Vacation Post

Kevin almost always updates before I do, thus stealing my thunder. Since this is always the case, I had not expected to get to post comments and pictures about our vacation. However, he found Georgia representative Cynthia McKinney's defeat to be enough fodder for his blog today.

And now I have something to post.


We spent all last week vacationing at a resort in Jekyll Island, Georgia. The resort was beautiful and relaxing and just what we needed. Our room was literally a sand dune away from the beach and the whole complex is surrounded by palm trees. Kevin's parents spent a day and a half with us, at which time I once again proved my prowess at miniature golf. Okay, well, I tied for second place...and there were only three of us playing. But still.
We spent a "day" on Cumberland Island. The island is undeveloped and has an ancient, almost sacred sort of feel. No automobiles are allowed on the island, which is accessed only by ferry. The National Park Service also limits visitors to approximately 100 per day. Once the home of first General Nathaniel Greene and his family, and then the widow of Thomas Carnegie and their children, the homestead is now in ruins. Wild ponies, from the Carnegie era, roam free. The heat index that day was just shy of 110, so we only lasted about 3 hours before we opted to take the earlier ferry back to the mainland.
Yet another stop was Christ Church on St. Simon's Island, founded in 1736 by John and Charles Wesley, before the movement that led to the founding of the Methodist Church. Ironically, the Wesley's left St. Simon's in frustration, feeling that they were not reaching the people there.
The cemetary there, like many old cemetaries, is rumored to be "actively" haunted. I have a fascination with old cemetaries. They have so many stories to tell, of families who are no longer in existence, and of a time long before mine. We spent a pleasant half hour wandering through the graves, wondering and creating stories for the people there.
Back on St. Jekyll, we visited the historic district. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel and the land surrounding it was once the playground for some of the world's wealthiest families, including Rockefeller, Goodyear, Pulitzer, and Morgan. The buildings are amazing. The club has been kept in all its magnificence, and many of the surrounding estates, once fallen by the wayside, are now being restored. The result is like stepping into a millionaire's playground.
On our last night, we went horseback riding. The trail our guide took us on trailed throught the maritime forest, along the beach, and then back into the forest again. As we crossed onto the beach on the return trip, the sun was setting. We paused to take pictures and then to watch the dolphins playing just off the shore. A great way to end our trip.

Now it's home and back to the real world. I've finishing a grad school class and Kevin is finishing his last few days with his current assignment. All good things must end, but we've got great pictures!