St. Simon's GA - downtown, erosion control, horse rescue, king and prince

     This is our third day on St. Simon's, and the heavy rains finally broke this morning.  Here is the island's lighthouse, built in 1872 to guide ships into the St. Simon's Sound.  There was an earlier one on this site, but it was knocked down by Union troops during the Civil War.

     Downtown St. Simon's has a nice environment with a variety of specialty shops and restaurants.

    There is even a row of "tiny shops" that house an eclectic variety of specialty businesses.

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     Up the street is t he old Coast Guard Station, one of numerous built in this same style back in the 1930's.  This area was a bit of a hot-spot back in the 1940's as German submarines sunk a couple of US ships just off the coast here.

     There are only a handful of these old stations still standing - I am sure we will encounter a couple of them as we head north next spring.

     By the heart of the downtown district is a large community pier.  This is the fourth pier here - earlier ones having been destroyed by hurricanes and fires.

     There is also a real nice community park that runs along the sound.

     Here is a photo of the result of the last large hurricane that hit here.  It was in 1898, and this photo was taken  about ten miles inland in Brunswick.

     These islands are susceptible to  hurricanes, but as we have seen time after time along the coast they erode with the normal currents as well.  Here are a couple of shots of the current sea-walls that residents have installed in an attempt to keep the ocean from washing away their property.

     Now, I am far from an erosion control expert, but I met a couple who had made it their life's business a few years back.  Meet Herb and Anita Campbell.

     Herb is 89 and a half years old - he tells me that the very young and the old pay attention to  half years.  I didn't ask Anita her age, but they make a great couple.  They had me over to their house for a dinner of scallops so you know I love 'em.

     Herb was a civil engineer - in fact he served in the Pacific Theater in World War II.  He helped build a number of the airports and other facilities on the various Pacific Islands that helped us win that war.

     Herb likes to tinker, and some decades ago he was struggling with this problem of beach erosion.  He set up some models in his basement and tried various designs of sea-walls that could help stop the issue.  He hit upon this design:

     Now, that was a model  he made out of latex for testing and demonstration, but here is what the real thing looked like as it was being built on a beach.

     They had big forms made and poured these concrete sections.  The sections were then interlinked to form the break wall.

     They bought a huge front end loader that had been designed for strip mining in the coal industry.  They used to take it clear out to where not much besides the seat of the tractor was above the water.  They lovingly dubbed this machine "Shamu" because of how reliable it was.

     Now, here is where that break-wall was installed locally on another island- only a few years later.  His design would trap the sand using the action of the waves, and where a beach was eroding it now grew larger.  In this one spot they gained over three acres of beach, and condominiums are now built here.

     They installed numerous of these break-walls until his patent ran out.  Back then, an international patent cost almost a hundred thousand dollars, so they couldn't protect his patent for long.  But none of the many beaches they created have had troubles since.  I know this would be a bit of an expensive solution, but with the cost of ocean front real-estate it seems it would be worthwhile for many of these islands.  Perhaps we will see a return to this ingenious design in years to come.  After all, a million here and a million there spent replenishing the beaches turns into real money over time . . 

     I met another couple of islanders that work on something interesting.  Meet Natalie Murrah.   Natalie's great great grand-father was born on Fort Frederica a couple of centuries ago - this family has a long history on this land. 

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     She and her father Bascom are working to carry on an effort started by her mother over ten years ago.  

Bascom Murrah

     On a quiet corner of this Island, the Murrah's run an effort to help abused and abandoned horses.  They started a non-profit named "The Farm at Oatland." 

     

     There are fifteen rescued horses on the farm right now.  This one is a relative of Secretariat's - the legendary racing horse.  This relative didn't fare as well.  It took a spill on the race-track and broke its neck.

     It was then taken by a girl who thought she could use it to do the show jumping - but a horse with a broken neck is not capable of that.  So it ended up here, along with this Belgian rescued from Pennsylvania.

     All of the horses here have their particular tale of woe - one was a retired police horse that was abused, another they found in a stall clear up to its knees in feces and muck.

     They have even  rescued a few goats - one was "arrested" by police in a local  town as it wandered through the streets.  Their kindheartedness got me so fired up that I wanted to get in on the act and rescue this bird out of  this tree - but it didn't seem to want my rescuing.

     They have to turn down many calls because they cannot afford the vet bills and feed for more horses.  But there have been some donations, and maybe more will come.  This place is called "The Farm" and is right beside the entrance to Cannon's Point.  Natalie and her dad give tours on Sunday afternoons - it is a beautiful spot to visit even if you don't like horses.  And goats. And cows and cats and dogs and chickens and deer . . .

     This area has its share of upscale spots, which tend to blur together for me after a while.  A golf course, a marina, a tennis court and a clubhouse are a bit redundant after a while.  But probably the most posh spot on this island isn't hidden  behind gates and fences.  It is The King and Prince Hotel.

     This place got its start as a dance hall back in the 1930's.  It was used for a few years by the military during WWII, but has operated continuously since as a hotel.  Here are a few shots of the interior.

     Heated pools overlook the ocean - which is hidden behind the morning fog in this shot.

     There are a lot of amenities, and the hotel owns a golf course on the other side of the  island.  They are listing rooms for $ 120 a night - probably not bad if this is what you are after.  I  loved their ginger-bread house.

      Today's parting shot comes from a local t-shirt shop.

EMAIL me if you like, DONATE if you can, Read Today's Meditation if you have time, but whatever you do be sure to Have An Awesome Friday !!

David

St. Simon's GA Cannon's Pt and Epworth

    On the northern end of St. Simon's Island a long peninsula juts out into the tidal marsh. This was the location of a family named Cannon's cotton plantation.  Here is an artist's rendition of what the main house looked like.  There are only ruins of the foundation and the fireplace left.

     Two edges of the 600 acres of land are defined by the Frederica River, and dotting the property are Indian shell rings and middens that date back thousands of years.  The property was acquired by the St. Simon's Land Trust from Wells Fargo Bank two years ago for the sum of $24 million.  There is a lot of work going on by the community to preserve the ruins here and create a fine educational facility.  There are numerous volunteers that make themselves available on Saturday's and Sundays to answer visitor's questions.

     By the entryway is this sign that has been built that shows in relief the outlines of many of the bird species that call this home.  I saw several of these on my visit, but was never quick enough with the camera to get a good shot.

     Just beyond the visitor's center is a gate, and from there a dirt road leads the two miles back to the ruins of the main house.  Along the way are ruins of slave cabins and various worker's cottages.

     The walk back is really quite nice - this is coastal hardwood forest.  The busy-ness of life soon falls away and you can start sensing the rhythm of the forest.

     Tidal creeks are all along two edges of it, and the side trails lead to numerous scenic over-looks.

     It has been pouring torrential rain for two days here - I was lucky to find a window of light rain to walk out in.  As I was exploring a side trail, the clouds parted the slightest bit and a shaft of light appeared in front of me.  It created this surreal looking scene.

     As ruins go, there are actually a number of bits of the main house's foundation left.  There is a picnic table out at the end of the trail - very welcome after the walk back.

     If you look closely at the photo below, you can see how the smoke from the lower fireplace was routed around and behind the fireplace above it.  I have not seen a ruins before that you could see this so clearly.

     There are numerous little side trails you can take, and I chose to walk one of them back to the welcome center.  It is about five miles overall, but if you walk it remember that there are ticks and chiggers actively looking for flesh even in the winter.  Long pants and bug spray are a must.

     Another great place on St. Simon's is Epworth By The Sea.  This is a Methodist camp and convention center, founded in 1949, that is beautifully set up for all manner of activities.  It sits directly overlooking the Frederica River on the old Hampton Plantation.   This was more recently the site of a large lumber processing facility, a few ruins of which still dot the grounds. 

     In 1735, John Wesley and his younger brother came to this island from Savannah to minister to the budding population.  John is credited with founding Methodism - and it is interesting to note that the very name "Methodist" was used by his peers to denigrate his beliefs.  So, the church adopted the name used to ridicule it - a rather brilliant thing.

     John himself was very young when he was here, and was a bit more of an idealist than the settlers could tolerate.  He was upset that more of the settlers did not attend his service, so he petitioned to have a law passed banning hunting on Sunday.  When one of the settlers bagged a turkey on a Sunday, Wesley had him thrown in the stockade.  He didn't last long - as we saw the other day even the Dr.'s wife went after him.  He left here to return to Savannah, and then in discouragement he headed back to England.  He was heard to say "I came here to save the savages, but found it was I who needed saving."  Whether this referred to folks running him off or to a sort of spiritual awakening I don't know.  But he did not give up and Methodism has become a powerful denomination in its own right.

     There are four large hotel like  buildings overlooking the river.  I am told that the best room rates anywhere around can be had here, but I am not sure of what the arrangements to rent them are.  As close to Christmas as we are, it is tough finding people to ask questions.  

     There is a little chapel by the river also - quite picturesque inside and out.

     This is the first time I have seen white pelicans - and although they were out of the range of my camera, I shot a photo anyway.  Just as I shot the photo, a dolphin emerged in front of them.  It is a very pretty place, and you can see the causeway that runs out to St. Simon's in the background.

     An old church named "Lovely Land Chapel" graces the property, built in 1880 and claiming to be the oldest building on St. Simon's Island.  It derived its name from the Baltimore MD location of the first conference in 1784 that marked the founding of Methodism.

     There are a few buildings on the property that look to be tabby construction with wooden shingle roofs.  

     Having grown up in Ohio, I find it amazing that here I am in late December, seeing lighting and listening to thunder and enjoying flowers in bloom.

     There are numerous dorms, conference buildings and recreational facilities on the property.  Just outside the gates, the local garden club has taken it upon themselves to renovate two old slave cabins.

     I love the textures when you combine this old wood with tabby construction.

     For today's parting shot - back to Cannon's Point.  There are numerous walking trails on the property, named things ranging from "Bee-Keeper's Lane" to "Georgia Primeval."

     I knew the trail I was supposed to take as soon as I saw it though: 

     Hopefully the torrential rains let up soon - I get Cabin Fever quickly.  Or, Van Fever as it were.

EMAIL me if you like, DONATE if you can, Read Today's Meditation if you have time, but whatever you do be sure to . . .

Have an Awesome Christmas Eve !!

David