Georgia Border to Jekyll Island

From the Florida border, we traveled a whole five miles to St. Mary's,  Georgia, where we visited the Submarine Museum.

Up Periscope

You have to be a REAL submarine enthusiast to enjoy that museum.




After that exciting experience, we anchored off beautiful Cumberland Island, which is just offshore from St. Mary's, with our friends, Hiromi and Mike from "Off Leash."

Cumberland Island Anchorage

Cumberland Island, was once the winter playground of the Carnegies. Scattered around the island, are a number of "cottages" (mansions) they built, some of which still stand and many of which, are ruins.

Dungeness Ruins

The most famous ruin, is Dungeness. It burned down three times. I guess the Carnegies believed in the expression, "three strikes and you're out," because it was never rebuilt after the third fire. Now, its ruins are one of the tourist attractions on the island.

Cumberland wild horses 

Most of Cumberland Island is a National Seashore. It is remote (only reachable by boat) and pristine. To keep it that way, the National Park Service limits the number of people allowed on the island to 350 per day.

Portrait of hat with horse
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Wild horses roam freely over the island and on its gorgeous beaches.

Horses in the dunes

The horses are not given veterinary care or food. They're  just left alone to do as they please. All in all, Cumberland is truly a magical place.



There are no services other than toilets on the island - no food, water or even trash cans. You have to bring on, and take off, anything you need while there.

It's truly a magical place.

ICW in GA

From Cumberland Island, we cruised up the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway), to our next port of call, Jekyll Island.

GA ICW

Jekyll Island, was also the winter playground of the rich and famous. Rockeller, Westinghouse, Macy, Sears, Gould, etc., formed the exclusive Jekyll Island Club.

Jekyll Island Club

It is said, that at one time, 6 % of the world's wealth, ate in the dining room of that club each night during "the season" (January 1 - March 31). It was also from here, that the first transcontinental telephone call was made in 1915. It was also here, where the idea for The Federal Reserve was hatched.

Tour train in front of a cottage

While there, we took a train tour of the historic district and visited  two of the "cottages" built by the club members who wanted more room and privacy than a room in the club building.

Another cottage

Loretta and Bob from "Carol Anne"

Mike with one of the Rockefeller's "electrics"

After our tour, we were hungry, so we wandered over to the Jekyll Island Club and had a leisurely, 2-hour lunch (with Prosecco) in the Grand Dining Room.

The girls recovering from lunch on the club's porch

Needing to work off our lunch, we borrowed the marina's loaner bikes and rode the island's wonderful bike trails, through the historic district, past the golf course and along the brilliantly white beaches to the island's commercial hub.

Curiously, for such an upscale place, Jekyll Island has very few stores. In fact, the only grocery store, is an IGA that's housed in a trailer alongside other trailers that house the Post Office, bank and hardware store.  We surmised, that when a hurricane is coming, this whole complex of trailers can be simply moved inland.

IGA trailer

We loved our visit to Jekyll Island and would like to return some day.