Things to Do in Saint Marys

On Jekyll Island, waves lick the 10 miles of beaches as kayaks cut through the salty water, cyclists roll over 20 miles of paved trails, and riders on horseback clop through hushed maritime forests. All visitors to the barrier island can partake in myriad active, relaxing, or educational activities while immersed in its lush natural landscapes, where dunes give way to beaches filled with hermit crabs and shell collecting and where birders clutch binoculars to examine avian habitats and decode gulls' sign language. The island's public golf club, open since 1898, hosts two 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course on manicured greens and rolling terrain. In the summer, the Summer Waves Water Park provides a cool escape from the heat with six slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. For indoor adventurers, exhibits at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center illuminate the lives of the shelled reptiles, and a museum preserves relics of the wealthy families who used the island as their gilded getaway and a place to bury their expired money. The Jekyll Island Authority oversees all conservation and development on the idyllic island, existing to continually improve the park and its amenities.

Allowing for occasional naps in a plush theater armchair or across a leather bowling lounge, it's conceivable that you could stay within Latitude 30's 50,000-square-foot entertainment emporium for days without falling victim to boredom. The roar of the crowd fills a 100-seat sports theater as fans track the main event on the 12.5-foot jumbotron, taking advantage of commercial breaks to eye the 13 surrounding HD screens and keep up with the scores of important football games and spelling bees. At CineGrille, another vast HD screen plays current adventure flicks and romantic comedies as guests enjoy legroom fit for a very tall king. Meanwhile, waitstaff quietly delivers an extensive menu of prime rib kebab, pizza, and gourmet burgers.

For more active entertainment, pins thunder in the 20-lane bowling alley, and at the arcade, players compete on big-screen video games or work redemption games to win prizes ranging from Legos to PlayStations. Colored lights spill across comedians, musical acts, and DJs at the Vegas–inspired Latitude Live before the Axis Bar keeps the party going with drinks and dancing.