warm, cloudy periods
11/23/2009, Georgia

History of Jekyll Island
Jekyll has a fascinating history dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. The island was purchased from John Eugene duBignon in 1886 for $125,000 by some of the wealthiest men in America as a hunting resort. His family had owned the island since 1800. The names of the owners are recognizable to most history buffs, and include J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, Marshall Field, John J. Hill, Everett Macy, William Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Richard Teller Crane. The island was prized for its "splendid isolation."
The club members commissioned architect Charles A. Alexander to design and build a sixty room Clubhouse. The Clubhouse was finished November 1, 1887, with the first official season beginning in January, 1888. In 1901, an attached annex was built to handle the expanding needs of members. A syndicate of members, including J.P. Morgan and William Rockefeller, built a six unit apartment building in 1896 they named Sans Souci--the first condominiums! A Photo of this is in the Jekyll Island Photos on Links.The owners would usually spend a couple of winter months at Jekyll Island, arriving by yacht from New York. (Remember, this was BEFORE Florida was developed.) The Jekyll Wharf where they tied their yachts is still used by boaters, sailors, and small ship cruise lines today. Between 1886 and 1928, the owners built "cottages" along the marshy side of the island where they would be protected from the ocean. Many of these beautiful cottages (mansions) have been restored or are currently a work in progress. The largest "cottage" is almost 8,000 square feet. The Jekyll Island Clubhouse is now a romantic Victorian hotel. We walked thru the hotel and admired the hall of mirror's. We later came back to the hotel and chatted with friends over a glass of wine and snacks at the bar.Throughout the Club's history, many recreational amenities were added. The first golf course was laid in 1898, with two more done in 1909. A marina to handle yachts, a swimming pool, tennis courts, bocci, croquet and other recreational facilities were also available to help members while away the time they spent on the island.
With the onset of the Great Depression, the Jekyll Island Club members became disenchanted with the island. They began traveling to European spas and elsewhere for their entertainment. After the 1942 season, the U. S. government asked the members not to use the island for the duration of World War II due to concerns for the security of the powerful owners. They never went back. The island was sold to the State of Georgia in 1947. The state attempted, until 1972, to operate the Clubhouse, Sans Souci and Crane Cottage as a hotel complex, but its efforts were unsuccessful and the buildings were closed. In 1978, the 240-acre club district was designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1985, work began to restore the Clubhouse, Annex and the Sans Souci into a world-class hotel and resort named the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. The $20 million in restoration funds have all been invested in the buildings and grounds, since the facility can only be leased. Great care was taken to create a faithful restoration while installing modern conveniences. The Club is once again a showcase, and is now available for everyone to enjoy.
Today the 240 acre National Historic Landmark is often called "Millionaire's Village." I have added photos of some of the cottages we saw on our walking tour.

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warm , sunny
11/21/2009, Jekyll Island, Georgia

We arrived on the 20th after an overnight sail from Beaufort South Carolina. A very calm sail going 5.5 to 6 knots but that was with us slowing the boat down so that we would not arrive at the entrance to Jekyll Island sound before 6 am. We took watches with ease, a starlite night adding to the cruise. The photo is of a fishing boat going by us just after anchoring.we are going to go in to visit the Island and will add more photos and info tomorrow. Cheers for now

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warm sunshine
11/15/2009, Beaufort,South Carolina

I have been slacking, I know. We are presently in Beaufort, South Carolina and have been for a few days now. We traveled down the Inter Coastal Waterway from Charleston, just a short fifty or so miles. A very pretty section to see even in the rain. We are here with some friends helping them get their boat ready to cruise. They own an Admiral 40 Catamaran also"Siya sinanna". Gary and Lisa sail only six months of the year. We have done a little site seeing. Beaufort is a beautiful community and we enjoyed the walk thru the historic streets. In Beaufort you will see in the sidewalks and structures what is called Tabby cement. Tabby cement was produced by burning the crushed oyster shells to make lime and then mixing it with sand, whole shells and water. Spanish moss is another thing you will see, the silvery-gray thread like masses draped in the trees are shown in the blog photo. Oh, did any of you know that Beaufort is a great spot for lovebugs. Literally!Yes, lovebug. It is also known as the honeymoon fly, it is an invader from Central America and swarms over Beaufort from April until May and September to October each year. Mowed, rotting grass along highways provides the ideal breeding ground for the bugs. The name comes from the fact that the lovebugs mate while coupled in mid-air - as high as 1500 feet in flight! No need to worry about these critters, they do not sting, bite or carry disease.
Frogmore stew anyone? It is a comfort food in South Carolina. It has nothing to do with frogs . This dish has shrimp, potatoes,fresh corn and smoked sausage in it.
Shrimp is to Beaufort, what apple pie to America! So tomorrow we are going to go to the fish market close by and buy some. We will let you know how good they are. Perhaps I will even try frogmore stew.The waterfront in Beaufort is a wonderful stroll and a great place to eat lunch on a sunny afternoon.

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warm sunshine/ moon lit night
11/09/2009, Charleston, South Carolina

The morning was a nice start at six am, but not so nice as we got closer to Beaufort,NC and had to pass under another Bridge that showed only 63 and a half feet. We inched thru, the antenna didn't scrap as bad on this one but we hit. We decided this is it for sure, we are going off shore to sail to Charleston, SC. Our Friends went on thru the ICW and called to tell us that the Bridge in Morehead City was recording 62 ft. Their mast is only 55 feet high so they sailed thru. We went off shore and by six the next evening we were anchored in Wappoo Creek just the other side of Charleston. A great spot to anchor. Our sail overnight to Wappoo creek was kicking at first with our asymmetrical sail out but the wind died thru the early hours of the morning but kicked up as the sun came up and we were sailing at 7.5 knots to 9.2 right into Charleston.
The sun is shining and we are happy to be in the warmth. The damp days are gone. We have been doing some exploring of Charleston. Taking the bus downtown, checking out Marion Square Market on Saturday . The workers were busy putting up the Christmas lights in the parks. Christmas decorations in the shop windows, everything is coming alive with Christmas.I think the area has shown us another great day, we ended the afternoon having a picnic at White Point Gardens also known as The Battery park. Chris sat on the grass and leaned against an enormous oak tree and was ready to have a nap in the sunshine. A great spot with a view of Charleston harbor to enjoy our picnic.
No trip to Charleston is complete without a stop at White Point Gardens, known popularly as Battery Park. This peaceful park offers unprecedented views of Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter, while a look back across the street promises fantastic images of beautiful Charleston mansion.
A few things about Charleston:
In 1925 everyone was doing a new dance in Charleston, famously known now as" The Charleston"
In 1939 the Movie" Gone with the Wind" was filmed in Charleston. Other movies"The Patriot" and "The Notebook" were filmed in Charleston.
It is said that the first golf game in the United States was in Charleston, South Carolina.
This photo is one of the many cobble stone streets Chris and I walked while site seeing Charleston.
Cheers for now!

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Cloudy ,rain
11/04/2009, Oriental,North Carolina

Most of the day was very pleasant on the ICW( Intercoastal Waterway) We did get to go under another 65 ft. bridge that had a water line of 63 and a half so we just edged our way thru with the antenna going Bing , Bing , Bing every time it hit a beam. We have been travelling with Friends that we met last year in the Bahamas, they hail from Baltimore, Maryland. Neal and Terri know the ICW very well and we have picked up lots of invaluable information from them. We will leave them in Beaufort to go off shore. We enjoy the off shore sailing. The Bridge heights with the high water due to the lunar effects and rain we can not get under the bridges marked 65 ft. and do not want to chance it again. After Stopping in the Alligator river for the night our next destination was Broad Creek just North of Oriental, North Carolina. Oriental is our next stop. Initially, the town was known as Smith's Creek (the name still carries on with body of water under the Hwy 55 bridge). But the name seemed lacking in the mid 1880's, when a post office came to town.
The search was on for something well, snappier. That's where Rebecca Midyette came through. She was the wife of postmaster Lou Midyette and among her possessions was a piece of shipwreck from a Union boat that had gone down near the Outer Banks during the Civil War. It was the ship's nameplate that Rebecca Midyette had saved and that ship was the "Oriental".
Some little Factoids on Oriental- Just outside of town, where the Neuse River meets the Pamlico Sound, it is the widest river in America. - The first motorized school bus in NC rolled down the streets of Oriental in 1917. - Just a few miles out of town is the original Dawson's Creek which was the inspiration for the WB TV show. The show's creator, screenwriter ("Scream") Kevin Williamson, is a native of Oriental.
Oriental is a very small community but is considered the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. The population of just under a thousand people but sailboats total over 2700. With the Name Oriental , you get see Dragons. Dragons on just about everything, from coffee mugs to T-shirts, ornaments, billboards, advertisements and walls. They like dragons and at New Years eve they have a dragon that dances down main street and we were told if you touched it's nose you were granted good luck.
Chris ventured to the West Marine store and the hardware store. He needed supplies to make a lookie bucket, for you people who do not know what a lookie bucket is, it is a bucket with a clear plexi-glass bottom so that you can see thru it to look in the water. Everyone he met helped him find what he needed and if they didn't have it they called someone else to see if they had it. With all the materials he needs, Chris can now make his lookie bucket.We did a lot of walking to catch up on exercise, got to see more Pecan trees. We seen them in Elizabeth City also. The trees were full of pecans. The pecans fall out of the pods after the first frost. Some people put tubing around the base of the trees to stop the squirrels from getting at the pecans. We enjoyed a Dinner out with friends at a restaurant called M&M's. Very good menu. The next morning up by six and on our way again. The photo was taken leaving the Alligator River.

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warm/sunny
11/03/2009, North Carolina

This is a Photo of "Neverbored" as the sun came up in the Alligator River. Didn't see any Alligators, must have been still sleeping when we left. This photo was taken by friends of ours on a Tartan 37 called," Abraxas"

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