St. Simons Island, Ga

In the 16th century Spain claimed the Golden Isles, as they called them, consisting of Jekyll, St. Simons, Little St. Simons and Sea Island. Today it is a very popular tourist destination so we made a day trip from Jekyll Island.

Some folks on the pier were having good luck catching blue crabs. I finally have figured out the process but decided if I must pay $23 for a three day fishing license I might as well just pay to have someone else cook and catch them.

Too bad I can't give this lady the chicken neckbones that I have in the freezer.

Not far away was the social hub of activity in the downtown area with quaint shops lining the streets. We found a coffee shop and gathered the energy to tour the town. Afterall, it was just after lunch.

After a short  walk over to the heritage center and we soon learned that adjoining Sea Island was the place where the G8 Summit took place. Sea Island has long been a favorite with the likes of Presidents Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Bush. It is our understanding that if you aren't staying on the island you don't cross the causeway to visit.

The St. Simons' lighthouse is visible from our beach but we went for a closer look. The lighhouse keeper's house and lighthouse was built in 1872 and restored later. It is one of only 5 remaining lighthouses in Georgia.

A little further up the island we took a woodland walk to the garden established in memory of  Charles Wesley, the first minister at Frederica and Oglethorpe's secretary in 1736. The garden was filled with azaleas and must be beautiful in the spring. John and Charles Wesley, the fathers of the Methodist Church, in 1736 held services under these giant oaks.

The beautiful Christ Church across the street, built in 1886, had some lovely stained glass windows. The adjoining cemetery is where some of the earliest residents are buried. This is the second oldest Episcopal Church in Georgia and the third oldest in the country.  The first church here was built in 1820.

Nearby is the location of the colony that General James Oglethorpe and his colony established in 1736.

The settlers first job was to build a fort which was separated from Frederica by a moat. Archaelogists have uncovered remains of much of Oglethorpe's town that was built here three years after Savannah. There were 500 inhabitants in the 1740s but by 1760 it had outlived it's purpose and fell into ruin.

Near here the outnumbered English troops defeated the Spanish troops and once and for all ended Spain's claims to the Georgia territory. The Fort Frederica National Monument is run by the National Park Service and has nice displays and an interesting film.