Jekyll Island, GA

As I'm heading back to Charlotte from Gainesville, I broke up the drive by visiting Jekyll Island, a very quiet place and just what I needed.  I rented a bike and pedaled around the island, stopping at various points of interest.  The most interesting was called Driftwood Beach, full of fallen live oak trees that were slowly being turned into sculptural elements on the beach.  Truly a remarkable experience.  The other highlight was a visit to the Sea Turtle sanctuary where they are studying the sea turtles and rehabilitating those they find sick on the beach.  Apparently, Jekyll Island is the spawning ground for a host of different sea turtles and the research they do goes a long way in protecting them from their many predators, including humans.  There are a lot of interactive exhibits, geared towards educating children, as well as adults.

Flipper, a baby sea turtle