John

Driftwood Beach: Jekyll Island’s Northern Tree Necropolis

On the northern end of Jekyll Island lies a tranquil beach where weathered aesthetics combine with a haunting sense of desolation along the shoreline from the Atlantic Ocean to St. Simons Sound. That long stretch of water’s edge is known locally as Driftwood Beach. Driftwood Beach is a must-see for anyone visiting Jekyll Island. Named for the countless expired trees scattered along the shores, Driftwood Beach presents coastal explorers with a thousand photo opportunities and memorable vistas, all from a single location off North Beachview Drive. The arborous decor protruding from the sand also creates a ligneous labyrinth for beach explorers to navigate their way through, around, under and over. The driftwood environment is the result

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Coastal Christmas to Do List: St. Augustine Nights of Lights

The unseasonable warmth in north Florida may have holiday travelers worried the coast forgot about December, but don’t let the recent heat wave fool you: it’s still the holiday season on the Florida coast. If you’re planning a coastal trip to wrap up your 2015, consider stopping by St. Augustine to check out their annual Nights of Lights. Lighting up the palm trees and coquina structures lining Florida’s historic coast, the St. Augustine Nights of Lights holiday event is currently underway. Going on now through January 31st, 2016, the event is a must-see for any traveler making their way to St. Augustine,

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Things to Do This Fall in Daytona Beach, Florida

The 2015 summer season may be one for the history books, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do on the Atlantic coast – especially in Daytona Beach. Daytona Beach has three seasons already on lockdown: the biggest race in NASCAR, the Daytona 500, takes place in February each year, Bike Week hits beachfront asphalt for a full week of springtime cruisin’ in March, and summer is reserved for lazy days, catching waves and playing on the powdery white sands of the coastal strip. But what about fall in Daytona Beach? Luckily there are plenty of activities you may have overlooked when considering your

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Things to Do on Jekyll Island: Weekend of May 15th – May 17th, 2015

If you’re looking for something fun, exciting, and educational to do this weekend on Jekyll Island, then you should have no trouble filling up your itinerary. The Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl and NestFest kicks off this Friday, May 15th, with events that mark the official beginning of this year’s sea turtle season across the Atlantic coast’s Golden Isles. The annual Turtle Crawl Triathlon is just one event being held this weekend, with races designed to accommodate all ages and levels of runners, from triathletes and serious competitors to casual 5K’ers and weekend racers.   Another exciting event taking place on Jekyll

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Inside Amelia Island’s Fort Clinch

A visit to Amelia Island would be incomplete without taking time out from the beach to visit the island’s northernmost tourist attraction: Fort Clinch. A masonry fortification that was originally designed to protect the states from coastal invaders along a key maritime corridor at the Florida-Georgia line, Fort Clinch is well-known for protecting Union soldiers from their own southern countrymen during the Civil War in lieu of foreign threats. Today the fort stands as a reminder of the division between the states during the mid-19th century, as well as a place of solemn reflection upon the great lengths our forefathers went through to protect this

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Peacemaker Sails into Saint Marys

The city of St. Marys, Georgia welcomed the arrival of the Peacemaker ship last week as she made her way toward her weeklong home, docking south of Langs Marina on the St. Marys River from January 25th to February 1st. The Peacemaker – a tall, wooden barquentine ship that hearkens to the sea-dwelling vessels of centuries past – took a one-week hiatus from her scheduled route down the coast of Florida before making her way toward her next stop in Mobile, Alabama, on the Gulf of Mexico. The Peacemaker is unique in more ways than its traditional construction and ambiguous appearance, including a crew

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Sunrise in St. Marys (video)

Catching the early morning sun on its upward ascent while breaking above Amelia Island southeast of St. Marys is one of the many wintertime perks of living on the Georgia coast. From late spring to fall’s end in St. Marys, sunrises are limited to the north end of town and, barring access to a boat, are impossible to appreciate from Waterfront Park. However, if you can make your way to the North River/East Meeting Street boat ramp during the warm seasons, you’ll be sure to catch a breathtaking sunrise emerging from Cumberland Island to the east. Seeing the sunrise over the Atlantic belongs on everyone’s

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