Hidden down an unassuming palmetto-lined path is the most visually stunning shore on Jekyll Island. At Driftwood Beach, whole trees rest on their sides, creating a cemetery of twisted, distressed wood.

There is plenty of lodging on Tybee Island, but the colorful Mermaid Cottages have quirky, retro charm. Among the offerings, which rent from $165 to $525 a night, are the beach homes of celebrities like chef Paula Deen and author Mary Kay Andrews.

This retired shrimp boat is now an excursion vessel that offers up-close views of winding marshes, wildlife, and secluded islands.

Georgia has its own version of Jamón Ibérico. The isolated Ossabaw Island hog is a descendant of the famed Spanish pigs brought over by colonists four centuries ago.

James Ogle­thorpe established this national park monument in 1736.

There’s something satisfying about eating shrimp and grits (make that blackened shrimp with cheese grits and bacon) with a fleet of shrimp boats docked right outside the window.

Tibi founder Amy Smilovic grew up on St. Simons Island, which is home to one of only two Tibi clothing boutiques worldwide. Nearby is also the discount outpost of local shop Nancy.

This honey store also offers tastings of mead—the world’s oldest fermented beverage—made from honey, water, and yeast.

You go to Huc-a-Poo’s for the hassle-free, beach-hangout vibe; the pizza is just a bonus.

The basement of this riverside brewery—built in 1821 as the town’s first hotel—is haunted.

Eleanor “Sandy” Torrey West turned 102 in January, and she still lives in the pink stucco Spanish Revival mansion on 26,000-acre Ossabaw Island, which her parents bought in 1924.

Go to Hugh Acheson’s new Italian place in a former ice factory for breakfast.

Sometimes all you need is a strong drink, lobster nachos, a pretty view, and an 80s soundtrack.

This store is the oldest and most well-stocked (though not cheapest) source for cool swimsuits and beach gear.

Pick up horseshoe crabs that tickle when they try to pinch, watch baby alligators play, and see loggerhead turtles swim.

This house began as a sugar plantation and was damaged during the Civil War.

Arrange a day or camping trip through the National Park Service, with ferry rides from St. Mary’s.

The biologist, 52, runs Georgia DNR’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Since Southern Soul opened in an old St. Simons Island gas station in 2007, barbecue fans have lined out the door for classic staples like pulled pork, brisket, collard greens, mac and cheese, and Brunswick stew.

In an age of IMAX and 3-D vision, this theater transports guests back to Hollywood’s Golden Age.

This 588-acre playground includes campgrounds with new camper cabins.

Watch the sun set at this scenic park near Epworth by the Sea Methodist conference center.

The best thing on the menu at this hot dog stand is actually the boneless pork chop sandwich.

In the late 1990s, a tugboat got separated from its ship, and its ruins remain partially submerged beneath the sands of Rainbow Beach on the southeast end of Little St. Simons Island.

Sea Island’s Georgian Room is the state’s only Forbes five-star restaurant.

Jewelry maker Gogo Ferguson is one of a number of Carnegie descendants who still live on Cumberland.

Designated a National Wildlife Refuge in 1969, Wassaw Island has a quieter reputation than nearby Sapelo or Cumberland.

There’s all kinds of trivia here: A lighthouse has operated at this port for more than 200 years; keepers were often nicknamed “Wickie.”

The timber baron who built this circa-1876 mansion is said to haunt it.

For almost 20 years, Holt Mosley and his family have offered an informal petting zoo beside their Chevron at Exit 98 off I-16.

We recommend the “Wheelchair Platter” (chef’s daily choice, $48 for two), which you won’t finish—and won’t stop talking about for weeks.

We walked into this new restaurant in a restored Greyhound bus station just one day after it had been nominated for a James Beard Award.

This spot has strong Wi-Fi, live music, tasty Bloody Marys and pimento cheese sandwiches, and the best craft brew selection on the island.

Take a guided tour of the white cinder block plant, and stroll to the docks on Moon River where fishermen brought in the day’s catch.

The famous monument from “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is now at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center for the Arts.

Located on a dock, it offers live music (rock to reggae), a big deck, and what qualifies as a deal in these parts: two pitchers of beer and a pound of fresh shrimp for $31.