Savannah GA downtown waterfront

Two highways parallel the Georgia coast -- Interstate 95, for the traveler in a hurry to get from one location to another, and US Highway 17, a less-traveled byway that zigzags through the history of the region. It also zigzags across I-95 four times along those one hundred miles. So it does not matter whether you travel from the north or south, or if you start in the middle, the important thing is to arrive and enjoy this special place, the Georgia Coast.

Take it from the top -- Savannah

Savannah GA Johnson Square

You know you are entering Georgia when you cross the Savannah River. What can sound more Southern than a river and a city called Savannah? The best place to start is the Historic District of Savannah, which has been restored and preserved. Founded in 1733, the historic district contains about 2.2 square miles of significant buildings. Do not miss the “squares” scattered throughout the district. The squares are park-like settings at many intersections. Each commemorates an outstanding person or event in Savannah’s history. The city’s founder, James Oglethorpe, laid the squares out in his original plan for the city as social gathering places and as central areas for fortifications. Large live oaks draped with Spanish moss line the historic district’s streets creating a picturesque atmosphere.

Savannah’s waterfront is one of the most popular attractions in the city. It has restaurants, specialty shops, and arts and crafts galleries. The buildings along River Street were for years deteriorating cotton warehouses that in the late 1700s was the bustling economic center of Savannah.

The Visitor Center is the restored 1860s Central Georgia Railroad Station and now houses the Savannah History Museum. From the visitor center make your plans for tours to the historic district and the waterfront by one of the varied methods -- carriage, bus, or by car.

Tybee Island is located on the Atlantic Ocean about eighteen miles east of Savannah. One of many islands along Georgia’s coast, it is one of the oldest resorts in Georgia. It is a pleasant seaside community with excellent beach access. The center point of Tybee Island is the famous lighthouse and the museum on its grounds Make plans to visit the lighthouse, but check the schedules -- it is closed on Tuesdays.

Moving on down -- Midway and Darien

Barba Negra at Savannah GA

To leave Savannah, both highways US 17 and I-16 (back to I-95) can be reached from M.L. King Boulevard near the Visitor Center. The town of Midway, just off I-95 and on Highway 17, is about thirty miles south of Savannah and about twenty-nine miles north of Darien, the next stop down I-95. A pleasant byway along I-95 is the Midway Church, Cemetery and Museum. The building was originally built in 1756

as a Puritan meetinghouse. During the Revolutionary War it was burned but was rebuilt in 1792.

Darien GA shrimping fleet

Darien is one of most picturesque villages along the Georgia coast and is just east of the I-95 Exit 10 on US 17. Also located in McIntosh County is Sapelo Island, one of a string of barrier islands along the coast. Sapelo is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and can be toured by guided tram. The ferry to Sapelo Island only operates on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and part of the year on Friday’s.

Brunswick and the Golden Isles

Lighthouse St Simons near Brunswick GA

Brunswick is the gateway to the getaway barrier islands of Jekyl, St. Simons, and Little St. Simons. Little St. Simons is privately owned and accommodates a limited number of guests annually. It is noted for its serenity and undisturbed beauty. The Brunswick Marina is situated on a bay accessible to the Atlantic and many shrimp boats dock there in the afternoons making a unique photo opportunity.

St. Simons Island has much to offer visitors. Plenty of access to the beach, golf courses, a fishing pier, a lighthouse, and several historic landmarks. The 1872 St. Simons Lighthouse is 104 feet and is the home of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. Also on St. Simons Island are the Fort Frederica National Monument, built in 1736 by James Oglethorpe, and the site of the Battle of the Bloody Marsh, a 1742 clash between British and Spanish troops during the Spanish invasion of Georgia.

Tours of the Jekyl Island Historic District are informative on the island’s rich past and are conducted from trams, horse-drawn carriage or by foot. Jekyl Island was the residence of wealthy visitors who used the island for winter homes. Sunbathing, boating, tennis, horseback riding, and golf are among the favorite outdoor activities on Jekyl Island.

Kingsland and Cumberland Island

The last exit on I-95 before leaving Georgia gives the opportunity to see the historic town of St. Mary’s, Cumberland Island, Kingsland, and the Okefenokee Swamp. St. Mary’s is the southeastern-most town in Georgia. Orange Hall, the Welcome Center and Museum, is also the centerpiece of the St. Mary’s. Across the street from Orange Hall is the First Presbyterian Church, built in 1808, and is the second oldest church in Georgia. At the end of town is the waterfront where the Cumberland Island Ferry

takes passengers to the barrier island which is the home of many free-roaming wild horses, the Plum Orchard, a 1898 mansion built by the Carnegie family, and the Greyfield Inn, built in 1901 by the Carnegie’s and today is an operating inn in the spectacular setting of the barrier island.

Kingsland is located west of St. Mary’s across I-95 at the junction of State Highway 40 and US 17. The historic district of Kingsland is being revitalized and includes architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.

The Last Stop -- The Okefenokee Swamp

The Okefenokee Swamp is a landmark in southeastern Georgia. The swamp contains 438,000 acres, of which 396,000 makes up the largest national wildlife refuge in the eastern United States. The main East entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp is eleven miles southwest of Folkston, Georgia. To get there from Kingsland, use State Highway 40, and travel west for twenty-one miles. In Folkston take State Highway 23/121 for approximately seven miles. The directional signs are good.

There are numerous activities available at the Okefenokee Swamp for visitors. Springtime is a favorite time for canoeing in the swamp because the water levels are higher. To portage a canoe in the swamp is not very inviting (except for the alligators). At the East entrance boat tours into the swamp and a nine-mile-loop auto tour are popular.

Summary

Now what do you think when you hear mention of the Georgia coast? Beaches. Picturesque squares and River Street in Savannah, shrimp boats along Darien’s harbor, the Golden Isles of Brunswick, wild horses of Cumberland Island, the Okefenokee Swamp. But you will think of the Georgia coast in that way only if you visit it.

For more information:

http://www.gacoast.com/

Visitors Centers:

Savannah Area Convention & Visitor Bureau

222 West Oglethorpe Avenue, P. O. Box 1628

Savannah, GA 31402-1628

1-912-944-0456

www.savcvb.com

E-Mail: cvb@savga.com

McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce

P. O. Box 1497

Darien, GA 31305

1-912-437-6684

E-mail: mcintosh@mcintoshcounty.com

Brunswick and The Golden Isles Visitor Bureau

4 Glynn Avenue

Brunswick, GA 31520

1-800-933-COAST

http://www.bgislesvisitorsb.com

St. Mary’s Tourism Council

P. O. Box 1291

St. Mary’s, GA 31558

1-800-868-8687

http://www.gacoast.com/navigator/stmarys.html

Kingsland Convention and Visitors Bureau

P. O. Box 1928

Kingsland, GA 31548

1-800-433-0225