Cumberland Island

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.