JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. – “Island Treasures” may sound like a thing out of folklore, but in Jekyll Island, Georgia, it’s a real thing! It gives you and your family a chance to go on a real treasure hunt.
With its historic buildings and natural beauty, Jekyll Island is a treasure on its own.
But the hidden treasure is what’s truly unique to this area. “Island Treasures” are clear, plastic globes that are placed around the island. Hidden in plain sight, you may find one at the base of an oak tree, a park bench, or on the porch of a historic building.
Alexa Hawkins is Director of Marketing and Communications with the Jekyll Island Authority and said this annual, two months long event draws curious treasure hunters from all over.
“So, visitors can come and anywhere the public can go, visitors can look for Island treasures,” Hawkins said. “It’s certainly a game of luck.”
Hawkins said this year, Jekyll Island is celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Island Treasures.”
She said the authority has doubled the quantity, meaning visitors will have 550 chances. Hawkins said typically five to six plastic globes are hidden during the week. More are hidden on the weekends. A visitor’s job is to find them. Once they do, they’re instructed to take them to guest services and redeem them for a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, painted glass globe.
“Everyone has its own pattern, a different swirl approach that the artist takes,” Hawkins said. “That’s what makes them so special because every single one really is one-of-a-kind.”
The idea behind the event comes from history, according to the Jekyll Island Authority, during the 1900s. Fishermen would tie glass floats to their nets to serve as markers. Every now and then, one would break off and wash ashore. During the 1950s and 1960s, beachgoers would look for them as a hobby.
This year also brings something more unique. Hawkins said the painted design on one of the “Island Treasures” is inspired by a Tiffany window. As expected, people were on the hunt during News4JAX’s visit that included Laura Simms visiting from Oakwood, Georgia.
“It’s always been on my bucket list,” Simms said. “So, when I found out I was coming here for business, I jumped at the chance.”
Simms said the day before she went on her hunt she met a couple who was overjoyed to find their first one after trying for years.
“It does encourage you to go back and continue to look over and over,” Simms said.
Even though she didn’t find a globe when we talked to her, Simms found joy in just seeing what was there.
“The island is gorgeous,” Simms said. “So, you actually find other treasures that you’re not expecting to find in your hunt.”
For Hawkins, that’s the best part.
“When people come here, they leave their cars at the causeway,” Hawkins said. “They feel relaxed, they tell us all the time how their stress and worries melt away. And they feel so much more connected to their family, to their friends when they come here.”
If you aren’t able to get a globe, they are available for purchase. The “Island Treasures” fun goes on through February 28th. To learn more about this event and to get your questions answered you can visit the Jekyll Island website.
