Before their wedding, Laura and Dave Kleinschmidt were considering Mackinac Island for their honeymoon until a magazine article about Jekyll Island captured their hearts. They chose Jekyll instead and spent a memorable week exploring the Island’s beauty, history, and charm.
During that first visit, they enjoyed a picnic from Café Solterra (now The Pantry at the Jekyll Island Club) at the historic Chichota Cottage, seated between the iconic lion statues looking out at the Historic Live Oak now named in honor of their marriage. The experience became so meaningful that they returned on every fifth anniversary to recreate the tradition.
Over the years, they have watched Jekyll evolve, from the transformation of the old power plant into a renowned Sea Turtle Center to many other changes across the Island. Yet for them, the timeless beauty of that majestic live oak and the memories made sitting on Chichota’s steps between those two lion statues remain unchanged.
And one final note: after all these years, they’ve still never made it to Mackinac Island. Jekyll has always been enough.
