I'd stopped at Cumberland Island during my last trip up the coast, but this time I had my best friend with me, and that made all the difference.
Native Americans lived on the island for roughly 4000 years before Europeans arrived. When the French tried to plant a settlement in the area in the 1560s, the island was occupied by the Timucua group, which dominated all of northern Florida and southern Georgia.
I happen to be interested in these facts, because I'm working on a novel that takes place in that particular setting. I'd hoped to get a feeling for what the island might have looked like, so long ago. And though the original live oak forest that used to cover the island is long gone -- harvested by none other than Revolutionary War hero, Nathaniel Green -- large second-growth live oaks have again established themselves on the island, and thanks to the island being protected as a National Seashore, it is about as wild and rugged a place as you can expect on the east coast of the USA.
At any rate, it is a truly beautiful island and we've enjoyed our three day stay here.
Helena took tons of pictures, so I've assembled some of them into a short slideshow that will give you a taste of the Island.
Click to view full-size
Today is a rainy, cool Sunday, so we are on the boat, tidying up and getting ready to head north tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be pretty nasty offshore, so we are going to take the ICW up to Jeckell Island, which is supposed to be a fun place.
Next Up: Playing with Porta Bote
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