Cumberland Island

     Cumberland Island National Seashore is the setting for still another mystery by one of my favorite authors, Nevada Barr.  I have always wanted to go there, but forgot that it was because I read the book.  On a misty, windy day we took the ferry from St. Mary's, down the St. Mary River out to the island.  It was a 45 minute ride.  We had to bring water and lunch as there is no cafe on the island.  We  left the boat at lunch time and found a less windy spot under a big tree to have our lunch.  It was actually not bad out of the wind.  For a while the mist stopped and it seemed fairly warm.

    Some of the island is private property, but a large portion was owned by the Carnegie family.  On the south end of the island they built a 37,000 square foot mansion.  There was also a recreation complex that included an indoor swimming pool, garages, barns and other outbuildings.  Huge!  Most of it is now in ruins.

     The island is home to many wild horses (about 130), deer, armadillos, wild pigs, and bobcats.  Lots of varieties of birds, too, including a bunch of wild turkeys.  We saw lots of horse dung and one horse, and a couple of armadillos.  In reviewing my pictures the armadillos look like rocks, but they were fun to see.  We were warned several times not to approach the horses who were pretty accustomed to people, but likely to kick if approached.  

     We did a lot of walking around the island, but didn't walk the half mile deep sand path over the dunes to the beach. However, despite the chill there were a fair number of young folks in shorts and flipflops who were heading for the water.   Many folks come to backpack and camp on the island.  There is a campground across the island from the northern ferry stop.  We were amazed at the piles of stuff that the some of the current campers brought with them - coolers, camp chairs, huge tents, and mountains of duffle bags and plastic boxes.  Clearly these folks weren't backpacking.  

     The ferry returns to St. Mary's late in the afternoon.  It leaves from two docks.  We walked the mile and a half to the more northern dock where the ferry loads first so that we could sit down inside for the 45 minute ride back.  It was a long walk at the end of a tiring day, but beautiful and so quiet under a canopy of live oaks and Spanish moss. Kids who had been running around the island all day were still full of energy and raced around the outside deck of the ferry.  We dozed in our seats.  By the time we got back to the dock it was drizzling heavily again.  Warmer day tomorrow, we hope.