History Comes to Life in Coastal Georgia
Published Aug 21, 2008
Historic Glynn County Courthouse is a Coastal Georgia treasure.
From historic forts and haunted sidewalks to barrier islands, pristine beaches and the marshes of Glynn County, Coastal Georgia is overflowing with cultural, historic and recreational attractions to suit any visitor’s imagination and wallet.
“This is the sort of place you can come back to again and again and build some real family memories,” says Bill Tipton, executive director of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Golden Isles include St. Simons, Little St. Simons, Sea and Jekyll islands. Jekyll Island is home to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, a rehabilitation, research and education facility that opened in 2007 and is dedicated to the endangered maritime species.
The 104-foot St. Simons Lighthouse – the second on the site after the first was destroyed during the Civil War – dates to 1872 and is one of five historic lighthouses on Georgia’s coast.
The Maritime Center at Historic Coast Guard Station offers the chance to learn about the preservation of Georgia’s barrier islands.
History buffs will find no shortage of attractions at every turn in Coastal Georgia. Seven forts offer glimpses of history from the last years of the British colonies through the Revolutionary War to the Civil War and beyond.
Fort McAllister in Bryan County is on the bank of the Great Ogeechee River and features a sand and earthwork fortification that withstood seven Union attacks and did not fall until the fort’s capture in 1864.
Savannah, Georgia’s oldest city, radiates Southern charm, from its architecture and blooming magnolias to activities such as horse-drawn carriage rides on cobble-stoned streets and Low Country cuisine served in eateries along historic River Street. Named America’s Most Haunted City by the American Institute of Parapsychology, Savannah is also well known for its ghost and cemetery tours.
The Pirates’ House, a famous Savannah restaurant, was actually a tavern frequented by pirates who sailed the Caribbean in 1794, says Erica Backus, director of public relations for the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Events at the Pirates’ House inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, she says.
By driving 20 minutes east of Savannah through a few miles of wide sky and salt marshes, visitors can find Tybee Island, one of the 14 barrier islands that shields Georgia’s coastline.
Georgia Southern University in Statesboro offers a trio of attractions. The Georgia Southern Museum features a number of natural history exhibits including the mosasaur, a 78-million-year-old, 26-foot-long fossil skeleton of a marine carnivore that once lived in the waters of Coastal Georgia.
The 11-acre Georgia Southern Botanical Garden puts the cultural and natural heritage of the region on display while the Georgia Southern Performing Arts Center stages everything from Broadway touring shows to dance companies to country music acts.
The Golden Isles are home to a bevy of renowned resorts including The Cloister, Jekyll Island Club Hotel, and King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort. The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island offers a private getaway and a chance to book the entire island for up to 30 people.
“It offers a multitude of ways to experience its wonders, from walking on the beach and seeing no other person to tours with one of the island’s knowledgeable naturalists,” Tipton says.
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Todd Bennett
Current Weather Conditions In Brunswick, GA (31520)
Mostly Cloudy, and 62 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
