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Georgia

New Year’s in Style: Jazz and the Jekyll Island Club

Program No. 22503RJ
Ring in the New Year at Jekyll Island, where gilded-era millionaires wintered. Learn about jazz from our instructor, enjoy live music, and explore the island.

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At a Glance

The Jekyll Island Club Hotel was once the winter resort of America’s gilded-era millionaires — a Victorian mansion amidst the unspoiled beauty of Georgia’s Jekyll Island. Follow in the footsteps of America’s wealthiest patrons with a New Year’s celebration for the ages, complete with an in-depth look at the origins and evolution of the uniquely American musical art form: jazz. Relax amidst the Club’s unrivaled elegance as you enjoy live jazz performances and learn the history of America's music. Explore the island’s natural beauty with local experts and ring in the New Year with new friends and new discoveries.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking a few blocks per day. At the hotel, there are steps leading from the Bellstand to the veranda at the entrance (there is a handicap lift available). There are also 4 steps leading to the front desk. There is a gift shop at the hotel that has steps as well, which include 3 steps up and 3 steps down.

What You'll Learn

  • Enjoy a fabulous New Year’s Eve Dinner at the Jekyll Ocean Club and discover the story of the ring shout—a Gullah tradition thought lost until the 1980s.
  • Learn about great musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and others with expert lectures and live performances.
  • Take a field trip to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to learn about sea turtle conservation and their incredible nesting habits.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Dr. Cliff Towner
Dr. Cliff Towner is director of band activities and associate professor of music at Georgia College. His duties include conducting the wind symphony and jazz band, as well as teaching classes in conducting and music education. He has been a music educator and trumpeter for over 25 years and holds memberships in several professional organizations including the Jazz Education Network. Dr. Towner also hosts Jazz Soirée a monthly radio show on WRGC, which celebrates jazz music while linking it to the current trends today.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Linda Arthur
Linda Arthur View biography
Retired from a career in education, Linda Arthur served as a professor, assistant superintendent and interim superintendent, and received numerous community service awards. She enjoys sharing the history of Jekyll Island, playing bridge, mahjongg and golfing.
Profile Image of Georgia Graves
Georgia Graves View biography
Georgia Graves has developed and coordinates teacher training workshops on Georgia's sea turtles, shorebirds, marine mammals and coastal ecology for the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, one of 26 such reserves in North America. Georgia leads nature and history programs and works with Georgia's sea turtle conservation project.
Profile Image of Dr. Cliff Towner
Dr. Cliff Towner View biography
Dr. Cliff Towner is director of band activities and associate professor of music at Georgia College. His duties include conducting the wind symphony and jazz band, as well as teaching classes in conducting and music education. He has been a music educator and trumpeter for over 25 years and holds memberships in several professional organizations including the Jazz Education Network. Dr. Towner also hosts Jazz Soirée a monthly radio show on WRGC, which celebrates jazz music while linking it to the current trends today.
Meals
12 Meals
5 Breakfasts
3 Lunches
4 Dinners
The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Vegetarian, Low Salt
Lodging
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Display
Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 03, 2025
  • Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 03, 2025
  • Dec 29, 2024 - Jan 03, 2025
5 nights
Jekyll Island
The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is Jekyll Island's only 4-star resort and National Historic Landmark. Nestled amid live oak trees draped in Spanish moss, this Victorian landmark enjoys a setting of unspoiled natural beauty on Jekyll Island. The island is protected from extensive development by the state of Georgia and has miles of beaches and forest waiting to be explored. Here, millionaires wintered in scenic seclusion for decades, enjoying many amenities and privileges. The club was returned to its original elegance, highlighted by leaded art glass windows, ornate woodwork, and Rumford fireplaces. From its lofty tower to encircling verandas, Victorian charm still permeates the public areas and rooms once occupied by America’s wealthiest families. The Club's guest rooms and suites have been custom-decorated in a style befitting the elegance presumed by the original socialite owners. This historic hotel serves not only as lodging for the program’s participants; it is itself part of the course of study.





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