Wok N Roll with us...Bob and Teri Along with Atlas and Kalani: Woodbine, GA 10/21/13

Woodbine, GA...was intended as a 'stop over point' on our way to Orlando, but as those that follow our blog know, we find something just about everywhere we travel to.

We were here a short while and met new friends our first day, which was rainy (and had them over for BBQ ribs). We traveled to St. Mary's GA one day, visiting this quaint town and also went to their submarine museum while there. Their submarine museum is the largest in the south and the 5th largest in the US. It is located near Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, one of only two Trident Submarine Bases in the world. The museum is a reunion site for former submariners. The city of St. Mary's has many well restored old buildings. As an extra bonus, we were there during their Hay Days, and enjoyed walking amongst the various scarecrows, decorated by the local merchants.

Our last full day, we drove to Jekyll Island, GA, where we had an enjoyable day. Jekyll Island is rich in history, being most notably known for the Jekyll Island club. Munsey's Magazine in 1904 described the club as "the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the World." Members, among others, included J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Vincent Astor, Joseph Pulitzer, William Vanderbilt, George Macy, Frank Goodyear, Marshall Field, Cyrus Hall McCormick and Edwin Gould. The club lasted 54 years, closing at the end of the 1942 season. The club was a winter resort for the rich and famous. Most built winter 'cottages'. Most of the 'cottages' were over 7,000 square feet and had multiple full bathrooms (sometimes over 6) at a time when many in this country did not have inside plumbing. The cottages also had electricity, although only 10 hours each day, during the time the generators ran. Almost all meals were eaten at the clubhouse, where they would travel to in their 'red bugs' that went 35 MPH. While touted as a vacation getaway, even with most cottages having 12 or more servants, and with the men hunting on the island this still seemed to us as more like an opportunity for the rich to show off their attire and tell their 'rich' stories to those of like class structure. Eventually the war came which created access to the island issues, including German Subs hanging out off shore. After the war, the state of Georgia, really wanted the property and managed to acquire the Island, through condemnation of most of the properties.

We toured the museum and also took the tram tour while on the island which included being able to tour inside 3 of the cottages. No inside pictures were permitted. These cottages, their size, décor, modernisms for the day are impressive. We also learned a few trivia things. The Rockefeller house had one of the first living rooms. We learned that parlors, besides being used for entertaining, were also where the dead were put. Thus, Mrs. Rockefeller wanted a 'living' room. Most of the cottages also had coffin windows as it was considered bad luck to carry the dead out of your front door. Some of the cottages had their own servant quarters. The island also had a servant village, with included dining hall. There was a church on the island. Attendance was mandatory, however, a servant could be sent to sit in for you. Because of the high concentration of the movers and shakers at that time, Jekyll Island was the location of various historic events, including the first transcontinental telephone call. More information is found at: http://www.jekyllclub.com/about-us/club-history/ and also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_Island_Club

We also traveled to the north end of Jekyll Island to walk along Driftwood Beach. Driftwood Beach, we think resembled a tree graveyard (If there is such a thing). Lots of huge driftwood, everywhere you turned. It really was a neat adventure.

We are headed to Orlando where we will pull things together for our Caribbean dive cruise. Next posting will be sometime after we return from the cruise on 11/10/13.

Bank of Camden 1911(St. Mary's, GA)

First Bank Catholic Church 1840

(St. Mary's, GA)

Inside St. Mary's Submarine Museum
Dolphins were chosen as the submariner's symbol
because of how the dolphin dives and surfaces
http://www.aboutsubs.com/dolphins.htm