Hey there!
T and I are in Amelia Island this week for work
I told you awhile back that we moved because he decided to come back to a family business
The family business runs educational tours for retirement age individuals, and they do a great job!
So, he has got to learn the business and the tours
and his wife gets to tag along
for moral support, of course
Yesterday we took a day trip to beautiful Cumberland Island, which is off the coast of Georgia
The only way to get there is by ferry
a quick 45 minutes on the boat and you have arrived
It's really a step back in time
and if you remember its where John F. Kennedy, Jr. married Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1996
So chic
The Resurrection Ferns were in full bloom after a heavy rain
Yeah, I had no idea what a resurrection fern was till yesterday - They are ferns that dry up and look almost dead when it hasn't rained for awhile, but come back to life after a good soaking!
Here is our group headed through the Avenue of Oaks
so beautiful
One of the most interesting things about the island is its history -
It was bought by the Carnegie family in 1880 as a winter retreat
They built the ultra swank Dungeness mansion
40 rooms
100 if you include the closets, pantry and siderooms
why am I not an heiress?!?
Sadly, this is all that's left of the great estate
This is the front of the mansion
Can you see the wild horses in this picture?
The horses are relatives of horses the Carnegie's owned. In Mrs. Carnegie's will she specified that she wanted her horses released to roam the island. So there are tons of them running wild.
Look at those planters!
This is the backside of the mansion and the lawn where they threw great parties
They had a staff of 300
Can. You. Imagine.
They built pools, tennis courts, a casino, etc.
Crazy
This was the casino
The Carnegie's built beautiful houses around the island for their children
This was one of the last houses owned by the Carnegie's, but it now belongs to the park service because the 40 year trust ended last year
(the Carnegie's are fighting to get it back)
I can see why they want it back
There are tons of live oaks on the island
My favorite tree
This is Robert E. Lee's father's orginal gravesite
His body was moved to Virginia to be buried by his son recently
Glad I didn't have that job..
The salt marsh at low tide
Horse hoof prints in the sand
So unusual to see this
And here are two of the horses close up
They are very calm - they didn't even budge as we walked by
Our group finally made it to the beach
It's so private and beautiful
Here is our tour guide/naturalist explaining some of the different shells and sea life found along the coast
This was my favorite part of the trip
The maritime forest is so beautiful
It looks like a fairyland!
Excuse my paleness...
The canopy is unbelievable
I would highly suggest going to Cumberland if you are ever in South Georgia
If you're a big camper
...its a great place to go (my brother has been 5 times)! You will see so much wildlife - sea turtles, raccoons, tons of birds, wild horses, jelly fish (that don't sting!), etc. If you're like me, head to the only hotel on the island, The Greyfield Inn. It's supposedly super swank!
Hope y'all have enjoyed these pictures - they were too beautiful not to share!
Hope everyone is having a great week!!!
xx.
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