The
southern islands
are the most developed, largely due to
JEKYLL ISLAND
, originally bought in 1887 for use as an exclusive "club" by a group of millionaires, among them the Rockefellers, Pulitzers, Macys and Vanderbilts, whose opulent residences are still standing, though in a perpetual state of refurbishment. There's a small
Welcome Center
on the causeway, but the
museum orientation center
(daily 9am-5pm; tel 912/635-4036) gives a more useful overview of the island's history and runs guided tours on the hour of the mansions for $10; to get there, turn left after paying the toll, then head along Riverview Drive onto Stable Road. It's in the middle of the "historic district" that centers on the
Radisson
, the original club building, which is now the
Jekyll Island Club
(tel 912/635-2600, fax 912/635-2818,
; $130-160). There are plenty of
accommodation
options strung along Beachview Drive next to the ocean: the
Ramada
, at no. 150 S Beachview Drive (tel 912/635-2111 or 1-800/835-2110, fax 912/635-2758; $75-100), has ocean views and a big Georgia-shaped pool. There's a
campground
a little further north (tel 912/635-3021; $13), near the nesting sites of loggerhead turtles.
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