From Old Plantation Road, we headed one block west toward the Jekyll River onto Riverview Drive and the north entrance to the Historic District. This is where my favorite Live Oak tree sits.

Southern Live Oak trees are everywhere on Jekyll Island. But few are as large and impressive as this one !

I saw this tree during my first visit to Jekyll Island in 2014, and have made a point of stopping to see it each time I visit.

I have no idea how old this tree is. But judging by the size of the trunk, I'm guessing in the hundreds of years just like the giant tree by the Club hotel we saw earlier.

As the tree's branches grow in length and girth, they sag and hit the ground. It almost looks like they grow beneath the surface and then reappear.

The photos above and below show an abundance of a light colored plant hanging from the tree branches. Spanish Moss can be found everywhere on this island.

I remember the first time I visited Jekyll Island in 2014 when I had no idea what Spanish Moss was. I actually had to ask one of the grounds workers what "that stuff hanging off of the trees" was. She understood my confusion once I said that I was originally from Pennsylvania. "Oh no, you wouldn't see it up there," she says. Spanish Moss likes a mild and humid climate. So it's hanging everywhere here.

The best thing about this arrangement is that Spanish Moss, (and the green Resurrection Fern also seen on the branches), is an epiphyte, meaning it uses the tree for structural support without taking any nutrients from it. Both plants are harmless to the tree.

My favorite giant Southern Live Oak tree at the northern entrance to the Historic District.

Next to my favorite oak tree mentioned above sit 13 more Live Oak trees arranged in a circle, with one tree in the center surrounded by 12 others.

A pair of historical markers and a statue sit next to the center tree. The marker seen in the photo above explains the origins of the "13 Oaks." The Jekyll Island Garden Club planted a group of 13 oak trees at this end of the District during the Bicentennial year of 1976. The "13" is a reference to the original 13 colonies. I've also seen these trees referred to as the "Bicentennial Oaks" which refers to the year they were planted.

Twelve trees were planted in a circle and one was planted in the center. This is impossible to see on the ground, but is clearly visible courtesy of Google Earth.

The thirteen trees have grown significantly in the 44 years that have passed.

One of the "13 Oaks" at the northern end of the Historic District.

A statue can also be found under the center oak tree.

The second historical marker indicates that the statue was erected in memory of Jekyll Island resident Cecily Masters.

Masters was a lover of nature in all its forms. This statue was dedicated to her memory in 1975.

Having reached the northern end of the Historic District via Old Plantation Road, we decided to head south to get back to where we started via Riverview Drive.

like the name implies, Riverview Drive runs next to the Jekyll River.

Benches have been placed at various intervals along Riverview Drive that offer wonderful views of the marsh.

The high water level makes me think that this is near high tide.

I spotted someone out for a swim.

Enjoying a swim.

Looking out over the marsh from Riverview Drive.

The roadway in the background of the photo above is the Jekyll Island Causeway.

Looking out over the marsh during high tide.

Looking out over the marsh during high tide.

Riverview Drive is also home to several cottages. These building lots were considered prime real estate because of the "river view' they offered. The first cottage next to the "13 Oaks" is Villa Ospo.

Walter Jennings, a director of the Standard Oil Company, built this 20 room cottage in 1927. Villa Ospo has been restored and is used for additional meeting/event space.

Villa Ospo is significant in the fact that it was the first cottage to be built with an integrated garage which can be seen on the left side of the photo above.

Next to Villa Ospo sits Hollybourne. Charles Stewart Maurice built this cottage in 1890 to accommodate his large family of eight children.

Hollybourne is unique in the way it was constructed. Maurice was a bridge engineer and incorporated principles and techniques from his profession into the design and construction of his cottage. There are brick support piers in the basement and trusses in the attic which allow for huge open rooms on the first floor. Maurice's cottage also uses the native building material Tabby, (also used to build the William Horton House), which consists of lime, sand, water, and crushed oyster shells.

Restoration work on Hollybourne began circa 1998 and has been ongoing ever since via volunteer labor. The beautiful covered porch has been completely rebuilt, (only remnants were present during my first visit to the island in 2014).

Another significant change is the addition of the large lattice fence on the right side of the photo above. Behind that fence is a sunken area that resembles a foundation for a swimming pool. However, research suggests that this was actually a laundry area of some kind. The idea was to try and keep your laundry out of sight from the neighbors, (a practice that would be welcomed today). Like the covered porch mentioned earlier, the lattice fence was not present during my previous visits to the island.

Next to Hollybourne sits the remnants of Chichota Cottage. Chichota was originally built in 1897 by David H. King Jr. King was a builder from New York City responsible for the pedestal for and assembly of the Statue of Liberty, the original Madison Square Garden, the New York Times building, the Bank of America building, and many other high profile structures.

Chichota Cottage became part of the Gould family neighborhood within the Club when Edwin Gould purchased it in 1900. And all was well until Edwin's son, Edwin Jr., was killed in a hunting accident on Jekyll Island in 1917. Edwin Sr. never really recovered from the incident. Chichota fell into disrepair after his death in 1933 and was torn down in 1941. Today, the site is a ruin.

Chichota was unique in that it was the only private residence in the Club, (and possibly in the State of Georgia at that time), that had a swimming pool.

Next to the Chichota ruins sits Plantation Oak, another landmark of the island.

This Live Oak tree is recognized as the largest and oldest on the island. The tree known as "Plantation Oak" has some pretty impressive stats.

It's estimated to be 350 years old. The trunk measures 7' 3" in diameter.

Even more impressive is the fact that this tree measures 128 feet from limb to limb.

Like all of the Live Oaks on the island, this one is covered with Spanish Moss and Resurrection Fern, both of which are harmless to the tree.

Being 128 feet from limb to limb means the individual branches are quite long.

Once past the Chichota ruins and Plantation Oak, we arrived back at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel and its next door neighbor Crane Cottage. A giant "Riverfront Lawn" occupies the area in front of both buildings and offers completely unobstructed views of the marsh.

A walkway diverts pedestrians from Riverview Drive down to the edge of the water. Three seating areas allow for picture-takers like me to go crazy with the camera.

And so I did exactly that !