It had been an easy drive, good weather and only a few quick stops so we were making good time.
This place is like a hunting and fishing lodge restaurant...mounts, antlers and all kinds of stuff is everywhere....
It's on the St. John's River and many folks boat to the restaurant....and you can eat outside. It was a bit hot for us, so we chose to eat inside.
As soon as you walk in this big guy greets you..........
After you walk in there are mounts everywhere, as well as a small gator pond...
Yep even mounts of girnormous snakes.....YUCK!!!!
The gator pond was on the way up to the restrooms...yep, he was alive!!
Even the Ladies Room kept to the "wild kingdom" theme.....the sinks and mirrors were really cool
We had a wonderful dinner, we decided on the low country boil for two....was all we could handle.
As you can see the menu is just as interesting as the decor...
When we walked out to leave I got a short film of the turtles that were right by the dock..too cool
After dinner we headed for Amelia...we arrived just before dark....had a nice place on the beach. We got the stuff inside then took a stroll along the beach and stopped for a drink and dessert....then it was bedtime.
The next morning we made our way downstairs in time for breakfast. Though this is not a B and B, breakfast was part of the deal. Phil was our chef..he cooked eggs anyway u wanted...and u could have bacon, sausage, pancakes, bagels, toast, fruit, yogurt, cereal, juice, milk, coffee...it was really nice. Surely was a nice start and you could go a while on this....so after breakfast we jumped on our bikes and headed for Fort Clinch....the entrance to the state park where it is, was very close....once in the park we had to ride about 3 mi to get there. It was a fairly easy and a shaded ride, so was not bad.
The very nice ranger inside told us a little about the Fort, then guided us to the next building to see a film and some artifacts....
It sits on Amelia Island at the entrance to the St. Marys River and the Cumberland Sound and has been occupied by various military troops since 1736, it was built to protect the deep water port of Fernandina. Construstion of Fort Clinch, named after General Duncan Lamont Clinch a prominent figure of the Second Seminole War, was begun in 1847. A pentagonal brick fort with both inner and outer walls, Fort Clinch was a safe haven for blockade runners during the Civil War. Briefly occupied by Confederate forces, its recapture by Federal troops in early 1862 gave the Union control of the adjacent Georgia and Florida coasts. The fort was used in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, but was abandoned until the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) restored it in the 1930s. A Florida State Park, Fort Clinch is interpreted as the base of Union operations in the area throughout the Civil War.
This Fort was built to protect the deep waterway canal from enemies.
These types of guns were mounted all around the top of the fort.
All of these artifacts were really intersting....
A typical soldier of the fort....
After looking around and watching the film we headed out to the fort...
Normally there are folks in and around the fort dressed in clothes of that time, but we only saw one and he was in the visitor center...
Walking towards the fort
The first thing you see once you enter the fort....Old Glory
Looking to the right once inside.....
We went to the left first for our self-guided tour....the prison came first. Prisoners had to wear a ball and chain and a sign around their neck stating what they did wrong.
The open area is where the guards slept and the solid door was solitary confinement for the really bad guys.
The fireplace in the common areas and another holding cell
On to the next building...barracks....lots of guys in one room
With a fireplace and a place to hold their guns...
Next was the kitchen.....complete with "wall ovens" used for making bread.....primarily
Storage room ..........
Workshop..........
Narrow 2-story buildings and long low narow hallways inside some of them, that dead to the outer walls or into rooms where they could look out to see the enemy and shoot them.
Denny was coming out of a bunker type area where you could look and see if the enemy was coming
Then we went up top to see the view and the canal they were protecting..
A view from up top, looking into the fort.
I took this picture thru the binoculars..it was a really odd channel marker....
There were 100 of these guns all around the top of the fort....
It was a gorgeous day...but rather warm...you could see the fort below, the guns and ocean above.
A look at the outer wall....these "windows" are where they could watch for the enemy
The laundry facilities.....lice were a big problem....wouldn't have wanted her job.
Another kitchen and eating area with a "wall oven"....
Storage for the ammo........
The Latrene (potty).......yep..just go in and sit down....
The Quartermaster's building. He was in charge of ALL supplies....personal and otherwise
What you see on this table was standard issue to each soldier....basic needs only
He lived upstairs...and had more stoarge up there....
The front door to an officers quarters....not too bad
This is a postcard that had an aerial view....
The Rnager told us that the day before a sub had come into the harbor and many came in every month. But we missed it....darn. This is a postcard of a picture of one when it came in. The fort used to fire a cannon when a sub would come in...after 9/11....they can't do that anymore. Would have been very cool to see one come in..maybe next time.
We spent over an hour at the fort, it was really amazing....then cooled off and got something to drink back at the visitor center. Back on our bikes and headed out. We made a brief stop at a fishing pier and a bird watching/exhibition area then we headed for the historical downtown area. About 5 miles down the road. We found this gas station turned restaurant, had a floata and a shake and some fries. Yum-O!!!
After this little rest we rode the downtown area stopping to look in shops and at the water front. Was a nice area and very bike friendly. We stopped a the island visitor center to get a bike path map and were told bikes were welcome anywhere. Sidewalks, streets....anywhere. We also learned that on the southern part of the island there were real bike paths. We wouldn't have time on this trip, but good to know. We rode the streets, looked at the old houses and just enjoyed. By this time it was about 4p and we'd been gone since 10a on the bikes and we were about done....so we headed back to the hotel. We took showers and a nap....was wonderful. We walked next door for a light dinner and headed back to bed. ...we'd enjoyed Amelia....maybe we'll come back.
Saturday morning we headed north towarda Savannah and my nieces' house....we'd wanted to stop on St. Simons but the co-pilot, me, missed the exit and by the time we realized it would have cost too many miles to turn around, so we decided to go on into Savannah and wander the city it had been a while since we'd been there and then we'd catch St. Simons on the way home Monday....good deal.
Savannah was busy...it was a holiday weekend, but we still had fun on the water front.
We thought about a cable car ride...but was too long. Another thing for another time.
We got a bite to eat at the Shrimp Factory and did a little walking...bought some pralines and junk to share and headed to Britt's house.
When we arrived we had a blast playing with the kiddos....she has a 3yr old and twin (almost 2yr old) boys....all boys...it was so much fun. We played outside, rode bikes, chased the neighbors cat...just had a blast. About the time we gave out was time for the boys to go to bed...good timing. So we all crashed and slept great. Saturday was a nice slow day. Britt and Des were willing to pack it all up and go somewhere but we where just fine to stay at the house and hang out. We played in pool, rode more bikes, played with toys....just had fun. We grilled some burgers that night and had a nice slow nite just visiting.....thanks guys it was great.
I was a horrible aunt and didn't take any kid pictures....but here's some fav's from another time...
The next day we had to head home....so we hit the road around 11a. Our first stop was this dive for lunch. Dessie's Dad had recommended it and was it ever good....thanks Des. The fried shrimp and oysters were amazing!!!
About 15min further we were on St. Simons....it was also rather busy....
I love lighthouses...it's on my bucket list to sleep in one some night.....
The G8 Summit was on Sea Island, which is just next to St. Simons, in 2004...President George Bush is in the picture along with the other leaders that attended.
After this, we drove down the Fort Frederica...built in 1736
All along the walk out to the fort you pass by artifacts and old homesteads....very interesting.
This was a town built to support the fort...Broad Street was the center and lead to what is left of the fort.
A layout of how it is believed the town was laid out...
Heading towards the fort.....
Heading away from the fort and back down Broad Street....and we stopped at a few more "home sites"
What a great place, very glad we took the time to do this.
Our next stop was at Christ Church....beautiful and old.
Some of these were arranged and laid out very differently than what we might do today.
A lovely day to walk around....
Next we headed for Jekyll Island...another place we hadn't been in so long we'd forgotten most everything. It cost $6 to drive on and it's very different than St. Simons. much smaller and much more natural, although there was lots on construction so that's about to change. We drove a few miles south on the island, then back to the north and finally found the Jekyll Island Club Hotel...the only thing we remembered. Croquet set up on the front lawn and over looking the water...just lovely. Then we headed off the island....it was pretty and had some wonderful biking potential but it was already almost 6p and we had about a 5hr ride...time to head home.
We got home late, but that was ok..we'd had a great trip and you can always catch up on your sleep later.....hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.
