Stay, Just a Little Bit Longer
On their first trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia in 2010, our couple stayed for a week. Over the subsequent years, one week's stay soon went to two weeks, then this year they stayed for three. They left Jekyll this year thinking it likely that soon three weeks might evolve into four. Jekyll is not for everyone, but for Jake and Stone it has proven to be a sort of paradise gained, and regained.
(As usual, links provide more information about places, restaurants, bars, etc that Jake and Stone found to be positive experiences.)
(Also -- this little map below gives an idea of the island, including its basic bike paths. HOWEVER, though it takes a little while to download, there is a much better, more detailed and very useful map of Jekyll, including its bike trails, available here. Do have a look.)
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| Along the New River Trail near Galax, Virginia |
Dinner this night at a nice local
place, Creek Bottom Brews for beer(!), burger and Asian salad. They
also sells a lot of craft beers, and our couple couldn't resist
buying a bottle of Sweet Baby Jesus beer, which waits in the fridge
for either Christmas or the Apocalypse, whichever comes first.
Saturday, January 14, 2017 –
Leaving before sunrise is normal when Jake and Stone have places to
go, but on this morning their early rising put them in the middle of
a fog event the likes of which they had never experienced. The fog on
Fancy Gap Mountain (I-77) is historically so bad that the Virginia DOT added over a dozen cameras last year to keep on top of the many dangerous
situations. There are also lighted speed limit signs that decrease the speed limit when necessary, which at
one point listed 30 MPH as the safe speed. Before daylight, with only ghostly trucks and pea soup for company, Stone somehow made it down the
mountain and into eventual daylight and normal conditions. Atta
grrrl!
Part of Jekyll's allure is its
proximity, about 90 minutes south, to one of our couple's favorite
cities, Savannah, Georgia. Having left Galax early and made good time
driving (after the foggy start), Jake and Stone delayed lunch until
they could reach Savannah. They wondered why the city was so crowded,
then realized it was MLK weekend. (Vacations are deemed a success
when the travelers don't know what day it is.) After being told at
several lunch spots that they would have to wait for seating, they spied a couple
of open bar seats at a favorite place – The Public Kitchen and Bar on the corner of Liberty and Bull Streets.
Sitting at the bar has become their
often preferred way to eat. The “waiter” is always available, and
it is easy to fall into conversation with bar mates. Things worked
wonderfully on this day, as a lively conversation ensued with a
Savannah local woman and another couple headed to Florida. The ham &
brie melt, shrimp & grits, two Stella brews (Jake), and a glass
of the nicely named Whispering Angel Rose (Stone), completed a
terrific lunch scene on a warm, sunny day in this lovely southern city.
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| 3 BR, 3 bth, 2 balc rental at Villas by The Sea |
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| Early morning sun tops the condo's treed setting |
This two-story, 2-balcony place proved to be an ideal home for three weeks. Too worn out from the moving-in struggles to cook, they repaired to the Westin Hotel for snacks (sweet potato soup, crab cake, shrimp cocktail) and martinis, before falling asleep to the sounds of Jekyll's quiet back at their 3 BR home for the next three weeks.
We interrupt this blog to bring you a A Must (or maybe, A Suggested) See:
Jekyll Island is most famous for being
founded at the end of the 19th century by a group of millionaires
(the Astors, Rockefellers, Goulds, Morgans, etc) who needed a private
winter hunting ground that might also serve as a getaway from the
trials and tribulations of making way too much money. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel started in 1896 as America's first condo
development, albeit only for millionaires. (Sounds a lot like today's Manhattan.)
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| The Hotel Today: front veranda on left, entrance on right, iconic turret above the giant live oak |
Such was the atmosphere of the
subsequent hotel expansion, that in 1910 six high-powered men met in
secret at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel intent on reforming America's
banking system. They hoped to come up with something that would
mitigate the numerous financial panics of the 19th century
– the most recent one in 1907 being, apparently, the last straw.
Long story short, what emerged would form the basis in 1913 for America's Federal Reserve System. The hotel's Federal Reserve Room has some history and
pictures about the talks. The most interesting picture, however, is a
fairly new one. It is of former Chairs Alan Greenspan and Ben
Bernanke standing in the room where the Fed began, and where you are
standing as you look at the picture of them. As they say at the Fed: way
cool.
Sunday, January 15, 2017 – The
first Sunday on Jekyll is a holy day of obligation for Jake and Stone. As required, they made the pilgrimage across the causeway bridge and into
Brunswick, Georgia to the Waffle House. Best pecan waffles, and
unbeatable southern, blue-collar, family, hello-to-everyone vibe.
Groceries were gathered at the nearby Winn-Dixie where it is
worthwhile to get the members savings card. It's NFL football in the
afternoon and into the evening, accompanied by the requisite hot dogs and burgers.
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| Cart bridge to the "marsh holes" on King & Prince GC, St. Simons |
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| "Away from it all" in the marshlands at King & Prince CG, St. Simons |
Stone's inaugural bike ride down to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel was highlighted by marsh views, a distant
sighting of a heron or two, the atmospheric Spanish moss dripping
from the live oak trees, and a winding bike trail that is the
favorite of both her and Jake. They meet at the new Beach House,
which basically has a seafood menu, for corn chowder bisque, and
salads with shrimp and salmon. This new addition to Jekyll dining
scene has a summer/beach vibe, with ample outside seating ready for
the summer crowds. Our couple promised themselves to try the bar at some
future date.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 – A
typical Jekyll day. Bike ride for them both to the hotel, talk for quite a while to
a visiting family of four on the hotel's back veranda, back to the condo for some
reading and nap. Pre-dinner martinis at the hotel's bar, where they
spot the legendary Harry (famous yachtsman and longtime Jekyll resident), and meet a woman who shows them pictures of
her dog and her Alabama beach-side condo. Tuna pasta for dinner and
then “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” on the TV,
which they felt silly enough to enjoy.
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| Stone's favorite beach-view reading bench |
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| Stone Chips at Great Dunes #3 |
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| Stone selfie at the Beach House restaurant & bar |
Saturday, January 21, 2017 – Once again to the Waffle House and Winn Dixie, then an exploratory bike ride to the 200-site RV campground and Maurice Road, which they had often ridden past but never gone down. Thinking they would go to a movie, they changed their minds and spent a good part of the afternoon napping. Jake biked the five miles down to the Beach Village on a mission to replenish the gin supply. Rain at night and yet another movie, “Boomerang.” Not the Eddie Murphy one, but the one in 1947 directed by a Elia Kazan; different and better.
Sunday, January 22, 2017 – The weather is threatening so it's stay inside and relax. Then they decide to do laundry, which proves to be an adventure. The laundry facility is but a five minute walk, but it is long enough for a sudden rain squall to erupt, followed by a downpour, followed by another downpour. Damn tropical weather! The clothes get washed, and so do Jake and Stone. In the afternoon it's NFL football. Then Jake and Stone watch their first-ever tornado warnings on the local TV channel. They decided that the downstairs bathroom would be the best place to “shelter in place,” as they say on TV. Luckily, things pass without serious incident.
Monday, January 23, 2017 – Jake and Stone are up early on a day of a cloudless sunrise, 55 degrees
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| Part of the new Beach Village at Jekyll's equally new "Main Street" |
In search of a book Jake wants, they drive over to St. Simons Island. But despite being the largest bookstore in the Golden Isles, Jake's desired book is not in its stock. However, our couple find HarrisTeeter, a grocery store to rival Wegman's back home. Good-bye Winn-Dixie, hello wonderful grocery shopping.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017-- Jake golfs at an increasingly warm and windy Indian Mound while Stone walks on the famous Driftwood Beach, which is a short walk from the condo. Later in the day our couples' very good friends, The Labetts, arrive from Virginia. Wonderful to see them again, and the recently purchased gin is put to good use. Dinner is Stone's signature tuna-and-nicoise salad, followed by drinks at the Jekyll Hotel bar where two other couples are apparently ending some black-tie event at the hotel. Back at the condo the foursome talk till after midnight, then put the bedrooms to a sleep test which they pass with honors.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 – The two women bike and walk while the two guys enjoy a round at Great Dunes. After golf the guys have lunch, then bike down to meet the ladies at the hotel. It's a foursome dinner at the Driftwood Bistro, highlighted by a killer she-crab soup and two $12 bottles of Clos du Bois white wine.
Thursday, January 26, 2017 – It's off to St. Simons Island for a quick meet with a retired couple The Labetts' worked with in Virginia. Their retirement home is a showcase (complete with a one-flight elevator) that might well appear in "Southern Living" magazine. There is much good talk, including of how easily the several PGA golfers who live on St. Simons move about unbothered among the locals. Its is not unusual, say these retired St. Simons locals, to see Davis Love, or Zack Johnson, or Matt Kucher shopping or out with their kids.
After the work reunion our four had a real good breakfast at Palmer's, which seemed filled with locals, always a good sign. The four liked Palmer's so much theysigned up for dinner on Friday night.
Today is Jake and Stone's 37th anniversary, so it's off to Savannah for celebration. After finding his book at the always reliable Shaver Bookstore, our foursome discover a new drinking place – the Artillery Bar on Bull Street. The place is new, but all agreed it will soon be legendary. At last, a bar with just drinks, no food. What a concept! All four drinks were most memorable, as was the service, décor and vibe. Not to be missed if in Savannah for more than 15 minutes.
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| At the Artillery Bar in Savannah |
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| Typical fairway setting at the three Jekyll Island Golf Courses |
holes, but has trouble draining after a rain. The setting for all three courses is terrific – tall pine trees, some local fauna, no homes or cars or other signs of that evil termed civilization. The main deterrents to par are the numerous bunkers, and to a lesser extent, the usual breeze/wind. Jake's only complaint is that there is little in the way of yardage markers, with most of them being the usual blue/white/red slabs in in the middle of the fairway – a lot of good middle-of-the-fairway markers do for Jake!
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| Distant view of Sidney Lanier Bridge seen from St. Andrews Beach |
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| Every baby is a cute baby |
Sunday, January 29, 2017 – Jake and Stone attend service at the historic Faith Chapel in Jekyll's Historic District.. The chapel is worth seeing just to see the luxurious Tiffany window. The “service” is mostly a talk on the the musical history of the the ancient Christian hymn "Gloria," which suits our couple just fine. It's time for coffee and pastry (chocolate croissant/bear claw/maple pecan thing) at hotel's Club Cafe, which is a quick walk from the chapel. The afternoon is time for reading before a trip into Brunswick (GA) movie complex to see the inspiring “Hidden Figures,” which they both enjoyed.
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| Oleander Course at Jekyll Island |
Monday, January 30, 2017 -- Jake plays another delightful solo round at Oleander, and gets an eagle! Well, gets to see one anyway, cruising majestically overhead. Minutes later, above the same azure lake, a pair of ospreys circle the water, but spy nothing and move on. Stone sleeps in, then out for a bike ride. They make good on their promise to visit the bar at the Beach House, and find the martinis match any on the island. Dinner at home and then a special treat for them, a great American musical, “The Blues Brothers” on HBO.
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| egrets, ibis and storks, oh my! |
The early evening also turns Jekyll-at-its-best as our couple joins others sitting in rocking chairs on the hotel's sweeping veranda to sip drinks while watching the sun set over the river/creek that separates Jekyll Island from mainland Georgia. As the dark gathers, a half-moon appears, then Venus, the evening start. In the twilight a tall Palmetto Palm's silhouette completes the scene.
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| Still Life: Fog & Palm Trees |
Yet another good thing about golf on Jekyll is that the courses don't have “fog delays,” so Jake got to play another lovely, lonely round, this time on Oleander again. The fog dissipates after about an hour. Stone reads and relaxes till Jake gets back from golf. They head out on their bikes again, getting ice cream at the Beach Village, walk around the Westin Hotel area, then bike back. Stone enjoys a drink on the upstairs balcony while Jake has a cigar on the lower, both enjoying the view of the numerous trees that makeup the maritime forests common to many barrier islands, and the seemingly equally numerous squirrels.
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| Jake, Java, Sunrise |
The rest of the day passes normally. Coffee and pastry again at the Club Cafe at the hotel. A walk around the hotel and the historic district to look once again at several of the 5-6 room “cottages” put up by the likes of Goodyear (the tire guy) and Crane (the toilet guy). Bike back home with some more views of distant birds in the marsh. Pre-dinner drinks and the usual attendant conviviality at the hotel bar. Dinner at home. Movie. Sleep.
Friday, February 3, 2017 – Last day. Jake plays Oleander again. It is windy, hot (74!) and crowded (Friday is the one busy day at the golf center), but still.... Stone has a final bike ride, pausing twice to read at two of her favorite read-with-a-view benches. Packing for home takes its usual time, and finally is finished as night falls.
Saturday, February 4, 2017 – A little bit longer than half way to Jersey is Roanoke, VA, where – as they did on last year's tip home -- our couple checks into the Hotel Roanoke. Like the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, this hotel is itself historic, dating to the 1880s, and equally grand in style and atmosphere. Jake booked it on booking.com, which has served him well in the past for many bookings, for what he considered a reasonable price. Walking around this hotel is itself a pleasure.
Another reason Jake and Stone like the Hotel Roanoke is its proximity to downtown Roanoke and its several good restaurants. They had a delightful dinner and drinks at Metro!, with it numerous plush banquette seats, which is but a five minute walk from the hotel.
Sunday, February 5, 2017 – Home in plenty of time to unpack, turn up the heat and hot water, water some plants, have a little snooze, and watch the Super Bowl with some Stone-inspired football snacks. Later that night, they agree that when it comes to Jekyll Island, it is never wrong to -- stay, just a little bit longer.
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