Last updated: April 10, 2024

My family celebrates LOTS of birthdays in November, and my mom and I are included in those birthday celebrations. This year, we decided to take a 3 day adventure for our birthdays to explore Jekyll Island as neither of us had been there and it was within a reasonable driving distance. Here we are minutes before embarking on our road trip.

An Autumn Sunrise and Beach Walk

We shared a room at the Holiday Inn. This allowed us to be minutes within walking distance of the beach which meant I didn’t have to get up majorly early to get to there to see the sunrise (it was only a three minute walk!). On our first day, we took advantage of the short walk to witness the sun rise and spent the rest of the cloudy November morning walking the beach and taking some photos.

Saint Simons Lighthouse

After spending the morning walking the beach, we could help but drive 20 minutes over the bridge explore the Saint Simons Island lighthouse.

This was my first time in a lighthouse and it weirdly reminded me of the Eiffel Tower (except not so many steps!). I really enjoyed visiting this historical landmark and learning it’s history.

The original St. Simons Island lighthouse, which was built in 1810, was a 75-foot-tall early federal octagonal lighthouse topped by a 10-foot oil-burning lamp. During the American Civil War, U.S. military forces employed a Naval blockade of the coast. An invasion by Union troops in 1862 forced Confederate soldiers to abandon the area. The retreating troops destroyed the lighthouse to prevent it from being an aid to the navigation of Union warships.

The U.S. government constructed a new lighthouse to replace the original, building it to the west of the original’s location. It is a 104-foot (32 m) brick structure completed in 1872.

May 26, 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

I was inspired to sing one of my favorite songs while IN the lighthouse, despite people going in and out of the stairwell. #DontMindMe 😆 I just couldn’t help myself as the song was so fitting.

This place was essentially a park that allowed you to explore around the lighthouses and take in the views at the waters edge. There was also an informative museum in the lighthouse and you could see where the light keepers lived. There were MASSIVE trees that they had to keep screwed to posts to support the weight of the branches. I was very impressed by this.

Horton House of Ruins

We headed back to Jekyll Island to explore some more and discovered This tabby house that was originally constructed in 1743 by Major William Horton, a top military aide to General James Oglethorpe. Horton also brewed beer in Georgia’s first brewery (the ruins of which are a few hundred yards down the road). This structure has been meticulously preserved over the past 100 years as an example of coastal Georgia building techniques and as one of the oldest surviving buildings in the state.

Across the street from the Horton House ruins is the du Bignon cemetery, a tabby wall surrounding the graves of five people: Ann Amelia du Bignon, Joseph du Bignon, Marie Felicite Riffault, Hector deLiyannis, and George Harvey. Horton House, the Brewery Ruins, and the cemetery were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

You can walk around, look at the ruins, read the history, check out the cemetery, and ENJOY the beauty!

Another Sunrise…

The next morning’s sunrise was spectacular and I focused capturing it from a different spot, rather than at the beach, which I thought I might regret (I mean, what could be better than a beach sunrise?), but I didn’t and am super pleased with how these came out.

Sea Turtle Center

After the sunrise, we visited the Sea Turtle Center. This place rescues sea turtles and you can even watch them perform surgeries on the turtles if you visit while one is taking place. I love the work they do here.

Mosaic Museum and Tour of Jekyll Islands Historical District

This museum and trolley tour was so interesting. Who knew Jekyll Island had so much history? It used to be a game hunting island for members only which included the rich and famous such as the Rockefeller family. These hunters would build “modest vacation homes” and bring their families and servants with them to escape cold winters and hunt. The entire island is a state park (one of the only three in Georgia). Some of these hunting club homes are jaw dropping, especially exploring the the Rockafeller’s “small” and “quaint” 12,500 sq ft winter cottage with 11 bathrooms and servant quarters. I have to say though, Mrs. Rockafeller’s bedroom was to die for. This tour is a must if you ever visit Jekyll Island. 👍🏼

Saint Andrew Beach

Saint Andrew Beach is on Jekyll Island and offers spectacular sunsets, which is where I snapped the most gorgeous sunset I’ve ever seen… I almost chose it for the cover photo of this blog, but thought the sand dollar photo looked more beachy.

Lunch and a Beach Stroll

Our last day included having a photo shoot on another beach (because why the heck not???) and enjoying some Mexican ( I may have chosen this beach based solely on the fact they offered a Mexican restaurant). 🌮 ❤️

Horseback Riding on Jekyll’s Driftwood Beach

My persuasive skills must be on point because I talked my mom into riding horses (on the beach at sunset, no less) which is so far out of her comfort zone… I’m surprised she agreed! This was a lovely way to spend our last evening and I regret not getting a huge fluffy dress because I honestly think that’s all that’s missing to make this experience ridiculously perfect.

And that, my friends, wraps up the first of many mother-daughter birthday trips. If you go to Jekyll Island, go do all of these things! It makes for a fabulous weekend that you can’t help but enjoy. As always…