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COMBING THE SHORE

From the cobblestone streets of Savannah to quiet beaches, marshes, and swamps, coastal Georgia is a varied destination that’s simply peachy to travelers in the know. Stretching about 100 miles between the Savannah and St. Marys rivers, Georgia's coastline offers days of exploration opportunities.

With Interstate 95 running parallel and just inland, coastal Georgia is easily accessible to those traveling by car. In addition, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and the Jacksonville International Airport make flying into the area and renting a vehicle another easy way to start coasting, Georgia.

Savannah Start

The city of Savannah might be known for the bestselling book and follow-up feature film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but the city's all good when it comes to welcoming visitors, who've been coming for the better part of nearly 300 years.

Having crossed the Atlantic from Gravesend, England in 1733, James Edward Oglethorpe and 114 colonists arrived at Yamacraw Bluff on the Savannah River to found America's 13th colony, which would be called Georgia. Oglethorpe designed the basic layout for Savannah with a system of 24 squares for public use (22 still exist), making it America's first planned city.

From the start, Savannah was an important seaport, sending agriculture and American Indian products to England. Wet rice culture was prevalent early, but cotton soon became king. For nearly a century, trading in the Cotton Exchange on Savannah's waterfront set world cotton prices.

More than 1,200 varied restored structures rated historically and architecturally significant lie within a small 2.2-square-mile area. Walking is the best way to sightsee and learn a bit of history, whether strolling the Historic District, the cobblestone Riverfront area, or bustling City Market (great shopping and restaurants). Of course, Savannah also offers tours by bike, carriage, trolley, bus, boat and Segway. After getting a general overview of the city, visitors can head over to River Street, a nine-block plaza facing the Savannah River, to peruse the shops and galleries and get a bite to eat at a pub, or tuck in a true Southern-style meal at Savannah darling Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons.

Beach lovers will enjoy nearby Tybee Island, which provides a perfect introduction to island life along Georgia’s coast. Tybee’s lighthouse is among five beacons along Georgia’s coast and it’s open to the public (along with those on Sapelo Island and St. Simons Island).

Savannah boasts seven house museums; a maritime museum; two living history attractions; several area forts; the Intracoastal Waterway and rivers; nearby beaches, marshes and barrier islands; and more than 100 annual events, including house and garden tours and food festivals. Background films and exhibitions at the Savannah History Museum and the Massie Heritage Interpretive Center give tourists an idea of where to go, but they should plan to stay several nights; Savannah can't be seen in a day.

Brunswick and the Golden Isles

Located south of Savannah and conveniently near I-95, Brunswick and the Golden Isles provide a varied getaway. With small town charm, wide beaches and 216 holes of award-winning golf--America's first golf club was established in Savannah in 1794--this part of the Georgia coast also deserves several days of exploration.

The residential Old Town Historic District in quaint Brunswick is ideal for a walking tour: Visitors will find antique shops, art galleries, and several restaurants (including famed Brunswick stew and fresh shrimp). The town’s waterfront is home to a fleet of shrimp boats that work the local waters, as well as a host of information on the foursome of Golden Isles out in the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

Sea Island, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and Little St. Simons Island each have their own character. The legendary Cloister on Sea Island recently underwent a $500 million renovation and is now better than ever as a base for all Sea Island's charms, including beaches, boating, fishing, championship golf, tennis, horseback riding, a shooting school and a world-class spa.

St. Simons Island is the largest of the Golden Isles, with streets lined with moss-draped oaks and several great beaches. The Village offers shopping and dining, while attractions such as Neptune Park (including mini-golf, a fishing pier and more) lure children and adults alike. Also noteworthy are the Fort Frederica National Monument--the fort, now in ruins, was built by James Oglethorpe--and historic Christ Church, built in 1883. The new Maritime Museum at the historic Coast Guard Station has seven galleries and lots of hands-on education about coastal Georgia’s natural assets.

Jekyll Island highlights include beaches, bike paths, Summer Waves Water Park and the Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District, where visitors can get a glimpse of the lifestyle of America’s wealthiest families during the Victorian era. Jekyll Island will also host the new Georgia Sea Turtle Center, scheduled to open this summer. The $3 million facility is dedicated to the rehabilitation and preservation of endangered sea turtles and is the only one of its kind between coastal South Carolina and Florida.

Private Little St. Simons Island is accessible only by a twice-daily ferry from Hampton Point on St. Simons. The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island was built in the early-1900s by the same family who owns and operates it today. Lucky visitors can enjoy nature walks, canoeing and kayaking, horseback riding and more.

Barrier Beauties

Several other Georgia barrier islands are accessible only by boat, but they're well worth the effort taken to get there.

Cumberland Island National Seashore is a beautiful barrier island choice. The 17.5-mile-long island is well-known for its wild horses, beaches, birding, salt marshes and historic structures. The National Park Visitor Center and ferry dock are located on the waterfront in St. Marys.

To the north of the Golden Isles, Sapelo Island features a restored lighthouse, as well as Reynolds Plantation; direct descendents of African slaves carry on their cultural traditions in nearby Hog Hammock. Sapelo Island is accessible by ferry from Meridian.

Swampland Sights

Just a bit inland, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is still considered part of the coastal environment, with 402,000 acres of swampland and unique ecosystems.

Included among the array of interpretive facilities at the refuge are guided or unguided activities on boat tours and rentals, observation towers and boardwalks. The park also has several lodging options. Several annual festivals focus on the Okefenokee, including Swamp Fest in Waycross in April and Folkston’s Okefenokee Festival each October. The 264-mile Okefenokee Trail is open year-round to drivers looking for an overview of the Okefenokee fauna by car.

Winged wildlife is also a coastal Georgia delight. Running about 100 miles in all, the Colonial Coast Birding Trail features 18 unique sites along the shore, salt marshes, swamps, old rice fields, and more, with more than 300 possible species sightings.

Train Reign

Along with being the gateway to the Okefenokee Swamp, Folkston is also known as the home of the Folkston Funnel. As many as 60 trains pass through town on any given day along the double tracks of Folkston to and from Florida.

Train aficionados will appreciate Folkston’s covered viewing platform, complete with lights, fans, and a scanner. Across the tracks, the restored Folkston depot houses a small museum.

Many Folkston folks also recommend making tracks to Savannah’s Roundhouse Railroad Museum, America’s oldest and largest existing 19th century rail complex. Across the street, the historic Central of Georgia passenger depot now serves as the Savannah Visitors Center.

Cultural Cornucopia

Centuries of rich African-American history are kept alive along coastal Georgia, and  several stops convenient to I-95 make for fascinating cultural viewpoints.

Seabrook Village in Midway is a living history museum chronicling post-Civil War life in a town of freed slaves. Nearby, in Riceboro, the Geechee Kunda Cultural Arts Center is dedicated to the preservation of the Gullah Geechee heritage in Georgia. The Gullah Geechee people are descendents of West African slaves brought to the Georgia coast to work on rice plantations. Baskets woven out of sweetgrass and palmetto leaves are a beautiful tradition--and a memorable souvenir from a coastal Georgia trip.

Other options where direct descendents carry on their culture include communities such as Hog Hammock, Brunswick's Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation and Sapelo Island’s aforementioned Reynolds Plantation. In addition, Savannah’s Ralph Gilbert Civil Rights Museum and the First African Baptist Church both provide interesting cultural stops.

Planning Your Trip

For information on touring coastal Georgia, visit www.visitcoastalgeorgia.com or contact a AAA travel adviser.