & even a special holiday makeover over the next few weeks!
xo – Kristin
A big thank you to the Jekyll Island Authority for inviting us down for the Redidication Weekend. All of the images & opinions are 100% my own.
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