Palatka, Fl

The sun finally did set on our two day planned trip to Jekyll Island that lasted six days. We also had planned to stop at St. Mary's and at Crooked River Campground for a couple of days and to go out to Cumberland Island but that will have to be another trip. We are going to Disney World! So we stopped in Palatka, Fl on the way to Ocala National Forest for a Dunkin Donut and learned there was a Moose Lodge with camping. Why not a quiet spot by the airport?

We weren't there but a minute when we noticed company from above.

 And another one!

And another!

And then they would go do it all over again, landing in the airport adjacent to our campground.

We later learned that the plane's pilot was turning fifty and wanted fifty folks to parachute in celebration!

After enjoying our airshow we went into the Moose for a prime rib dinner. Sometimes fun is just where you find it.

Jekyll Island time

One day on Jekyll Island was mostly spent on bicycles as we toured the island picking up some geogaches. One cache led us back to the north beach and we had a new exuberance after we had already ridden about nine miles.

It was especially fun riding through the driftwoods on Driftwood Beach. The beach here had eroded at some point causing all the trees along the shore to die.

Across the water is St. Simons Island. We intended to return there on Sunday and ride the bike trails but after a night of rain the temperatures were a bit cooler. Some day I will learn which way to turn the phone for a video.

I had a blowout on my shoes and on this trip I was so good to not bring so many pairs of shoes. And my tennies were soaking wet from wading across the stream running across the beach.

Lots of folks travel in the golf carts. Had we stayed one more day I feel sure we would have rented one for a couple of hours.

William Horton, undersheriff of Herfordshire, England, came to Georgia in 1736 and built this tabby house for his plantation residence. It was his second house as the Spanish burned the original wooden house in 1742 after their defeat at the Battle of Bloody Marsh on St. Stimons Island. He was the first European to occupy this land and had the first sustainable farm. His closest neighbors were at Frederica on St. Simons Island. At Ft. Frederica he became a major in the British Army and succeeded Oglethorpe as commander of the regiment of British troops stationed there in 1743. He lived and worked on the island until his death in 1748.

After the Revolutionary War Poulain du Bignon, owner of Jekyll Island, repaired the house and made it his home.

We ran into a group of Road Scholars on bicycles touring the house. I learned that what used to be Elderhostel has changed the name as if is now for all ages. I was being a pretty good tour guide myself.

The western side of the island faces Brunswick. This line of clouds was interesting as we toured the du Bignon burying grounds. The du Bignon family owned the island until 1886 when they sold it to the group of millionaires for the Jekyll Island Club. Five generations of du Bignons lived on the island and raised sea island cotton.

On down the beautiful bike path we traveled along the western shore under the large live oaks, Spanish moss, tall pines, and palmettos.

We felt we earned pastries on the veranda at the Jekyll Island Club.

When we get old we think we will probably have to travel by carriage but we aren't there yet.

We returned up the western side of the island along the Atlantic coast.

One geocache took us near this small pond. Were we surprised to spot this guy swimming to his favorite resting spot!

Back on the north side of the island we found ourselves on Driftwood Beach. Had we not made lots of detours this would have been an 8.50 mile bike ride and in just 5 1/2 hours!

I did stop a few times to look at shells. I decided to collect pictures and leave the shells for someone else.

The little streams that drain the marshes play quite an important role both for the wildlife and the land itself.

What? We have come all this way and we must ride through water now? There was no way around as the marshes were draining back to the sea in the rhythm of the ocean that is the way of life on the island. I don't know why I did not think to take my shoes off first!

Folks around here have been getting excited for days about the Georgia/Florida game. I did not realize other states were as crazy as the Razorback fans.

We drove back to the Clam Creek picnic area to watch the sun set.

Some boats were still fishing and others were moving on.

Whoa! What is the giant vessal that came so very near to us winding its way into the Brunswick harbor? We later learned it is the Nippon highway that brings automobiles from Japan. It can carry as many as 5,050 cars.

The sun finally did set on our two day planned trip to Jekyll Island that lasted six days. We also had planned to stop at St. Mary's and Crooked River Campground for a couple of days and go out to Cumberland Island but that will have to be another trip. We are going to Disney World!

Jekyll Island historic district

The historic district of Jekyll Island, which began in 1886 and lasted for four gilded decades, covers 240 waterfront acres. It was the winter retreat for some of America's most elite families and was known as the Jekyll Island Club. They paid $125,000 for the island.
Many members of the Jekyll Island Club brought their own horses and carriages along with the coachmen and stable boys from their northern homes. This was the Baker-Crane Carriage House. The employees were housed on the second floor.

This cottage was built in 1916 for boat engineer John Courier. The third family to live in the cottage was Christian Nielsen's. He was the carpenter for the club.

The du Bignon house was not large enough for the club so it was used for offices.
The property was bought from the du Bignon family.

Henry Hyde built San Souci with it's six apartments to gain some privacy from the Clubhouse. Also in the building were J. Pierpont Morgan, James A. Scrymser (American Telegraph), William Anderson (American Cotton Oil Co.), and Joseph Stickney.

The first transcontinental telephone call was made here in 1915. The president of ATand T spoke with President Wilson, Alexander Graham Bell in New York, and Bell's assistant in San Francisco.

Frank Goodyear built his cottage in 1906 but died a year later "worn out with ceaseless activity and worry." He began his career with $100 and left his heirs a $10,000,000 estate. By the early 20th century Jekyll Island Club members supposedly represented 1/6 of the world's wealth.

Joseph Pulitzer purchased this 1890 cottage in 1896 and had it moved. It was used for his servants' accomodations. Frank Goodyear, Jr. bought it in 1930 and moved it again. It was donated to the Club to be used as an infirmary.

Most of the smaller cottages are used for shops now. The tram is a popular way to tour the historic district. We preferred to use bicycles that allowed us to stop and gawk.

We had to move out of the way for the firemen to check out the alarm going off in the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. They might be used to that as they did not appear to be in a hurry.

The next infomative sign we came to was this one. How is that for a coincidence.

Mrs. Bakeer did not rebuild but sold her lot to Richard Crane, Jr. who built the largest and most expensive cottage in the compound. There were numerous bathrooms as he was the president of the Crane Company which specialized in plumbing fixtures.

Throughout the historic district were tourists either riding bikes, carriages, trams, or walking. Cars are not permitted in the area. These women are discussing where to go as they leave the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

The clubhouse was built in Queen Anne style for $45,000 for the 53 members, their families and guests. Notice the beautifully manicured croquet lawn in the front. We did not stay here but we sure sat on the veranda and enjoyed lunch or pastries a few times.

From 1886-1942 the members anchored their yachts at the club wharf. JP Morgan had the largest and was escorted ashore by a flotilla of smaller craft after a cannon had sounded off his arrival.

This bridge to the island was nonexistant until the 1950s so any visitors to the island had to come by water.

We watched an eagle try to lift something from the Spanish moss high in the branches of an oak but he spotted us and took off for a nearby pine tree.

Charles Maurice built Hollybourne in 1890. It is the only structure in the compound that made use of tabby, a local building material dating from colonial times that is a mixture of oyster shells, lyme, water, and sand.

Bicycling was the perfect way to travel through the district. We stopped and read every sign.

Dr. George Shrady built this cottage in 1904. He was the attendant to ex-President Grant. In 1925 Dr. Walter James, a retired lecturer at Columbia University, bought the cottage and named it Cherokee.

I am not sure why each butterfly I capture has tattered wings. Imagine the marigolds still in bloom in late October.