Historic Brunswick & Jekyll Island

Wednesday we drove to the actual town of Brunswick, located on the Intracoastal Waterway, and upon arriving in town, Russ drove right down to the docks where a great number of shrimp boats are moored. As luck would have it, a shrimper showed up about the same time to check on his boat. Russ was fascinated with how many chains and cables were on the masts and asked some questions. Stewart (pictured on the right), and his son-in-law, were very hospitable and more than happy to answer all our questions, and even invited us to come aboard his boat, the Lady Kelly! Russ and I jumped at the chance (literally, since we had to basically jump from the dock onto his boat and not fall in the water between!), and kind of got to see what life on a shrimping boat is like. The inside of the cabin had all the comforts of home...stove, refrigerator, bathroom, two "bedrooms" with bunk beds, and quite frankly seemed almost spacious compared to our motorhome! Only kidding....slightly! I even went up into the cockpit, which was much smaller than I imagined.

Lady Kelly started its shrimping life in 1979, and Stewart has worked hard to maintain it in good working condition all these years. He's been shrimping all his life and absolutely loves it, though his son-in-law sees it more as "a job". However Stewart said that with the rising fuel prices it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. He told us that he needs to bring in roughly 500 - 700 lbs. of shrimp to break even. On top of the fuel costs add the fact that they need to carry enough ice to keep the shrimp fresh till they get back to shore since they are sometimes out for a week. He said the last time they went out they took 300 blocks of ice weighing 100 lbs. each...that's 30,000 lbs. of ice! It was fascinating talking to him, and just another one of those great adventures on our journey.

After leaving Stewart, we drove further along the riverfront and stopped at the Mary Ross Waterfront Park, which features the Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza. Early in the war, German subs patrolled off the Atlantic coastline, sinking ships with ease and sending their cargo into the depths of the Atlantic. (It's still amazing to me how close these ships were to our American shores.) Liberty ships were cargo ships designed for "emergency" construction, built in the U.S. during WWII at 16 sites throughout the country (one of which was Brunswick, GA), and each ship was built to a standardized, mass produced design. The 250,000 parts were pre-fabricated throughout the country in 250-ton sections and welded together in about 70 days. Each ship's 5 holds could carry over 9,000 tons of cargo, plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck. The 23 foot replica here at the Waterfront Park was dedicated in 1991 and christened the City of Brunswick.

The historic downtown district looks generally like most other small town historic districts, full of older buildings and lots of history. Brunswick was named for Braunsweig, Germany, the ancestral home of King George II, who reigned during this time. Gen. James Ogelthorpe, who established GA as a colony, designed the grid pattern on which the roads are based, and many of the streets are named in honor of English Royalty and geography of the day. We stopped at the local bookstore where Russ made a new friend, and the owner gave us some recommendations for lunch. Then we walked through an antique shop next door, and the Ritz Theater across the street, which was built in 1898 as the Grand Opera House. It still holds various performances and events, and acts as an information center.

After driving around town a little bit more, it was time for lunch so we took one of the bookstore lady's suggestions and on our way back to the campground found Spanky's Marshside, a neat little sports bar/restaurant right on the water, but unfortunately it was too windy to sit outside on the deck. We had a great waittress, and the food was good. Russ and I started with the creamy crab soup/stew which was delicious, while Scott gave the Brunswick stew a try and found it pretty good, too. I had been tempted to try the Brunswick stew myself since we were in Brunswick, but when the waittress described the soup, there was no doubt in my mind! However I did try a bite of Scott's stew so I could at least say I tried it, and it was pretty tasty. Our main courses did not disappoint either. Spanky's has sort of a nautical theme with pine wood throughout, and you can tell their huge Georgia Bulldog fans.....very casual and fun place.

Thursday was a day of rest with no major plans other than Russ helping Scott with a couple minor fixes on his unit and to grill the steaks Scott had bought earlier in the week. These were some of the biggest ribeyes I've ever seen! Russ was in charge of grilling, Scott brought some Merlot, fixin's for the potatoes, a Boston Cream Pie, and I supplied salad, garlic bread, and the potatoes. We were quite full and contented when we were done! Oh, and I don't think I've introduced you to Bonnie, Scott's little Scottish Terrier, who we think might be 5 years old. He acquired her from a shelter while staying in Myrtle Beach last year, and she's been a good traveling companion for him. Initially she wasn't sure what to make of Mikey and Abby, but they're becoming friends and getting used to each other. Scott and Bonnie come over nearly every afternoon to visit, chat, and/or watch TV for a couple hours.

Friday it was off to Jekyll Island, another one of the Golden Isles off the GA coast, named in honor of Gen. Ogelthorpe's friend, Sir Joseph Jekyll. The island was eventually purchased in 1886 by a group of millionaires as a winter retreat for the wealthy, and the Jekyll Island Club was created. The number of members was limited and for the next 60 years, they enjoyed all the amenities and beauty of the island. Non-members were not allowed, and even Winston Churchill and President McKinley were refused admission! The likes of Pulitzer, DuPont, and Rockefeller built mansion size "cottages", and the only way onto the island was via their yachts as there was no bridge for many years. At some point after WWII, the era of the Club was over and in 1947 the State of Georgia purchased the island. Eventually it was taken over by the Jekyll Island Authority, which over time rebuilt, redeveloped, and restructured it into the beautiful place it is today. The island is complete with shops, restaurants, golf courses, convention center, soccer complex, and sea turtle center, but by legislative mandate, 65% of the island is and will remain in a mostly natural state including parks, picnic areas, and beaches. We drove around the entire loop of the island stopping at a Central Dunes Beach, the fishing pier near Driftwood Beach, the Horton House ruins, and the Jekyll Historic Wharf where those yachts once docked and the "cottages" still exist. A little bit of trivia: scenes from the movies Glory and Legend of Baggar Vance were filmed on Jekyll Island.

The Horton House was the plantation residence of Major William Horton until his death in 1749. Maj. Horton succeeded Gen. Ogelthorpe as commander of the British troops stationed here. It is two-stories and one of the oldest standing tabby structure exteriors in the state. Tabby is a building material native to coastal GA having crushed oyster shells as its principal ingredient mixed in with concrete. It doesn't look like much now, but I'm sure in its day it was quite elegant.

On our way back we stopped for lunch at the famous GA Pig BBQ Shack. On their sign in front of the rustic log cabin building, you see a merry pig playing a fiddle and doing a jig. Must be good eatin'! We got the lunch special - sandwich, 2 sides, and a drink - and it wasn't too bad. Not the best BBQ we've ever had, but we enjoyed it.

Nothing really planned for Saturday and Sunday, and then we head to Hardeeville, SC, just over the GA border and a short drive to Savannah and Hilton Head. So until then, keep smilin', keep truckin', and appreciate the little things in life.