Georgia's 100 miles of coastline offers many treasured views. Here are four worth taking in

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4 days ago

One thing Georgians don't take for granted is the more than 100 miles of coastline, fringed with spartina grass, where land meets sea in saltwater marshes.
Of the state's 15 barrier islands—from Cumberland Island on the south to Tybee Island on the north—only four are accessible by car. The rest remain minimally developed and largely wild, protected as state and national preserves with pristine beaches where sea turtles return each summer to lay their eggs, the heavy limbs of hundreds of years-old oaks bow gracefully toward the ground, and the nation's fraught history and equally hopeful ideals swirl in the brackish eddies where salt and fresh water collide.
This is part of a new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking―and perhaps, underappreciated―views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas and hidden gems you can truly treasure.
[ Most Treasured Views in America: National | West | South | Middle America | Northeast ]
From the busy Savannah River to the sun-bleached boneyards of old growth maritime forests, these four views are unmatched along the Eastern Seaboard―and all are within a day's drive if you live in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama or Florida.
A short hike through scrubby marsh and undulating dunes leads to one of Georgia's most breathtaking sites: a sculpture garden handcrafted over centuries by wind, salt and water. Jekyll Island's Driftwood Beach is the final resting place of live oaks and other trees that were around when Gilded Age families with names like Vanderbilt and Rockefeller 'wintered' at the exclusive Jekyll Island Club. Once tethered to the uplands, beach erosion and storms have liberated them from their sentinels, tossing them in gnarled heaps along the north end of the island where tides both soften and harden their resolve. The best time to visit this special place and take in the stunning views is at dawn, just as a fiery sun appears on the horizon; its reflection melting into the Atlantic. The view is both haunting and awe-inspiring, and because it changes daily, it is a reminder that all things—memory, time, stuff—are impermanent.
Buy a photo: Purchase select prints of Driftwood Beach and other treasured views
Things to Do: Ride bikes across the miles of trails that traverse the island, taking you from the grandeur of the Club to the peaceful sounds of tides along the shore; visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center where endangered Loggerheads, Leatherbacks, Green and Kemps-Ridley sea turtles get their strength back to be released into the ocean; take a kayak tour with the guides at the Tidelands Nature Center; then, cool off at Summer Waves Water Park.
Cost: Daily parking passes, $10
Details: I-95 to US-17 to the Jekyll Island Causeway to the northernmost end of Beach View Drive. Pull into a small sandy parking area on the west side of the road across from an unmarked trail, jekyllisland.com/activities/beaches/driftwood-beach
Like an Arch of Sabers, 400-plus oaks line the 1.5-mile road at the entrance of Wormsloe State Historic site, the former colonial-era estate of Noble Jones, a carpenter who traveled with Gen. James Oglethorpe in 1733 at the founding of Savannah. The tabby ruin of Jones's plantation is the oldest standing structure in Savannah. Most of the trees along the allée, called the Avenue of Oaks, date to the 1800s. Some of the trees are even older. But one of Savannah's most iconic and photographed views was in danger of disappearing until, in 2021, the Savannah Tree Foundation and the Rotary Club of Savannah partnered to plant 75 healthy oaks in place of those that had been lost to disease, storms and degradation due to car exhaust and other pollutants. Now, brides and nervous guys staging proposals will continue to have the picture-perfect backdrop of their dreams.
Things to Do: Grab (and split) a heaping roast beef sandwich and some black and white cookies from Rocky's NY Deli & Italian Catering in nearby Sandly; drive to 45 Diamond Causeway and have a picnic at Butterbean Beach, between the fabled Moon River and Skidaway River; stop in at Pin Point Heritage Museum, in the former A.S. Varn & Son Oyster and Crab Factory to learn more about coastal Georgia's rich Gullah-Geechee culture.
Admission: Adults (18-61), $12; Seniors (62+), $9; Youth (6-17), $5.75; Children under 6, $3.25
Details: Open Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (except Thanksgiving and Christmas); 7601 Skidway Road, Savannah, Ga.; 912-353-3023, gastateparks.org/Wormsloe
Due South: These are some of the most breathtaking views in the South. Take in our top picks
Meat Sweats: Ride with us as we sample some of Coastal Georgia's best barbecue joints
At eating and drinking establishments along the Savannah River's working waterfront, a ritual takes place every time one of the massive container ships makes its way to the port with the aid of a local pilot. Guests who dine in former cotton warehouses and carriage shops raise their glasses in salute and take another sip. When traffic is heavy, it's hard not to get tipsy. But the grit of weathered ships that have voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean and the grace with which they maneuver the narrow river channel is a site to behold and worthy of respect. The freighters' loud horns echo the past, anchor the present, and call to the future—reminders that Savannah's arms have been open to the world since its beginnings and that its future is tethered, in part, to some distant spot on the horizon.
Things to Do: On the one hand, you can explore the ancient and exotic at Plant Riverside District where dinosaur fossils hang out with massive geodes and crystals. You can catch a concert, browse baubles, dine waterside or sip near an Electric Moon. On the other hand, you can stroll the river walk to The Thompson Hotel for a pop-up dinner at Fleeting before a nightcap up on the roof at Bar Julian.
Admission: Free and open to the public at all hours
Details: Anywhere along River Street in downtown Savannah between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on the west and Eastern Wharf on the east, savannahswaterfront.com
The Forsyth Park Fountain has witnessed countless first kisses, prom group photos, proposals, elopements, buskers and en plein air artists more than any other Savannah, Georgia, landmark. To say it has played an important role in Savannahians' lives is an understatement. The elegant cast iron fountain, ordered from a catalog in the mid-1800s, was patterned after the one at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Covered with acanthus leaves, swans and tritons send falls of waters into a pool of that turns green every St. Patrick's Day. Visitors to Georgia's First City make their pilgrimage to the fountain and snap selfies with it to prove they were here. But they may lose their way in the coming months, when the city of Savannah will send the fountain off for some much-needed TLC—its first restoration in nearly 40 years.
Things to Do: On Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., more than 30 purveyors of fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-fed beef and pastured pork, cage-free eggs and fresh-baked goods line up on the south end of the park for the Forsyth Farmers Market; the Sentient Bean on Park Avenue serves up coffees, teas and vegetarian lunches and breakfasts; right next door at Brighter Day Natural Foods, pick up vitamins and a baked cheese sandwich with fresh avocado; and if you're still around at 4 p.m., grab a beer at American Legion Post 135, near the birthplace of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.
Admission: Free and open to the public at all hours
Details: North end of Forsyth Park at the intersection of Gaston and Bull streets, visitsavannah.com/list/5-fun-facts-about-the-forsyth-park-fountain
Amy Paige Condon is a content coach, editor and reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at [e-mail]. Richard Burkhart is the visual journalist for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Enchanting excursions along Georgia coast with breathtaking views