Blogs from Saint Simons Island, Georgia, United States, North America

Fort Frederica National Monument, Frederica, Georgia Archaeology might best be described as the scientific imagination. The ruins of Fort Frederica are really not much. There is a single room still standing - a magazine from the original fort. Otherwise all you can see anywhere in the fort or its supporting town are faint outlines of foundations. But out of a substantial effort at recovering artifacts, and comparing them to what written records are available, archeologists have been able to reconstruct a pretty good model of what the fort and the town looked like. And the Park Service has developed a very good method of conveying that model by walking you through the grounds using interpretive signs and a telephone recording where you punch in your stop number and a narrator tells you what is going on ... read more

Today Saint Simons is beautiful and tranquil, but for centuries it was the scene of significant struggles, first against hostile elements, then Spanish invaders from Florida, later the English during the Revolution, and Union Forces during the Civil War. Military: In 1733 General Oglethorpe founded the settlement of Frederica at the north end of the Island, and he quickly added a substantial Fort (1736). The Spanish were attempting to annex Georgia to their Florida colony, but Oglethorpe’s troops routed them for good in 1742 at Bloody Marsh. When the Fort was subsequently abandoned, Frederica lost its importance and gradually fell into decline. There were some naval battles in the Saint Simons area during the War of Independence that ensued not long after. The following century was calm, and marked by increasing importance of cotton all over ... read more

For those of you who have been envious of our winter getaway weather. Here are two pictures that say it all. The first was taken our first week here, the second was taken this morning during our noon, walk. (yes NOON, we were waiting for it to warm up!)... read more

Counting down the days now, we're into our last week away. We're both ready to come home. We miss everyone and the dogs too! Yesterday, Ian and I spent the afternoon searching for tree spirits. Here's a little writeup about them, that I've taken from one of the Island publications: These images, by an Island wood carver, immortalize the countless sailors who lost their lives at sea aboard the mighty sailing ships that were once made from St. SImons Island oak trees. Their sad sorrowful expressions seem to reflect the grieving appearance of the trees themselves with their drooping branches and moss. We searched and searched but we only found two. Apparently there are many many more. There are thousands, upon thousands of Live Oaks on the Island, so, to find two was an accomplishment in ... read more

This was just the most amazing place. It is a education and rescue centre for sea turtles of all shapes and sizes. The interactive educational part of it, was very well done, we also got to watch through a window as the staff treated a turtle that had been hit by a boat propeller and it's shell had been cut open, giving it spine and lung injuries. It had been there for 18 months and still had open wounds. They do their best not to sedate the turtles for treatment, as they are not passive breathers..they have to think to breath, and if they're sedated..well, you can guess what happens. We then got a tour of the hospital, where they introduced each turtle, ranging from 150lb down to tiny little babies. Explaining what each injury was, ... read more