We reached Georgia a few days ago and I gotta say, I prefer it very much over South Carolina. North Carolina was my kinda place. I enjoyed all the places we stopped at and sailed past. South Carolina was a bit too Disney-esque for my liking. Every bit of land in South Carolina was coiffed and manicured and moneyed and fenced to death. Walking there was outlawed, judging by the road designs.

But Georgia has been wonderful. Though it is somewhat commercialized, Jekyll Island has a natural, fantastic beauty that is unlike anywhere I’ve been. The way the sun shines through the Spanish Moss on the century oaks reminds me of icicles in the morning light (but without the cold). The pines here are majestic. And the beach was amazing. And unlike South Carolina, those walking and biking here are treated to wonderful trails and sidewalks. Instead of fences everywhere, there are walkways inviting you from neighbourhoods onto the beaches.

Driftwood Beach at the North end of Jekyll was worth the few miles of riding it took to reach it. The wide beach is covered in dead trees and tidal pools which give it a haunting feel. A few miles offshore, the remains of a recently overturned large cargo ship provide a stark reminder that life is precious and the day and the good weather are things we must not take for granted.

After leaving Jekyll, we stopped at Cumberland Island, about 25 miles south of Jekyll. Cumberland has similar beaches and terrain, but it’s a national park. It used to be the opulent estate of the Carnegie family in the late 1800’s and into the early 1900’s. The property had a giant mansion and a whole village of out buildings and residences. Apparently, in the 1950’s, one of the property managers caught someone poaching on the island and reported the misdeed to authorities. A week later, the buildings were burned to the ground and the Carnegie’s yacht was found riddled with shot gun holes. Interesting.

Cumberland Island has wild horses. I was expecting to watch herds running wild along the beach. Instead, these horses are quite low energy. They stand around and walk about along the paths, grazing as they go. They are quite used to humans and will follow you in hopes of food.

We started our day with cinnamon buns fresh from the oven of Zandalee. Our hosts, Robin and Louise are becoming famous for their warm breakfast goodies. Later, after a long hike, we had a little raft up party with the other rally boats. The warmth of the day was starting to fade as I took this little video: