Having retrieved a folding chair from the car and placed it in the sun I am well situated to enjoy the scene at Clam Pass Park and catch up a bit on writing while Harry prepares our bicycles for our first ride of the trip.
When we spent a day on Jekyll two years ago we began our day by taking our take-out coffee to the veranda of the fancy Westin Hotel. This morning we made that a ritual to be savored on subsequent visits. Imagine palm fronds swaying in the breeze, wooden walkways sloping down into the sand, and the sun dappled water beyond.
Jekyll Island (and Jekyll Island) was one of the Georgia Sea islands where slaves labored on rice and cotton plantations in the stifling heat. When that era passed the Jekyll Island Club became one of those place where rich and famous men came to hobnob and do a bit of hunting. Although the Jekyll Island club still exists as a fancy hotel most of the Island is now a state park. There are wonderful walking and bicycle paths along the water and boardwalks through the marshes.
When checking out “things to do” on Jekyll Island this morning I read about a walking trail commemorating a slave ship named the Wanderer that landed here in 1858. Since the importation of slaves had been outlawed in 1808 this was an illegal activity and the perpetrators were later convicted of the crime. In the interim their human cargo was sold and dispersed. The interpretive signs that were along a path through the live oak trees were excellent and it was great just to be outside and walking around near the water.
Here are the full shots of a set of 6 signs that told the story of the Wanderer. After that, there are separate sequences showing details of signs that had images as part of the display.
Here are the full shots of a set of 6 signs that told the story of the Wanderer. After that, there are separate sequences showing details of signs that had images as part of the display.
First sign with details:
Second sign with details:
Third sign with details:
Forth sign with details:
Along the path to an observation tower, there was another sequence of signs:
Finally there was a sequence of signs about the food grown on plantations on which slaves from the Wayfarer did the work.
At the end of the history of the Wanderer walk, there was a nice viewing tower which overlooked the water.
Harry just managed to get his bicycle operational and will be headed out on his maiden ride of the trip. There were technical difficulties with my bike so I will just have to sit here in the sun a bit longer. Such is life.
When Harry returned we drove to a nearby beach and I took a walk on the beach while he became one with an Adirondack chair in the sun.