Jekyll Island has layered history beginning with Indigenous peoples who lived along Georgia’s coast for thousands of years. It later became a plantation worked by enslaved Africans during the colonial and antebellum eras. In the late 1800s it became the exclusive Jekyll Island Club retreat for America’s wealthiest industrialists (we are missing the Walkout Wednesday gang). In 1910, it hosted a secret meeting tied to the creation of the Federal Reserve System. Georgia purchased it in 1947, opening as a state park.

The weather during our time on Jekyll Island has been spectacular—plenty of sun, mild temperatures, and steady breezes that have kept most of the bugs at bay. We’ve been staying at the Jekyll Island Campground, which has given us easy access to both a big fishing pier and the beach.

The island’s 22 miles of bike paths have been perfect for exploring at a relaxed pace. The beaches here are mostly hard-packed sand with dramatic tides that shift the shoreline quickly. While we had hoped for more swimming time, the combination of strong tides, occasional shark advisories, and jellyfish sightings made wading more appealing than frolicking in the waves. Still, Driftwood Beach more than made up for it with its striking, sculptural trees and long, wandering walks along the shore.

We also toured the historic Jekyll Island Club, where our guide shared rich stories about the club’s past and the island’s history. One of the most moving stops was the Wanderer Memory Trail along the Jekyll River, marking where the ship Wanderer illegally landed over 160 years ago with more than 400 enslaved Africans.

Otto asked—using his best paw language—to share a message: