November 9, 2006 - Moving day again, we gathered early to get our tickets to Jekyll Island. With the rest of the morning to kill before starting the
drive, we went to breakfast with the Watters at The Breakfast Club on the main street of Tybee. Billed as world famous, the food lived up to the billing. It was a menu that included eggs fixed any way, grits, all sorts of meats - bacon, several forms of sausage, steak, pork chops, and more - toast. We then hooked up and started the drive south.
At Darien we detoured to visit the Fort King George Historic Site. This was the first English fort in Georgia, established in 1721 - twelve years before Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island. The purpose was to guard the entrance to the Altamaha River and form a buffer to the settlements in South Carolina from invading Spaniards from Florida. How they expected such a pathetically small installation in such a remote area of the marsh to accomplish anything is amazing. Apparently, the impracticality of the location became apparent. It was abandoned in 1732. Archaelogical exploration began in the 1960s, and restoration began in the 1980s to achieve the interesting exhibits there today.
We arrived at Jekyll Island about 2:30pm and quickly got settled among the live oak trees in the campground on the south end of the island. Sadly we learned that our leaders - the Kings - had problems with their motorhome and had to be towed back to Savannah for repairs.
We had a leftover party in the evening at the McLaughlin's in an effort to consume all the things accumulated from our many cookouts. Duell and Linda Robinson invited their son to preview our tour of Jekyll. His job prior to two years ago was to supervise the renovation of the millionaire "cottages." Everyone appreciated his knowledge of the island.
November 10, 2006 - When General Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia in the early 18th century, one of his friends and key benefactors was Sir Joseph Jekyll, a member of the English Parliament. To honor his friend, Oglethorpe named the island Jekyll. The island has a remarkable history, the most notable period being the millionaire's era - roughly the 50 years following 1886 and the development of the Jekyll Island Club. The Club acquired ownership of the island, then sold shares to wealthy Americans, the club members. The members included the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Morgans, Astors, Goulds, Macys, Goodyears, and their contemporaries. It was the "richest, most exclusive and most inaccessible club in the world" - until 1942 and the advent of World War II. When the club folded, the State of Georgia bought the island for $675,000. The Jekyll Island Authority was formed in 1951, and the restoration of the "cottages" has been an ongoing project ever since.
Our tour of Jekyll began at 9:30am on this day when we were picked up at the campground office by a trainload of trams pulled by a jeep. The "mule train" circled through the historic area of old homes while the driver gave us running commentary about what we were seeing. We stopped long enough to go inside the Rockefeller cottage - a 13,500 sq.ft. cottage - and the small local chapel with its gorgeous stained glass windows.
Following the "mule train" tour, Ann and I drove over to St. Simons for lunch and a re-visit to 304 Broadway where we lived back in the mid-60s. It was still there with the trees grown up a bit, but it appeared to be unlived in. St. Simons has grown exponentially. The "Village" side of the island remains pretty much as it was, but the forest all the way out to Fort Frederica has been developed into upscale subdivisions. It's not the sleepy little place it was 40 years ago.
November 11, 2006 - This was our last day of the caravan - a free day except for the final banquet
in the evening, held at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. We did a bit of exploring during the day, driving
around the south end of the island and then back through the historic district. The local fire
department had a fund raising barbecue and craft show going on in the shadow of the Club Hotel.
After a bite of lunch we drove to the north end of the island and the modern fishing pier. That end
of the island has been drastically eroded with dead trees fallen into the water. With the clear air
the view across to St. Simons was sharp.
Our final meal together as a caravan - the final banquet - was held in the elegant duBignon room of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. duBignon was the first European owner of Jekyll Island, settling here in 1792. It was his descendant - a great, grandson - who sold the island in 1886 to the wealthy conglomerate that formed the exclusive Jekyll Island Club. Our numbers were down to 41 from the original 49, but we still filled the banquet room. Our leaders' motorhome was still in the shop in Savannah, but they drove down to be with us for the banquet.
The cake was specially formed in the shape of a classic Airstream. It was a great meal of either veal or shrimp.
It's never easy to say goodbye to caravan friends, but after a prayer for safety on the road and a rendition of Auld Lang Syne led by Jack Jeffries it was, "Good-bye" and "See you down the road" as we parted company. Another successful caravan completed.
Novemer 12, 2006 - It was sure 'nuff good-bye on this day as caravaners one-by-one pulled out of the Jekyll Island Campground to go their separate ways.
