Celebrating 2013!

A trip to celebrate the coming of a new year with my bank travel club has become a tradition with me.  Last year it was Palm Springs, CA, with its 80 year old "show girls."

The year before?  Also California.  Will I ever allow you to forget the Rose Bowl Parade?

So...where was I this year?  At a place I'd never even heard of before--the Jekyll Island Club on Jekyll Island in Georgia!

    
  

To get to Jekyll Island we flew into Jacksonville, FL, and traveled by van for less than hour, then over a causeway to the island.  Only about 1200 people live on the very small island--about 7 miles long by 2 miles wide.  The hotel is very old but beautifully refurbished and maintained.  Here is my room and my view.

The sunset in that second picture was spectacular, but my camera refused to capture it!  It was every shade of pink to orange to very red!  It is said that the sunsets on Jekyll Island viewed through the Spanish moss hanging on the ancient trees like these, are like a kaleidoscope.

Jekyll Island constantly reminded me of "Downton Abbey."  The homes were not as grand, but these were actually just summer "cottages" of the rich and famous.  Here was one of the cottages, owned by Rockerfellers.

This cottage originally had 19 bathrooms!  Why?  Because it was owned by the Crane Family--of Crane Plumbing Fixtures!  First picture snapped from side through beautiful hedge.  We had dinner here one night.

 Here I am waiting for...

...our delightful (but very cold) carriage ride around the massive, shady grounds of the hotel.  We were worried about our horse, Daisy, who had to pull all 12 of us by herself for an hour.  But she did great!

We were shuttled to the nearby beach.

We relaxed and rocked on the hotel verandah.

Since I am such a lover of all creatures great and small, I visited this center, which is on the grounds of the hotel. 

We visited nearby St. Simons Island via this trolley:

As we approached this bridge, there was a yellow sign which said, "Warning: Terrapin (turtle) crossing next 4 miles!  I wasn't quick enough to get a picture.

Then it was the big occasion:  New Year's Eve!  We had a lovely 5 course dinner in the Grand Dining Room of the hotel, then walked a short distance to the Morgan Center for music and (watching) dancing.

Our fearless leader, Kay Baker, took more pictures than I did, but I couldn't wait to post the ones I have!  We were quite proud of ourselves.  Eight of us made it to midnight.  More pics later to prove it! 

And here's my favorite, taken in my hall on New Year's day, which I title, "The Party's Over!"  One lone lifeless balloon!

Then on New Year's Day we had a fabulous brunch in the Grand Dining Room with everything imaginable on the menu.   

HAPPY NEW YEAR!