Sunday 19 July 2009

June 10th to 13th, 2009 - Charleston NC

Charleston, NC is a great city to visit for Civil War history, architecture and WWII Naval history buffs. Unfortunately we had a incident with one of our memory cards and lost (or misfiled) the pictures of the WWII naval ships in the floating museum.



Fort Sumter is on an island just inside the harbor. This is where the first shot of the USA Civil War was fired. We sailed by, but did not go to the fort. We did attend the museum on the mainland and it was very good.



Copy of the first submarine to sink a ship. It did not survive the encounter.


Four historical buildings share the same corner. A church, Federal Building, Municipal Hall and Courts. The Courts building was the original colonial office.





We toured several beautiful mansions. This was my favorite.

June 01st to 9th, 2009 - Datona Beach, St Augustine, Ft George, Cumberland Island, Jekyll Island, Brunswick Landing.

The title line lists the anchorages we used. The only two stops of note in this section of our travels were Cumberland and Jekyll Islands. Both are now parks, but were once owned as the winter destinations for the rich and famous. Jekyll Island was the birthplace of the US Federal Reserve, the location of the first "condo" and the eastern terminus of the first trans continental phone call. Very interesting history and amazing scenery, flora and fauna. for more details see http://www.jekyllisland.com/ and http://www.nps.gov/cuis/.





The club house, now a luxury hotel. The 6plex "condo", has no dining kitchens or dining facilities as all meals were to be eaten in the club house. The largest "cottage" (now part of the hotel) was built by the plumbing mogul "Crane" featured the most bathrooms and, in defiance of custom, a kitchen. The first trans continental phone call.


The remains of the Carnegie mansion on Cumberland Island.


Where have all the people gone? Miles of beach, once the playground of the "rich and famous".



Beasts on the beach.


Buoy on the beach.



Marsh and sand dunes.


SV "Passat II" and Barrie at Cumberland Island.




Fauna and flora on Cumberland Island. Our first armadillo and closest encounter with an alligator.