Growing up in Northeast Florida, the Golden Isles have long been a pretty popular day trip for me. My grandmother and I would frequently come up to the Jekyll/St. Simons Island area to spend a day thrifting and eating (it’s only about an hour and a half from Jacksonville, so it's a very easy drive).
This weekend, I got treated to something a little bit more exciting: a weekend at the Jekyll Island Club Resort to attend the Braderie South antiques show.
The Club opened in 1888 as a private winter retreat for families like the Rockefellers, Morgans (of J.P. Morgan), and Vanderbilts. Some built vacation homes (rather generously called “cottages”) still on the property today. The Clubhouse now serves as the hotel and the cottages are open to guests, too. It’s an area with lots of history and therefore a fitting place to spend a weekend looking at antiques.
For me, no drive up to the Golden Isles is complete without a stop at a few of my favorite haunts, like Southern Soul BBQ and the Tibi boutique in St. Simon’s. I treated myself to a pair of shorts in the most incredible mustard color and the camo pants I’ve had my eye on for months now. The Tibi St. Simon’s boutique is a true gem, with the most incredible service. The stylists on staff here are incredibly kind, stylish, and well-versed in the Tibi ethos (if you know Tibi, you know that you could build an entire wardrobe here).
Following an absolute monster of a storm, the clouds parted and I then made it to the Jekyll Island Club, where I was kindly hosted to two nights during the run of the show. And what a show — unlike a lot of antiques shows, this one paired makers of new objects with vendors of old things. And these makers weren't the kind selling crafty quilts and oven mitts, but rather creating beautiful, unique takes on objects with history.
