Snowbirds Return to Jekyll Island

In our last post, we told readers about our first visit to Jekyll Island on our snowbird trip. At the time we made reservations, we were only able to reserve two nights because Jekyll Island is a very popular location for snowbirds. When our two days were up and we began packing to drive to our next stop in Tampa, we received a call from the manager of the campground there.  We had reserved five nights in the campground, but the manager said he had to cancel the last two nights.  Although he gave me a reason for the cancellation, I never really understood his explanation very clearly.

We were looking forward to the visit to Tampa and a chance to spend some time with old friends, therefore, we decided to go ahead even though our trip would be two days shorter. Before we left Jekyll however, we checked with the reservation clerk on the possibility that we could return after we left Tampa.  Our luck was good, and we obtained a reservation for three days beginning the day we departed Tampa. 

Many of the details of our Tampa stay are in a previous post of Easin’ Along.  We had a great visit with Jack, my college roommate, and his wife, Jewell.  Also, Helen (adorable wife) had a fantastic visit with her lifelong friend Harriet. They spent some time walking the beach and catching up even though they talk frequently.  Later that evening the three of us went to Harriet’s home to watch the Super Bowl…rather, I watched the Super Bowl while they chatted.

By the time we returned to Jekyll Island, the weather had improved considerably.  The temperatures were close to 70 degrees, and the winds had subsided. We received a very convenient campsite close to the showers.  Almost immediately, we witnessed a familiar sight that told us we had returned.  On our earlier stay, we met Bill, a campground volunteer, who came to Jekyll every year to avoid the harsh winters of Akron, Ohio.  Bill was always roaming around the campground and painting everything that needed paint. He loved to chat with campers as much as they enjoyed him. It was good to see Bill back in action.

Our plan for the next day was to go to nearby St. Simons for some sightseeing and to have lunch with Sally, another friend from high school and college days who just happened to be visiting her daughter in the area. St. Simons is very charming, and we were eager to explore after lunch. We met Sally at Barbara Jeans in the heart of the historic part of town.

Barbara Jeans is famous for crab cakes, and Helen couldn’t wait to order. Sally joined her.  Both agreed that they were some of the best. I decided to try the She-crab soup and was glad I did. The portion was large, and the soup was thick, creamy, and awesome. It was so good; I can’t remember what else I ate with it, probably a fish sandwich. The conversation was as good as the meal which we enjoyed greatly, but it soon was time to walk off lunch. We exchanged hugs with Sally as she left to rejoin her daughter.

Although the streets were busy, the weather was delightful, and it was a great day for walking through this charming seaside village.  A short fishing pier at the edge of town gave us a view of the St. Simons Lighthouse, built in 1872 to replace the original lighthouse built in 1810 and destroyed in the Civil War.  This lighthouse still serves as an aid to navigation and can be seen as far as 23 miles out to sea. A Lighthouse Museum sits adjacent to the structure and maintains artifacts relevant to the history of St. Simons.

The day after our trip through St. Simons was a day to take a break from our furious pace (chuckle). A quick glance at the activities board for the Jekyll Island campground told us that there were many choices available if we needed something to do, but with beautiful skies overhead, we wanted to visit Driftwood Beach one last time to search for shells and soak up some sun. We knew that winter awaited us back home.

Driftwood Beach offered very few shells worth keeping, but it was delightful to be there nonetheless. We resolved to keep Jekyll Island Campground on our list of Best Places to Snowbird, and vowed that we would start earlier to secure reservations for next year. It should be noted that the marsh is a lovely as the beach, and one could sit and enjoy the view and the birds for hours on end.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.  A phone call informing us of canceled reservations ultimately resulted in a stroke of good fortune. Our return stay at Jekyll Island represents precisely our vision of retirement in the years, months, and days leading up to it.  We’re enjoying a wonderful life at a leisurely pace with just enough activity to keep us…Easin’ Along.  Thanks for coming along with us.