This morning we were greeted by Mylena when we ventured out of our room.  She served us breakfast on the open air porch which wraps around the apartment.   It was an ample breakfast which started with Cuban Coffee.   Although they warned us that it would be strong and served it with a second carafe of hot water to weaken it and with warm milk we decided that it was not much stronger than the standard cup at Peet's Coffee.   

A glance at the calendar this morning made us realize that we really could slow down to a proverbial crawl. The driving time from here (Brunswick, Georgia) to Miami (where we need to be Sunday night) is a measly 6 1/2 hours.   So we re-upped our hotel room for one more day and decided to check out Jekyll Island, which is, a 20 minute drive from here.   Boy are we glad that we did - especially on a day with a clear blue sky where the temperature topped out at 78 degrees.    

The planning and conservation department of Jekyll Island are to be congratulated.   There are no buildings over 4 stories in height, miles of undeveloped beaches, over 14 miles of paved and scenic bicycle paths, numerous clean public bathrooms, and public parks and picnic areas with beach views.    Yes there are private homes and hotels ranging from Days Inn to the Westin and the Historic Jekyll  Island Club, and the needed shops and restaurants.   But the overall feeling is one of relaxation and natural beauty.   

We had our morning coffee outside by the beach then chose a route for a bicycle ride through a marsh out to the aptly named barefoot beach.   For our first bicycle outing we were both pleased with the 4.2 mile distance covered.   Then we had an unexpectedly delicious lunch (again outside within earshot of the waves).   After lunch we took advantage of the nearby swinging bench and then the Adirondack chairs.   We chatted with a long time Island resident and checked out the rest of the Island by car.   Lovely day.   

​Our intention this morning was to take a long walk in the Lewis Vinter Botanical Garden in Richmond before heading back out on the road.   Alas the temperature was in the low 40's and there was a light rain falling from a decidedly gray sky.  Not exactly garden strolling weather.  So we just got in the car and headed further south on Interstate 95.

At one point we came across this AMC Pacer (1975-1979) that had been meticulously restored.  We thought it was rather cute, but Time magazine judged is this way:

Sometimes the memory of a particular meal does not hold up when you go back to the same place and order the same dish.   The Shrimp and Cheese Grits at Hyman's Seafood lived up to its reputation tonight.  The Shrimp Scampi with Fried Okra and Hush Puppies wasn't too shabby either.   Yum! ​

​Finally, for all of you sports fans, this looks like a very nice place to watch a game.

We left Lexington at 9am (with two cups of Pete’s coffee) and made it to Richmond, VA before 6 pm.   Blue skies and clear roads all the way.

We started listening to the excellent book "Telex from Cuba", a well written Historical Fiction, pre-Castro, sets the scene for the Cuban Revolution.  Another recommendation for preparation in Cuban history is a series on Netflix titled "The Cuba Libre Story".

We will slow down the pace the next few days now that we are far enough south to be able to be outside without freezing.