Monday, December 21, 2020
The rain had stopped overnight, but the clouds were still clearing when I woke up. Making use of the patio, I just grabbed a chair and waited. This was the sum and substance of sunrise.
The Holiday Inn doesn’t offer breakfast, They own the adjoining restaurant, where you can buy breakfast. What they do offer is free coffee. That’s available in the rather small bar on the third floor. Less than an hour after sunrise, the bulk of those clouds had burned off and the sky cleared. The coffee bar might be a perfect spot for sunrise one of these mornings.
After coffee, it was time to go explore Jekyll Island. Just a half mile up the road is a small parking area for Driftwood Beech. I ditched the car and started walking.
As the north shore of the island slowly erodes away over time, salt water kills off the trees, leaving what you find here on the beach.
At some point, I came to a small channel of water, perhaps a foot and a half wide and six inches deep. It was easy to hop across and I thought nothing of it as I kept walking up the beach. And yes, this does come back around in the narrative.
Up ahead on the beach is where you’ll find what remains of the South Korean container ship, Golden Ray. It overturned in this channel in September of last year, carrying 4,200 cars. The salvage plan involves slicing the ship into chunks and then hauling them out on barges.
This is about the point where I turned around to head back to the car. Remember that small channel I hopped over? Well, I hadn’t planned on high tide. It was now three feet across and a foot and a half deep. I could have rolled my pants up and waded across. Instead, I chose the long way. I wound up walking back up the beach towards the fishing pier, then taking a trail back. It all worked out, and I was back on the beach a little further up.
Lunch was at the hotel’s restaurant called the Beach House. The Shrimp Po’Boy...delicious.
A few months ago, someone posted a photo in a Facebook group of an abandoned amphitheater on Jekyll Island. A little digging and I found super easy directions. There’s a dirt road just past the island’s fire house to the north. Pull in, head towards the right and look for a green archway.
I found the archway. A short walk and I found the amphitheater. This was used by Valdosta State University until 2005 when it was abandoned.
Standing on stage, I suddenly realized I had an audience...
The graffiti was a little odd, too. I have no idea who ACAB is...
Or who this person is...
From the parking area...
Feeling pretty good about the day, I took a drive around the island, eventually finding myself on St. Andrew’s Beach. Definitely a place to remember for Tuesday's sunset.
Across from the parking lot, there's a short trail with a string of historical markets. They tell of a horrible event that took place on this stretch of beach. While slavery was still legal in some states, the importation of Africans to be used as slaves was banned by Congress in 1808. Of course, that didn't end the smuggled slave trade.
One of the last of these ships was a refurbished luxury yacht turned cargo ship, named The Wanderer. Savannah businessman Charles Lamar hired Captain William Corrie for a smuggling run. On October 18, 1858, he left Africa with 487 slaves in his hold. They arrived here on Jekyll Island forty-two days later. Word quickly spread.
After a brief investigation, Captain Corrie and his crew were charged with illegally smuggling slaves and had their ship confiscated. They were all found not guilty a year later. As for the ship, Charles Lamar bought it a auction. He was never charged. In a tiny bit of poetic justice, Lamar would sell the boat a few years later. The buyer sailed away and never paid him for it.
I left St. Andrews Beach and took the loop road out to a place called Great Dunes. With a name like that, I expected something big. I was underwhelmed.
With the afternoon starting to wane, it was about time to find a spot for sunset. The fishing pier seemed like a likely spot to settle in and wait. It also provided a closer look at the Golden Ray. By the way, that island on the other side is St. Simons, my next destination.
One curious thing though. On the end of the dock is this rather clear and straightforward sign:
This was the night of the big Jupiter and Saturn Conjunction. My first thought was to grab a bite and come back. Instead, I wound up chatting with the locals and some other tourists out for the big show. It was supposed to be visible an hour after sunset. After an hour and a half, people started leaving, myself included. Without a much bigger lens on my camera, it was one of many bright stars out. Though I will admit, it was pretty cool seeing photos on line from people who were able to take clear pictures.
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