November 9

Today’s travels were through the barrier islands off Georgia’s coast, specifically St. Simon’s Island and Cumberland Island. St. Simon is the location of Fort Frederica NMon, nestled among large trees and Spanish Moss. The fort was built in 1736, by General James Oglethorpe. The British wanted to protect their interests in the Georgia region. Spain had control of Florida with intentions of moving north. Oglethorpe jumped the gun in 1740 by striking into Florida but was repulsed. He waited for a counterattack, which came in 1742. The Spanish landed on St. Simons and approached Fort Frederica but were pushed back. An attempt to sail up the waterway to Fort Frederica was nixed when British scout ships from Charleston appear near the fort, forcing the Spanish to give up hope and retreat to the safety of Florida. This is why Georgia was a British colony.

Some of the original 1-mile long earthwork wall which protected the village of Fort Frederica still remain. A moat was on one side of the wall. Today the water is gone, though a short walking bridge allows a visitor to go from the VC to the village. Then one can take their time walking down Broad Street, the main artery of the village. Various foundations of the village’s buildings have been uncovered. They all used tabby, cement made from seashells, for construction. Major fires in the village destroyed the various buildings over time. At the end of Broad Street is the only structure still remaining from Olgethorpe’s time; the Kings Magazine. A sign outside asks visitors not to venture into the interior due to the fragile nature of the structure. A cannon between the magazine and the waterway may have been part of the fort’s original arsenal.

The largest foundation by area is of the fort’s barracks. A replica of one section of the barracks has been built to compliment the foundation. A little bit further down the trail is the Old Burying Ground. Many of Fort Frederica’s residents are buried there. What many may not know is that John and Charles Wesley performed some of the funeral services. John served as the religious minister for the Frederica village, and was a liaison to Oglethorpe, while Charles served in Savannah. This was in 1736, both men being relatively young. When John became sick, Charles took over responsibility in Frederica. The colonists did not like either brother because of their strict teachings. When they left, John wrote a comment which basically said Georgia people are unsavable.

Before I left, I stopped in the VC because I heard a whole lot of commotion. Well, that is what you get when 40 or so first graders descend upon an enclosed structure. Bless the hearts of the adults who were valiantly trying to keep the peace. Again, great to see our young people getting exposure to the history of our country.

One interesting fact about this area on the island. The trees here are tall, hard, and sturdy. Some of the wooden planks on the U.S.S. Constitution came from the forest around Frederica. I did not know this until I read a plaque in the VC. Always something new to learn.

A little over one hour later, after taking highway US 17 out to I-95, then down to exit 3 for St. Marys, I was at the VC for Cumberland Island NS. The VC is not within the park boundaries. One must board the Cumberland Queen II for a 45-minute ferry ride over to the island. Cost is $40 for adults, roundtrip. The trip crosses the Georgia/Florida state line a couple of times on the St. Marys River. The NPS has obtained some property across the street for parking, since most of the street parking in St. Marys is for 2-hours. One walks up to the 2nd floor of the VC to check-in (if you have a reservation) or to buy a ticket. Anyone could have shown up today at the last minute since only about 25 people were on the boat… can hold a good 100 it seems. A ranger told me, though, you had better have a reservation in July and August when everyone wants to go out to the island’s beach. Plenty of birds to see along the way. The boat stops at the Dungeness dock first, then the Sea Camp dock. Dungeness is the area where Thomas Carnegie built his large mansion in the late-1800s. Sea Camp is where folks get to camp, but is also quick access to the ocean. A number of people had large coolers, backpacks, and duffle bags. Two women were using wagons to haul gear over to the camp sites. I passed the outdoor shower as I climbed onto the boardwalk which took me through the sand dune region, dropping me out at the opening to the beach. I will remember this for next time I visit, in order to wash off salt water after being in the ocean. Low tide was 11:52 AM, and it was now 12:45 PM, so the sea had only had one hour to start coming back. This left for a very deep beach, up to 100 yards in places. And the first 25 yards of water seemed very shallow. This is definitely not Hawaii or Guam. Waves were maybe 3-feet at the most. Perfect day to get in the water. I walked 1.5 miles to the south from this beach access entrance to the one that leads to the Dungeness area. Horseshoe crabs and one ghost crab were close to the water.

The turn to Dungeness followed a vehicle path through the sand dunes, then turned into a boardwalk. Shortly came the Dungeness ruins, all that remains of the Carnegie dream compound. Thomas Carnegie, and his wife Lucy, loved the island so much that they built a mansion and supporting buildings. What a way to enjoy a vacation. Guests would show up and play polo. When the Carnegies left, the horses were left to fend for themselves. The descendants of those polo ponies roam the island today. I saw eight of them around the ruins. One issue when walking on the trails is to keep a lookout for all the manure mounds.

The northern end of the island does not get many visitors. The Wilderness section up there was closed today. A boar hunt was in progress. Yes, wild boar inhabit the island.

While waiting for the ferry boarding time I had a nice talk with a couple from Wisconsin. They were busy keeping tabs on their young son who wanted to explore everything. Let’s hope that enthusiasm continues in his later years, to explore more of our country’s national parks. Since we had arrived at the ranger station a bit early, we were able to listen to a ranger program about net fishing. He demonstrated the technique with a nifty net device. He said plenty of folks use this type of net, and if one sees somebody get a haul of shrimp, everybody in St. Marys will be out the next day casting their nets in the same location. The ranger said the demonstrations from the boat dock once caught a sting ray and a shark. And another time, when an alligator showed up, the demonstration was postponed. Life at water’s edge can be exciting.