Hofwyl-Broadfield, part 2

Did I mention that it was a rice plantation?

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation

Not far from Darien is the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation. When I first saw the word "Hofwyl" I figured it had to be Welsh, but in fact it's Swiss. The original name of the property was Broadface, which was bought by a man named Brailford, who changed it to Broadfield. (Are we in tongue-twister territory yet?) Brailford's son-in-law Troup was the next owner, then his daughter lived there with her husband Dent. It was the Dents who put the final imprint or "dent" on the place, although it's really the trees who set the tone and steal the show on this land. In any case Mr. Dent added the "Hofwyl" part in honor of the school he attended in Switzerland.

The Wharf

We decided to consider dinner options on Jekyll Island. With a view of the East River as a side dish and shrimp salad and fries as a main dish, it seemed that The Wharf was the right choice for us. There is still some debate as to whether the view was better than the food.

Jekyll Island Club

I had heard about this grand old storied historic hotel, where the Federal Reserve banking system was conceived in 1910. It was fun to roam around it and get a feel for it as a historic building and hotel, where nowadays anyone can stay. In addition to the sprawling hotel itself, there are numerous cottages and outbuildings.

 

the Horton-duBignon House

Continuing our journey around Jekyll Island, we passed this historic shell of a house, built of solid tabby in 1743 by Major William Horton of the British army. This makes it the oldest surviving house in the state of Georgia. On the same property the major brewed the state's first beer. The house was later occupied for many years by the duBignon family, who apparently owned all of Jekyll Island up until 1886.

Driftwood Beach, part 2

This is what happens when, over time, a coastal forest gets reclaimed by the sea. The skeletons are actually from pine and oak trees, some of which are estimated to be hundreds of years old.

 

Driftwood Beach

We stumbled upon the famous Driftwood Beach, not realizing it was a destination. Apparently Jekyll Islanders have been enjoying strolls through this impressive graveyard of oak tree skeletons for a long time, and yet no one bothered to tell me about it. The beach looks out on St. Simonds Island and the Atlantic Ocean.