Jekyll Island, GA - Jan, 2015

About 7 miles from where we have been camped in Brunswick, GA, is the cut off to Jekyll Island. Though we visited the island once before, we've not taken time to learn about the history nor have we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center that is located there.  Having visited the Turtle Farm in the Cayman Islands, I wasn't sure what to expect at the Sea Turtle Center in Georgia. Come to find out, there is a huge difference in their missions. The Cayman Turtle Farm is home to thousands of Green Sea Turtles and was established in 1965 to raise the Green Sea Turtle for commercial purposes (food) without depleting the wild populations. Consequently, when the laws that were in effect to protect the sea turtle prevented them from selling the product they were raising, it became a huge tourists attraction instead.

Turtle sculpture (not the best photo angle) created from debris
found on the beach that affects the sea turtle habitat.

The Sea Turtle Center in Georgia, however, was opened in 2007 to raise awareness of habitat and wild life conservation challenges. It is an advanced hospital and rehabilitation pavilion with many sea turtle patients regularly on view for guests. Sea Turtles observed when we visited were being cared for and rehabilitated to be released back into the wild. Many had been stranded and found along Atlantic Coast beaches. The turtles are all named and their progress is monitored until such time that they are released back into the ocean at their own  turtle release party. Education is a major part of the mission of The Sea Turtle Center, with focus on how our coastal ecosystems are impacted by the way we live and care for our environment. Many turtles are injured or killed by boat propellers, or being trapped in nets, but a common danger to them as well as all other marine life is the plastic that is discarded on our beaches and dumped in our oceans. Turtles and fish mistake our plastic trash for food and ingest it to their own demise. When you get the chance to walk on our beautiful sand beaches, take a bag along to pick up cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, and plastic bags. Not only will it help to beautify our beaches, but it will help to detoxify our ecosystem and protect our marine life. My eyes were just recently opened as to how serious the problem has become and it is up to us who have created the problem to correct it for the benefit of marine life, which in turn effects our lives. Rant over!

            

                Two clowns at the Sea Turtle Hospital.

No rehabilitating these two!

Hotel guests still dress in white to play croquet in the yard. 

Jekyll Island was originally purchased in 1886 to become an exclusive winter retreat for some of the nation's most elite families. Known as the Jekyll Island Club, the legendary Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers, and Vanderbilts came here to 'get away from it all'. During the Depression of the 1930's the cottages fell into disrepair and after WW II club members never returned. Descendants of the Jekyll Island Club families had little interest in maintaining the 'Cottages' comprising 'millionaires row' and the historic landmarks were all but lost to decay. 

One of the original Cottages on  Millionaires Row.
Not exactly what I picture as a 'cottage'.

Nice little island cart from
Jekyll Island Club days.

Thankfully, the state of Georgia purchased the Island and created The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District. Projects were started to restore the landmark structures, including the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Today you can tour the cottages which made up millionaire's row, book a room at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, and even play croquet on the lawn, but you must be outfitted in white, as is still the tradition.

We are Family!
MK, Red, Me, and Mimi

Looking up to see the moss
in the Live Oaks.

There is just something serene about taking a walk on the beach...  Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island is natures own gallery of driftwood art. Every piece seems to have been sculpted perfectly by the winds and waves.                        

The fishing pier is quiet and empty this day while the tide is low. What a scenic fishing perch it would make, if I only had a fishing pole. My next purchase, for sure!

Till Next Time,

    The Bee-Gals

     Kathy and Kathy

       

Speed Is Irrelevant ...

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On The Road Again!

Tue, Nov 18th, 2014 - Day #1

Arriving in St. Louis Tuesday afternoon, we found an RV Park downtown not far from the Arch that actually was a large parking lot they added electric and water hook-ups to. Nothing fancy, but the location made it really handy to be close...

And So We Begin....

Tuesday - Nov 18th, 2014

I guess part of me wondered if this day would actually ever come, but the delays have made it just that much more appreciated. And so here we are, at the beginning of what is sure to be an adventure. Now understand, it doesn't take a lot to keep us entertained...in fact our daily life together keeps us both fairly amused!

Not to get too far ahead of myself, ...

I should update you on our final launch. Last week on Monday, Nov. 10th we received our title for the RV which we were waiting for in order to get our plates. Finally, we could make some plans that included a leave date!

We set a leave date of Monday, Nov 17th, thinking it would give us plenty of time to load up, say our good-byes and take care of last minute details. By Wednesday, everything was loaded except out clothes, cats (Sammie and Sophie), and food. Wednesday night we had our LAST Girls night with our friend Lynn-Marie. That was hard, because for the last 2 years that has been our night to binge on pizza and TV together. Survivor, Orange Is The New Black, Prison Break...we always looked forward to our Wednesday nights!

With the weather continuing to deteriorate and temps dropping like a rock, we decided on Friday to set the RV up at the local camp ground for a few days to make sure everything was working properly. Other than frozen pipes every thing checked out and the furnace got a really good test! We brought the girls down to their new home, and they weren't overly impressed; but after the initial shock they seemed to adjust pretty well...(But just wait till we start this baby up, LOL)

Saturday, with the temperatures in the teens, snow flurries, and the wind howling we were able to test out most of the systems in the RV. Other than not having water, everything was fine and we stayed toasty warm. After a wonderful pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner with our friends Dianna and Rose, and a good-bye get together with friends at Cellar 21, we really started to get excited about the days ahead.

Sunday was our day to finish packing up the office in case we end up leasing out the office space. Yes, yes, we should have done this sooner, but I think we were both really dreading the finality of it. We had such high hopes that someone would want to take over and continue the business. The packing took much longer than we expected, and used up some of the time we hoped to  spend seeing friends, so we decided to put off leaving town until Tuesday instead of Monday. 

Monday, was time to visit with parents and special friends.Spent time with Momma Marilyn and Fred (they drove for us in the early years of Bee-Line Express and became cherished friends), and Momma Lea (our neighbor and dear friend from when we lived on 25th Street...she loved to come sit on our front porch...sometimes when we weren't even home!..lol). Monday evening, we stopped to visit friends Pam and Trudy and were invited to stay for chili! Having such good friends makes it difficult to leave....but then we are coming back, ya know... Just not on a permanent basis!

Tuesday, after a good night's sleep, it was time to load up the little car into the motorhome and head out! Was hoping to visit family in Hillsboro on the way south, but cancelled that stop due to the cold and lack of campgrounds open in the area this time of year...will plan to visit them on the way back and hopefully stay a couple days.

The Bee-Gals
   Kathy & Red


Day 1 Video