See the beach, sea turtles, sharks, historic spots on visit to Golden Isles

None — ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When metro Atlanta residents visit the beach, many of them head to south Georgia for a trip to Brunswick and the Golden Isles. Between St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island and Brunswick, visitors will find a multitude of activities including the beach, a shrimp cruise, a historic lighthouse, gambling, dining and shopping. Wsbtv.com's Nelson Hicks visited the area to uncover some of the popular activities and hidden gems visitors to Brunswick and the Golden Isles will find.

Today, tour the most popular island of the Golden Isles, St. Simons Island. Venture up the stairs of the lighthouse, stroll down the beach and grab an ice cream in the village.

Jekyll Island is home to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a hospital for ill and injured sea turtles. It's the only hospital of its kind in the state of Georgia and offers an interactive gallery and rehabilitation pavilion with a number of viewable sea turtle patients.

Time to hunt down some sharks, stingrays, fish, shrimp and other sea life on a shrimp cruise.

The Lady Jane is a United States Coast Guard certified 49 passenger steel shrimping vessel recently retired after years of loyal service to the shrimping industry.

In her second life, the Lady Jane with Captain Larry Credle at the wheel takes visitors into the waters around Brunswick and the Golden Isles. On the two hour trip, the crew lowers the shrimp nets into the water several times before pulling it back in to discover what's in the waters surrounding the area.

Before the trip is finished, visitors will have had the chance to hold sharks, pet stingrays and even enjoy some of the shrimp caught.

Massive oak trees and an interesting look at the region's history is what visitors to the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation will discover on a trip here.

Once the tour is finished, head downtown to stroll the shops, galleries and restaurants downtown Brunswick offers. Visitors that haven't toured the downtown area recently might be surprised to find out all there is to see and do in the area.

Take a look at the area as a whole. From the historic Cloister Hotel on Sea Island to the nature lover's Little St. Simons Island and everywhere in between, the destination is a popular one with Atlanta area residents for a variety of reasons.

The story is sponsored by Brunswick and the Golden Isles.

Cox Media Group