Barrier Islands
Angelika In addition to marsh and swamp landscapes, the states of Georgia and South Carolina also feature various islands that lie stretched out parallel to the mainland, forming a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. These are simply called "Barrier Islands." Some are connected by bridges and are quite densely populated, while others, like Cumberland Island, are only accessible by ferry and are practically uninhabited.
Loyal newsletter readers had recommended Jekyll Island in Georgia to us. So we rented an Airbnb in the small town of Brunswick, not far from Jekyll Island. As I mentioned before, I had certain images in my mind of what the marshlands would look like. When I found a house on Airbnb in Brunswick, a bit outside the city center, that matched these images perfectly, there was no holding back. The house was not only huge but also reasonably priced. The best part was the porch, which was connected to the kitchen and offered an incredible view of the marshland in front of the garden.
We had every meal on the porch and enjoyed the fantastic sunsets. Michael immediately started raving about how he could write a book while sitting on the porch. However, he had to put those plans on hold for the time being, as we wanted to explore the area. The island of Jekyll Island belongs to the state of Georgia. Each time you drive onto the island, which is connected by a bridge, you have to pay a $10 entrance fee. But it is well worth it.
We were especially fascinated by the beaches, where we walked for hours and saw very few people, but found herons, small turtles, and huge shells. Our two favorites were St. Andrews Beach at the southern tip of the island and Driftwood Beach in the northern corner. On Driftwood Beach, hundreds of uprooted trees and logs lie and stand, looking like sculptures and giving the beach a surreal touch that makes any photographer's heart beat faster.
The name of the beach is somewhat misleading, as the trees are not driftwood washed ashore. On the contrary, decades of erosion have uprooted trees that were part of a forest. Since the tide at this beach is not high enough to carry the trees out to sea, they simply remained standing or lying on the beach. Sun, salt, and wind bleached and sanded the trees, giving them a sculptural appearance.
Jekyll Island is, of course, also a vacation island. There are restaurants, hotels, vacation rentals, shops, and an old historic section with spacious old mansions, which are now under monument protection. How did the mansions get on the island? Wealthy and famous American families like J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, William K. Vanderbilt, and Marshall Field wanted to use Jekyll Island as a winter retreat and joined the exclusive Jekyll Island Club, which bought the island for this purpose in 1886. The impressive clubhouse is now a hotel. However, due to the economic and geopolitical impacts of World War II, the Jekyll Island Club closed its doors in 1942. In 1947, the state of Georgia bought the island to ensure that everyone can still enjoy Jekyll Island today.