By Way Of Explaination

 Once again it has been a little while since my last post.  We have been making our way south along the east coast stopping at many of the places we have been before.  One difference this year is that since getting into Florida, we have visited several friends in the boating world.  This has been a real treat.

On our way through the Daytona Beach / New Smyrna Beach area we got the chance to visit some friends we met on the Great Loop.  Rick and Deedy Crossland keep their boat in Ponce Inlet, FL and they invited us to stay at their marina.  We first met Rick and Deedy in 2018 doing The Great Loop.  Then this past summer they brought their boat " Rejoice" to Ocracoke and spent several days with us there.  Even though the fishing was not that great while they visited; they invited us to stop when coming through Florida.  It was a great visit.  They showed us around the area, helped us run some errands, and Rick even got Keith out on their golf course.  

Rick and Deedy on "Rejoice"

View out over the marina at Rick and Deedy's

Southern Style docked at Rick and Deedy's Marina (Harbor Village Marina)

Keith and I ready to feed our shrimp peelings to the cat fish.  Picture courtesy of Deedy

Continuing south we stopped in Fort Pierce, FL where we met up with our good friends Jeff and Barbara Harris who were our gracious hosts.  Jeff picked us up in Fort Pierce and drove us to their home in Jensen Beach for dinner.  Barbara prepared a wonderful meal and we got to catch up with all the happenings in each others lives over the past year.  Jeff and Barbara have a new and exciting mode of travel they will be exploring with a new camper.  Can't wait to hear about their travels and adventures.

Jeff and Barbara with their new camper

After Fort Pierce we made our way to Jupiter, FL and The Admiral's Cove Club.  This private country club is quite impressive.  We were allowed to visit as guests of Peter and Cindy Bauer.  These were our next door neighbors the winter we spent in Marathon, FL in 2019.  They invited us to stop in on our way south.  We spent three nights at Admiral's Cove and Peter and Cindy were the best hosts.  They showed us around the property and facilities, taught us to play pickle ball, and indulged Keith in several games of ping-pong.  Peter and Keith played a round of golf while Cindy took me to the beach in Jupiter.  Cindy also does quite a bit of charity work and she helped me donate several quilts to the Admiral's Cove Charitable Foundation.  I am so excited for the quilts to go to a worthy cause.  We had a really wonderful time (more about that in a minute).

Cindy took this picture of me on the beach in Jupiter

Cindy celebrated a birthday while we were there and we all enjoyed a nice meal together.

Too soon our visit was over and we were off again.  Peter helping with the lines as we left the marina at Admiral's Cove.

Our final stop as we traveled south through Florida was Lighthouse Point.  Geoff and Celest Smith are old friends of Keith from his boat delivery days.  Geoff and Celeste run a boat dealership just outside of Buffalo, NY.  They have a lovely winter home on a canal in Lighthouse Point, FL with a boat dock out back and offered for us to stay there until we left for the Bahamas.  They were going to be flying from their home in Buffalo, NY to the Florida house the same day we planned to arrive.  The timing was just perfect.  The dock was great and Geoff and Celest were so helpful.  We couldn't have had a better time.

Southern Style docked in Lighthouse Point behind the Smith's house

Another view of Southern Style behind the Smith's

Geoff and Keith at dinner one night in Pampano Beach

We walked the pier after dinner

Celest and Gail riding in the dinghy

It was so kind of the Smith's to have us at their home for 2 weeks.  It was the perfect place to stage for heading to the Bahamas.  However, as we always say, it is best to keep a flexible agenda.

Now to explain what else transpired while staying at Lighthouse Point (the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say).  Keith and I had such a wonderful time at Admiral's Cove (the private country club in Jupiter); that we decided to put our name on their waiting list for a boat slip in the future.  It took Pete and Cindy two years before the marina had space for them.  Therefore, we expected it to be at least a year and possibly two before we could get into the club.  Well within several days of putting in our request, they called and said there was an opening available for us.  This presented a dilema as we had planned to be in the Bahamas this winter.  Opportunities like getting into the club however do not come easily and we were afraid if we declined right after requesting a slip; they might not call us in the future.  After much angst we decided to take the slip at Admiral's Cove and postpone the Bahamas for this winter.  So we will be returning to Jupiter, FL on January 1st to take our spot and enjoy The Club at Admiral's Cove this winter.  It is a fantastic facility and we cannot wait to be able to utilize all the club has to offer.  I will do a post all about what is available and going on there once we get settled in.  More to come.

Merry Christmas to all.  Spending Christmas in sunny Florida has been a real treat.

Cumberland Island, GA

 Since we have been living aboard and traveling up and down the eastern seaboard for several years now;  there are not too many places we have not already seen.  One location we have never experienced however is Cumberland Island, GA.  So on this trip south, we made a stop to go ashore and do some exploring.  

Cumberland Island is the largest and the southernmost of Georgia's barrier islands.  It is a national seashore managed by the National Park Service.  The only way to get to the island is via boat and so it is very secluded.  There are 17 miles of ocean beaches, acres of salt marsh, and feral horses and other wildlife wander freely across the entire island.  In addition to the natural beauty, there is a wealth of history to this island.  So we anchored Southern Style just off the western side of the island near the park service docks for two days to check out this national park.

Aboriginal people, the Timucuan Indians, populated the island as far back as 2000 BC.  There were diverse food sources available to these people such as oysters, crabs, fish, birds, and deer.  By the 1500s the Spanish began building missions in the region.  The British also soon showed up and it was not long before the native peoples were unfortunately pushed off there lands in the name of progress.  In the 1780s Revolutionary War hero Nathaniel Green built the first mansion on Cumberland Island naming it Dungeness.  He purchased land on Cumberland Island to develop a business of harvesting live oaks for ship building.  Wood from the island was even used to build the USS Constitution also known as Old Ironsides.  In 1818 another Revolutionary War hero, Gen. Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee came to Cumberland Island to stay at Dungeness.  He was in failing health and wanted to stay at his old friends home, however he passed away after just 30 days on the island.  He was buried here on the island and his son Gen. Robert E. Lee (famous Confederate general) had a tombstone erected over his father's grave and came to visit it on several occasions.  In 1913 Harry Lee's remains were moved to Lexington, VA to lie next to his son's burial site.  His tombstone on Cumberland Island remains however.

Green-Miller Cemetery Cumberland Island

Catherine Green Miller tomb is the tabletop stones and Henry Lee is the nearest upright stone

Table top stones were used so family could picnic in the cemetery near their relatives.  The location is beautiful with a view out over the salt marsh.

After the Civil War many of the freed slaves on the island remained here.   They purchased some of the land at the north end of the island and continued to live here.  Sometime after Catherine Green's death in 1814  the southern land holding was sold to William Davis, first cousin of Confederate President Jefferson Davis,  William held the land for a number of years and when ready to sell he refused to consider selling to a "Yankee".  A gun accident however killed his grandson and the boy's father soon after committed suicide.  The story goes that the father accidentally shot the boy while they were hunting.  This prompted William Davis to get rid of the property, and he sold it to Thomas Carnegie in 1881.  Thomas Carnegie, steel magnate/industrialist and brother of Andrew Carnegie  and his wife Lucy purchased land at the southern end of the island in 1881.   

The Carnegies started construction of a mansion at the site of the original Dungeness mansion in 1884.   Unfortunately Thomas passed away in 1886 before completing the mansion and leaving his widow Lucy with 9 children to raise.  Lucy was no shrinking violet however and she not only finished the mansion but eventually purchased nearly 90% of Cumberland Island.  This was to be the winter estate for Lucy and the children for many years to come.  She oversaw an estate that would have its own power generating plant, ice house, carriage house, dairy barn, kennels, etc.  In its hay-day the estate had over 20 support buildings and 300 employees.  She would also build 5 additional mansions on the island for several of her grown children.  Lucy was an avid outdoor person, hunting and fishing, gardening, etc.  She also was a yachtsman building a 115 foot boat and traveling on it from the northeast to Cumberland and back.  She named the yacht Dungeness as well.  Lucy and many of her children and grandchildren lived on the island until her death in 1916.  The 40 room mansion stood empty for years and in 1959 a fire destroyed the home.  It was never rebuilt and all that remains today are the ruins.

Old picture in the museum of the Carnegie Dungeness Mansion

Fire that destroyed Dungeness

Dungeness today

Feral horses at the Dungeness mansion ruins

View of part of the back of the house

View from the front that overlooks the marsh and river

Our hike from the dinghy dock to get to the ruins was spectacular.  Beautiful maritime forest and paths.

There were more feral horses on the paths as we hiked around both to and from the ruins of the mansion.

There are an estimated 250 to 300 horses on the island.  They were originally domestic horses brought to be used on plantations as work and carriage horses in the 1800s and early 1900s.  Over the years some horses were left behind as people moved off the island. These once domestic horses became feral, fending for themselves, reproducing and dying as nature would have it.  Today they continue to live on the island without any real human intervention.  Very cool to see these horses roaming all around the island.  Reminds me a little bit of the banker ponies back home.

We continued walking around the island.  There were paths through the forest as well as elevated walkways along the marsh.

We followed the trail all the way around to the beach.  The walk along the beach was about a mile to where it connected back up with the trail back across to the dinghy dock.

Looking back as we came off the beach

On our last leg of the trail back across the island and through the maritime forest, we encountered another resident I was hoping to see while here.  One of Cumberland Island's numerous armadillos.  These adorable little guys are nine-banded armadillos.  The nine-banded is the only species that can be found in North America.  They are a relative of the sloth and ant eater; and can most often be seen foraging with their long snout for food.  They are the only mammal with a bony plate.  Averaging about the size of a house cat, these guys are also great swimmers.  Unlike other species of armadillos, the nine-banded are not able to curl into a ball for defense.  Instead they are able to jump up to 3 feet into the air hopefully startling any would-be attacker.

Cumberland Island nine-banded armadillo

Count the bands.  This guy is spot on at 9.  They can however have anywhere from 7 to 11 bands.  By sitting quietly he came pretty close and then with the telephoto lens I got several really good pictures of this guy.

Our morning hike was a little over 4 miles, and we decided to head back to the dinghy and then Southern Style to have a break for lunch.  After lunch we headed out again with the dinghy toward the north end of the island.  About 7 miles north of our anchorage there is another public dock called Plum Orchard.  This dock is near the Plum Orchard mansion.  This stately home was built in 1898 by Lucy Carnegie as a wedding gift for her son George and his wife Margaret.  This 22,000 square foot home has 30 main rooms, 12 bathrooms and several smaller rooms.  There is a heated swimming pool and squash court in one wing.  It was donated to the National Park Service in 1971 by the Carnegie family.  Portions of the house are now open for public tours.  Keith and I were lucky enough to catch the final tour of the afternoon.

Plum Orchard Mansion

Entrance hall with inglenook (recessed alcove with seating and fireplace).   Custom made Tiffany lamp above center table.

Burlap wallpaper with stamped griffon pattern.

Christmas Tree

Piano with custom made tortous shell Tiffany lamp in the hunting room.  Lamp estimated worth $5 million dollars. (Do Not Touch!!!!)

Live oaks in the yard at Plum Orchard Mansion

As we were leaving the grounds of the mansion to head to the dinghy; we spotted another armadillo.  They are just so photogenic I had to get his picture also.  This one was exceptionally cute with the yellow buttercup near him.

It was a very enjoyable visit to Cumberland Island and we would recommend a visit if given the opportunity.  It is worth checking out this National Park.  So glad we finally got the chance to stop here. 

Summary of Heading South

 After our boatyard work was completed, we were set to head south.  The plan for the winter is to casually make our way to south Florida.  At some point once we have staged the boat and there is a weather window; we will head to the Bahamas for the remainder of the winter.   It was a good stay in Wilmington, NC.  The waterfront has certainly begun to flourish in the past few years.  They have expanded the River Walk, added a new marina, and also an outdoor theater/park for hosting concerts.

Marina along the River Walk in Wilmington, NC

Floating condos

Outdoor theater venue

Harvest moon coming up as seen from our spot along the river in Wilmington

Spent one overnight in Myrtle Beach, SC then on to Georgetown, SC, and finally Charleston, SC.

Socastee Swing Bridge just south of Myrtle Beach.  This is the last bridge we will need to have open for us to pass until we get to Florida.

Shrimp boat in Georgetown, SC docked just behind us.  I got a kick out of Mr. Pelican fishing from the back.

Our first major stop after Wilmington was in Charleston, SC to spend Thanksgiving with our friends the Terry's.  This was their first Thanksgiving in their new home in Charleston since Robin retired last year.  They moved from Raleigh to Charleston in January.  We had a great time spending several days at their house.  Always so good to visit, and we hope we can return the hospitality this winter for them in the Bahamas.

Robin's beautiful table for Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving we had a big oyster roast in their backyard to celebrate Ron's 70's birthday.  Here is a selfie with all of us.  Lacey Terry Toney holding the phone, Keith, Gail, Robin, Ron, and Davis Toney

After several days with the Terry's we continued south at a leisurely pace.  We spent one night in Beaufort, SC then from there went to Thunderbolt, GA.  We have been to all these towns previously, however we decided to spend two nights in Thunderbolt.  This stop is very near Savannah and I wanted to do some picture shooting in the Bonaventure Cemetery.  This is a very old and somewhat famous cemetery.  Many high profile people from the Savannah area are buried here.  It was also featured prominently in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. 

Bonaventure Cemetery (Trying out some Black & White)

From Thunderbolt our next stop was an anchorage between Thunderbolt, GA and Jekyll Island, GA.  We have anchored in this creek (Wahoo Creek) several times before and always enjoy this spot.  

Shrimp boats pulled up at a fish camp just south of our anchorage

We got into our anchorage early in the afternoon so I put the kayak in and did some paddling around.

View from the back of Southern Style as we run her up for just a minute in the morning after leaving the anchorage.

As we came past the inlet at St. Simon's, GA we could see that the large car carrier which had run aground in fall of 2019 was finally removed.  I had posted a picture of this ship on its side back then.  Here she was with the cranes working on her back in 2019 when we passed.

Here is the inlet today.  The ship is gone and all that is left are some pilings from the removal process.  I assume these will also eventually be removed.

So we are continuing south.  Our next stops will be Jekyll Island and Cumberland Island in Georgia.  Cumberland Island is one place we have not been before.  It will be exciting to see a new place, so stay tuned.