Sat, Mar 24, 2007

By MARY STARR
and JOSH MESSER
The Brunswick News

For Bob and Jane Dumphy of Washington, D.C., Jekyll Island is the place to be.

It's not Myrtle Beach, S.C., where one will find row after row of high-rise hotels, an endless stream of traffic and enough noise to wake Canada.

That's not what the Dumphys are looking for – not by a longshot.

The main attraction for them is the peace and quiet they find on Jekyll Island.

They are quick to tell anyone that the island's appeal is the fact that it is less developed than other beach destinations along the Atlantic seaboard.

"There's just a lot of undisturbed land here," said Jane Dumphy, who had lodgings at the Beachview Club with her husband. "It's beautiful."

Bob Dumphy said he and his wife have never been big fans of crowded beaches or huge resorts.

Others are drawn to Jekyll Island for the same reason, including Michael Berry. The retired pharmacist from Rhode Island, preferring the campground and his recreational vehicle to staying in hotels, enjoys his visit to the island.

"Jekyll is unique. It's different," he said. "It's not very developed. There's a lot of it that's been left to nature."

Berry, who has been vacationing on Jekyll Island since 2001, and the Dumphys are among the thousands of in-state and out-of-state tourists who visit Jekyll Island and the rest of the Golden Isles each spring, summer, fall and winter.

Glynn County's four islands – St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island – tend to have a wide variety of appeal, tourism officials agree.

Statistics provided by the Jekyll Island Authority show that travelers to the area typically are married, white, middle- to upper-middle class and travel, on average, nearly six hours to get here.

Eric Garvey, senior marketing coordinator for the Jekyll Island Authority, said travelers to the island break down into several demographic groups.

Nearly 25 percent of the people who visit Jekyll Island fall into the "active family group," defined as a dual-income family with older children who are seeking outdoor activities.

Coming in second is a group dubbed "making memories" – families with young children seeking to establish traditions in memorable places.

The Dumphys and Berry fall into other categories.

"Other groups include traveling seniors, young couples, country club traditionals and adventure seekers," Garvey said. "Obviously, the active family and making memories (groups) correlate well with the traditional summer vacation period, and we see a rotation toward the other profiles in the non-traditional travel periods."

Bill Tipton, executive director of the Brunswick-Golden Isles Visitors Bureau, said the area's guests come in all stripes.

The pull of St. Simons Island includes a relaxed atmosphere, stately oaks and sun, sand and ocean.

Tipton said St. Simons Island appeals to families with children and senior empty-nesters with plentiful disposable incomes. The island's wide range of lodging choices is also attractive, Tipton says.

"They're looking for a wide range of activities, shopping and dining," Tipton said. "Sea Island appeals to many of the same people, but who enjoy the familiar feeling of a grand resort and the levels of facilities and services that brings."

Sea Island appeals to travelers who are seeking ultra-luxury, he said.

Luxurious, yet rustic, is the privately owned Little St. Simons Resort. The self-contained island is only reachable by boat and attracts its own unique type of guest.

"They're attuned to nature and appreciate the flora, fauna and birds," Tipton said.