Georgia: 1 of 50

Takeaway

• It’s amazing all you can experience in 2 days . . . especially if you limit yourself to the most minimal amounts of sleep. Thank goodness I’ve had training as a flight attendant!

• My one Savannah encounter – Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room- and I was NOT disappointed.  Pro tip:  have a small bfast then come hungry!

• When on Jekyll Island rent a bike and pedal it EVERYWHERE, who needs a car anyway?

• On Jekyll you have beautiful sunrises AND sunsets. Watch both, maybe in one day.

• Talk to strangers (sorry, Mom). They share amazing travel advice and also feed you crawdads if you don’t know how to eat them yourself.

• Don’t drop your phone in water a week after going on vacation without having saved your pictures 😦  You’ll be stuck with whatever you sent to friends and family, which thankfully were some pretty good pictures, but not nearly enough to capture the wonderful memories I’d made.

The beginning of my journey was blessed or cursed depending on your attitude.  I kept forgetting things (including my passport on the bus on the way to the airport ) delaying me so I arrived at my flight with only seconds to spare.  I decided to take it as a blessing because it seemed like the right kind of mindset to begin this journey.  As I sat on the tiny plane taking me to Savannah I was thankful I made the flight and with how distracted I’d been, it felt like more than ever I needed to clear my mind and pay attention to what was happening around me.

Short Savannah experience turned long . . . but worth it

When I picked up my rental car I asked a wonderful Avis employee (Michelle) if there was anything I HAD to do (or eat, I was hungry) before I headed to the coast.  Her suggestion was Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room and oh was I grateful to Michelle.  They are only open from 11-2 so she said my approximate time of arrival (11:45) would be perfect.  Little did I know my arrival would lead to hours of waiting outside in the Savannah sunshine (heat) in a line that went down the block and curved around the corner.   It was worth the wait though, especially when you spend time in line getting to know your neighbors who are soon to become your lunch mates and friends.

I met two girls from New Hampshire who were on what sounded like a pretty amazing road trip.  They shared some travel tips for the states they’d visited along the way and told me about the ghost tour they had been on the night before.  I didn’t realize Savannah is known as the most haunted city in America, but surprise!  It is.  They loved the tour, by the way and I wish I had gotten the name, but just know it’s the one in a hearse.  The other important info they shared was Mrs. Wilkes is CASH ONLY.  They waited the day before almost 3 hours only to find out when they finally reached the entrance.  I was impressed by their dedication to come back and glad they did as my experience would not have been the same without them.  It’s amazing how much you can enjoy your time with “strangers”.  While I LOVE food, there is something that makes a meal more fulfilling when you enjoy it with others.  I swear that fried chicken tasted even better because I was able to look at them with my eyes bugged out exclaiming how delicious it was and have them look back with the same expression.

They serve the meal family style and there were so many choices I didn’t know where to begin.  I filled my plate as if it were Thanksgiving, a little bit of everything, then grabbed seconds of what I enjoyed most (okra, creamed corn and friend chicken were my faves).  When you go, I’d suggest having a small breakfast to stretch your stomach out a little, but make sure you come hungry and you will be sure to leave happy.

The beginnings of Jekyll and my toes finally touch the sand

By this time I was hours behind on my “schedule” so I started the drive to Jekyll Island.  Don’t worry, I did fit into the economy size car even though Michelle was concerned I’d be too tall.  It is interesting how strangers worry about you.  The gentleman checking me into my hotel was also worried about me.  He was sad I was alone, on my birthday.  Little did he know it was exactly what I wanted and had been planning for quite some time.  I am just starting to like myself again and ya know what?  It’s nice to spend time with me!

I took a drive around the 7×1.5 mile island to take it all in before heading down to the beach.  I wanted to relax and reflect on my day so far and I got exactly what I wished for.  It was late enough I was one of the few people left on the beach, there was a warm breeze and soft sand to rub my poor aching feet in (afterthought- wear tennies to stand in line for Mrs. Wilkes, flat sandals were rough).

Once I pulled myself away from the beach I went to dinner with the expectation of walking to the West side of Jekyll for the sunset (my hotel was on the East side).  However, I kept getting distracted by the landscape, the ocean continuously drawing me off the path and toward the water.  By the time I was getting to Tortuga Jacks, a recently opened Mexican Restaurant, it was already almost dark.   I decided to give up and have dinner right there.  I sat outside enjoying a delish marg and nachos as the stars started to peak out.  I walked back to my room, accompanied by my “to-go” margarita when I ran into a few people out on a dock.  We watched the carts drive up and down the beach looking for sea turtle nests and they told me about the conference they were there for.  I couldn’t help but think if there was a company consistently sending me to workshops on Jekyll Island so I could drink margs on the dock under the stars . . . I might have to think about a change in profession.

Sunrise to dusk, full and beautiful

With little to no sleep my alarm was beeping and I was sprinting to the beach for the sunrise.  When I arrived I popped a bottle of champagne and made a toast to myself.  I was turning 29 years old and feeling pretty proud of the place I had reached in my life.  It felt good.  I hadn’t felt that way about myself in a while.  I sipped my champs, wandered around the beach, watching one of the most beautiful sunrises I’d ever seen-Or maybe it was the lack of sleep, the champagne and the fact it was my birthday-but still, it seemed like the most beautiful sunrise I’d ever seen.  There was nothing to feel at that moment but peace and contentment and I received a nice reminder I was in a good place, making the right decisions.

After a short nap, I rented a bike for the day, only $19, packed a lunch and headed out.  I stopped at a dock (it may have only been for resort goers, shhhh- don’t tell) where I sat down for lunch.  As I ate I watched a couple catch fish after fish and imagined myself in some of the boats coasting along in the distance.  I continued my ride over to Driftwood Beach (which I later found out is supposed to be one of the best locations to watch the sunrise) and biked along the outskirts of the entire island.  It’s good to know the island is dotted with historical and informational signs and markers for those who like to learn while they vacation.  At one point during my ride I stopped to take a dip in the water only to have horseback riders behind me and a couple dolphins swimming along the coastline in front of me.  It was another one of those incredibly peaceful moments.  This trip was continuously putting my soul at ease.  It was also making me think maybe someday I want to live on an island where I can ride my bike everywhere.  Jekyll you may have a new resident after my 30^th!

 Dinner on Jekyll, more bike rides, beautiful sunsets and encounters with special strangers

By the time I got back to my hotel I needed to get ready and go to dinner.  I did not want to miss my chance to watch the sunset on the West side of the Island again.  I grabbed my bike and headed out, I seriously loved riding my bike around the island.  I went to dinner at Latitude 31, however I went to the Rah Bar portion of the restaurant.  I parked at the start of the dock and headed toward the live music.  There was first-come first-serve seating outside, but it was busy and the sunset was starting already so I headed into the bar.  I grabbed a seat with a beautiful view and placed my order right in time to catch another amazing sight- the sun setting over the water.  It was enough for me to decide every year on my birthday I need to watch the sun rise and set.  As I posted on Instagram, it might not always be as beautiful as Jekyll, but it will always be memorable.  It will help remind me of the beauty that surrounds us every day, I just have to take the time to notice.  I also met a kind woman who explained to me the sunset held a lot of “galactic energy” and the earth was “going into the fifth dimension”.  I really wish I would have asked more questions as I feel like people who say things to you randomly at bars usually have some pretty great life advice and interesting views on the world, but instead we just stood and enjoyed the sunset together.  Soooo . . . if any of you would like to share some insight into what the what she was talking about . . . I would LOVE to hear it!

The food was insanely good and it was my first time eating crawdads.  I had to ask the guy (Roy) sitting next to me to show me how you eat them because those little guys are quite intimidating.  He taught me, cracked half open himself, even fed me one or five crawdads and insisted I wash them down with a fruity cocktail.  He said my mussels, shrimp and crawdads should always be eaten with a cold, fruity drink.  While I may disagree, I appreciated his help (and the couple of rounds he bought me).  By this time, the sun as completely tucked away and I decided it was time for me to be too.  At this point I was stuffed, buzzed, happy and ready to get my bike back and get some rest before I had to head out-of-town.

I took a final bike ride in the dark along one of many Jekyll bike paths and felt the beach wind blow through my hair one last time.  I was sad to say goodnight and goodbye to the island.  Jekyll Island is an incredible place.  I look forward to coming back someday, maybe on a vacation with others next time.  I can show them all the island has to offer and we can explore some of the places I wasn’t able to reach in my two days.  My adventure on the island was over, but it was exactly what I needed for the weekend I turned 29 and started this journey.  If all my trips hold up to this one, I will be one lucky girl.