Category: Travel

Pristine beaches, untouched wilderness and historic ruins make Georgia’s largest barrier island an idyllic spot for a day trip – or more.

Rich in history and scenic beauty, Cumberland Island is one of the most spectacular natural habitats in the Northern Hemisphere. Whether you go for a day trip or overnight stay, just be sure it’s unforgettable for all the right reasons. So, two words: Plan. Ahead.

Accessible only by ferry, the secluded island has no amenities available for purchase — no food, no water, no hats, no sunscreen, no sunglasses — so bring everything you need including all of the above as well as walking shoes, rain gear, a cooler and any bags you can carry comfortably. (And be prepared to take your trash with you when you leave.)

Upon arrival, however, you and your inner explorer will find more than 17 miles of secluded, undeveloped, white sandy beaches; wide marshes; abundant wildlife; hiking and biking trails through maritime forests; backcountry camping; cultural ruins; historic structures that natives, missionaries, slaves and wealthy industrialists once occupied; more than 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated wilderness and almost 36,000 National Park Service-protected acres.

Getting There

And getting there is half the fun. The Cumberland Island Ferry departs from the dock adjacent to the Cumberland Island National Seashore Visitor Center in Saint Marys, Georgia for a 45-minute trip to the island’s Sea Camp dock. The ferry operates daily March 1 – November 30 and Thursday – Monday December 1 through February 28. Face coverings are required.

Tickets are available at cumberlandislandferry.com, and one-way tickets cost $17 for adults ages 16-61, $16 for seniors 62 and older, and $12 for ages 6-15. Children ages 5 and under ride for free. Be sure to book a return trip from Cumberland Island to St. Marys as well because there is no option to buy a round-trip ticket.

Reservations for the ferry are highly recommended, and they can be made up to six months in advance.

The national park entrance fee of $10 for adults 16 and older must be purchased separately. Camp fees and tour fees are separate as well.

The ferry sells ice, firewood, potato chips and drinks when it is docked at Sea Camp next to the Sea Camp Ranger Station. As the primary information and contact station on the island, the station has volunteers and rangers available throughout the day to provide assistance, information, recommendations and programming. The ranger station is open 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily. However, it may be unattended for periods during the day while the staff carries out its duties.

A 30-minute “Dockside” ranger program also is offered every day at 4 p.m., conveniently scheduled just before the final ferry departure to help ensure that no one misses the last boat off the island.

Exploring the Island

Because the island is more than 56 square miles, it’s impossible to see it all in a single day. So, before setting out, especially for a day trip, it’s imperative to prioritize the sights you want to see.

To see as much as possible, visitors can stay overnight at campsites or at the island’s exclusive Greyfield Inn, which offers transportation to the island by its private ferry, the Lucy Ferguson.

Steeped in history, Cumberland Island once was a working plantation before it became a winter retreat for the wealthy Carnegie family. Now, it is home to descendants of slaves and aristocrats as well as to feral horses with bloodlines that trace back to the royal stables of the King of Arabia. The horses roam freely throughout the island, but sightings tend to be more plentiful on the south end and around the Historic District.

When you spot wild horses, remember to give them the right-of-way and to stay at least 50 feet away from them for your own safety. If a horse changes its behavior because of your presence, then you’re too close. And never try to pet or feed them.

Other wildlife on the island ranges from threatened and endangered manatees and sea turtles to more than 300 species of birds. Visitors also may see wild turkeys, feral pigs, armadillos, vultures, coyotes, dolphins and lizards.

Whitetail deer, bobcats and otters can be found on the island as well. Since wildlife activity often is greater at dawn and dusk, overnight camping is recommended to see these animals.

Hikers have 50 miles of trails to explore as they hoof their way from maritime forests to pristine beaches.

Cyclists can bring their own bike to the island, but there is a $10 charge to transport it on the ferry. Overnight guests at Greyfield Inn also have access to bikes as part of their stay.

Taking a Tour

One of the best ways to explore Cumberland Island is by guided tour. The Land and Legacies Tours, which can be booked online at cumberlandislandferry.com, uncover centuries of history in just a few hours. This motorized tour, which costs $45 per person and begins at the Sea Camp dock, should be booked along with the ferry trip to the island.

This rugged, five- to six-hour tour is open only to visitors who take the 9 a.m. ferry or to campers who are staying on the island. Featuring cultural and natural sites, the tour travels through the wilderness from one landmark to another.

Highlights include the remains of Robert Stafford’s plantation and cemetery, Plum Orchard Mansion, Cumberland Wharf, the Settlement and First African Baptist Church.

Built in 1898, Plum Orchard was the Carnegie family’s 22,000-square-foot Georgian Revival mansion. The home has been maintained with period furnishings from the early 1900s.

Almost 8 miles from the Sea Camp dock, Plum Orchard also can be accessed by foot or bicycle. Free tours start on the hour and last about 45 minutes. The mansion is open whenever volunteer caretakers are onsite.

First African Baptist Church, located about 17 miles from the Sea Camp dock, was established in 1893 by African American residents of the island and rebuilt in the 1930s. This unassuming one-room church served as a free place of worship and community center for the north end community known as the Settlement. In addition, the church was the site of the secret September 1996 wedding of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

Due to its distance from the dock, day visitors should not attempt to visit the church unless they’re part of the Lands and Legacies Tour. The church is not staffed, but the doors are open.

More glimpses of the Carnegie lifestyle can be seen at the Dungeness Ruins, located about 1.5 miles from the Sea Camp dock in the south end’s Historic District, and the Greyfield Inn, which originally was built as a home for one of the Carnegie children.

First built in 1884, the Dungeness Mansion was intended as a winter home for Thomas Carnegie (younger brother and business partner of Andrew Carnegie); his wife, Lucy, and their nine children. The 59-room mansion caught fire in 1959, and only the brick and stone walls remain standing.

Although the mansion is in ruins, it is one of the most picturesque and visited spots on the island. Visitors can walk the grounds as well as the numerous support buildings that were part of the estate. Guided walking tours are offered when staffing permits.

Located next to the Dungeness dock, the Ice House Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The original structure, featuring a ventilated roof and walls two feet thick with sawdust insulation, was built around 1900 to store large quantities of ice that were shipped to the island for the Carnegie Estate. Restored by the National Park Service, the building now serves as a small, self-guided museum.

Sleeping on It

For overnight stays, five campgrounds are available on Cumberland Island. Two of the campgrounds have designated campsites, and three are wilderness campsites. Campers must bring their own gear, and reservations are required. To make a reservation, visit recreation.gov and search for Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Built by the Carnegies in 1890, Greyfield Inn features furnishings and style that remain true to its history. The inn includes 15 rooms in the main house and two cottages. Cozy fireplaces and a breezy, shaded veranda make the inn an ideal travel destination year-round. The library, dinner bell and serve-yourself bar make guests feel at home.

If either of these overnight options are too extreme for your liking, then other accommodations are available in nearby St. Marys or Kingsland.

By Morgan Davis

If you build it, they will come. The Rock Garden in Calhoun, Georgia is a testament to that.

If you’re looking for a relaxing way to spend an early fall afternoon, then you might want to consider visiting Paris’ pre-fire Notre Dame Cathedral or the Colosseum of ancient Rome. Yes, we know you can’t travel back in time and that air travel to Europe is restricted now because of the coronavirus pandemic. And you can hardly visit Paris or Rome in a day.

However, we know a secret. Tucked behind the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Calhoun, Georgia, The Rock Garden: A Place of Prayer, is home to more than 50 miniature stone structures, including the Notre Dame and the Colosseum. And since a car trip to Calhoun just might be the next-best thing to international travel these days, the peaceful little place, which is not more than an acre in size, is waiting.

“It’s designed as a nice, quiet place for people to come admire nature, meditate and think about their creator,” says Mike Miller, maintenance manager of The Rock Garden.

While the setting might be humble, visitors nevertheless should prepare to be impressed.

Solitude and Serenity
The intricate mini structures are made out of tiny stones, pebbles, shells, odd pieces of broken glass and china, ceramic tile, wire, cement and other craft materials. The creations also include other cathedrals, a monastery, castles, towns and bridges, and they’re all designed to mimic their larger counterparts. They share another common characteristic as well.

“All of the structures are from medieval times,” Miller says.

In addition to the Notre Dame – complete with stained glass windows, of course – and the Colosseum, a stroll along the stone garden paths leads to other historic places. Visitors can get a glimpse of a diminutive Dover Castle, a fortress that is known as the “key to England” and has played a crucial role in the country’s defense for more than nine centuries.

They can explore the little town of Bethlehem, which took a year to build, or Nottingham, where legendary outlaw Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor. Paris, the City of Lights, when it was merely a village, is represented as well.

A replica of Japan’s Himeji Castle can transport visitors to East Asia. Also known as White Heron Castle because of its elegance and white appearance, the structure is widely considered as Japan’s most spectacular castle for its imposing size, beauty and well-preserved grounds. Unlike many other Japanese castles, this feudal building never was destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country’s 12 original castles.

An unfinished replica of Jerusalem also is underway. While construction has been put on hold, Miller says it could resume in the fall.

Some of the other constructions have religious themes as well, and some places have scriptures inscribed in walkways or walls. The Ten Commandments tablets are embedded, broken, in one of the walkways.

“We also have painted rocks with Bible verses and promises on them to emphasize God’s love,” Miller says.

The Rock Garden is a great place for a family outing, or – just in case you haven’t had enough me time lately – it’s the perfect spot to find a little bit of solitude and serenity. While you might be alone with your thoughts, however, you’ll still have some company with you.

If you peek inside the buildings, you’ll see porcelain people in various rooms and nooks and crannies of the tiny structures, and porcelain animals dot the landscape. Some of the figures are only 2 inches tall.

Self-Guided Fun
The whimsical garden is the brainchild of DeWitt “Old Dog” Boyd, a California native who started creating the tiny villages for his eight children as a family game. Each time his family moved, he would reconstruct a tiny village for his children. He also made an alter-ego porcelain figure for each child.

“He was a sculptor by trade, and he would make intricate little figures,” says Miller. “This started as an amusement and a hobby for him.”

In 2007, the self-described “scoundrel” started the rock garden to keep himself “out of trouble.” Later, his wife, Joyce, joined him in his efforts, and she started building most of the structures in 2014 while he concentrated on the porcelain figures. The couple has since moved to Mississippi, but their children and 20-30 grandchildren have carried on the tradition.

“DeWitt was not trying to emphasize anything in particular,” says Miller. “He had no master plan. He just got permission from the church to start building there. The only thing he followed through on was the medieval setting.”

Originally, the tranquil spot was intended to be a prayer garden. However, it was renamed The Rock Garden because of 1 Corinthians 10:4, which says “. . . that Rock was Christ.”

Visitors can forget their troubles as they roam through the rock garden on self-guided tours, and free, onsite parking as well as picnic tables also are available.

Depending on the season, garden flowers include roses, hydrangeas, clematis, ferns and hostas. In addition, visitors can walk on a shady, 1-mile, unpaved trail behind the garden. The trail runs along a creek, up a steep hill and down the other side to the opposite side of the garden.

The property also includes a pavilion, which serves as a music or a wedding venue, and an enclosed Prayer Place. Hearts with the names of couples who were married in the garden are embedded in the rock walls that surround the Prayer Place.

About 300 to 400 people a week visit The Rock Garden, says Miller, and they come from all across the country.

“The Chamber of Commerce says it’s the biggest draw in the city,” he says.

If You Go:
What: The Rock Garden: A Place of Prayer
When: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., seven days a week
Where: Seventh-day Adventist Church, Highway 53 South, 1411 Rome Road SW, Calhoun, Georgia
How Much: Free, but donations are accepted
More info: (706) 629-5470 or The Rock Garden Facebook page

By Morgan Davis

 

Highlighted by family farms and home-grown businesses, Georgia Grown Trails promotes agritourism and awakens feelings of nostalgia for travelers.

Sometimes a name says it all. But sometimes a name – like Georgia’s nickname, the Peach State – merely whets the appetite. Peaches, along with peanuts and sweet Vidalia onions, might be the state’s most well-known crops. However, the state is full of other Georgia born-and-bred products, and the Georgia Grown Trails system is here to highlight the abundance of homegrown goods.

Georgia Grown Trails, which started in 2014 and includes four trails, is designed to showcase agriculture-related tourism hot spots in rural areas throughout the state. These attractions include U-pick and other farms, dairies, vineyards and wineries, farm-to-table restaurants, seafood and farmers’ markets, specialty food stores, lakes and forests.

“The attractions represent something out of the past,” says Jerry Connell, one of the co-founders of Georgia Grown Trails. “It’s all low-tech. The trails are simple fun.”

The trails are developed as a joint project of the state Agriculture and Economic Development departments, and the trail designations are authorized through the Georgia Legislature. The system also is affiliated with Georgia Grown, a state Agriculture Department marketing and economic development program that helps state agricultural economies grow and thrive.

Attractions on the trail system must meet certain criteria to be eligible for inclusion. First and foremost, however, Connell says, “To be part of a trail, you have to be connected somehow to Georgia agriculture.”

The number of each trail designates the highway where the attractions are located, and the state Department of Transportation posts signs along the roadway designating it as a Georgia Grown Trail. All of the attractions on the trails are open to the public.

“The trails particularly appeal to empty nesters and grandparents who want to show their grandchildren what life was like when they grew up,” says Connell. “They can get a sense of how food is grown, where it is grown and what it tastes like out in the field. You can get a real sense of how things used to be.”

Trail 1
Featuring 44 stops and stretching for 182 miles, Georgia Grown Trail 1 is the closest to Columbia County, extending north to south from Augusta to Folkston. It became operational in July 2017 as the third trail of the system.

Trail stops include meat markets, hands-on farm experiences, farmers’ markets, peanut stands, museums, specialty shops and restaurants.

Closest to home, the family owned and operated Lanier’s Fresh Meat Market in Augusta has been in business since 1969. Some of its locally farmed meats include certified Angus beef, alligator, goat, seafood, game and hard-to-find meats and poultry. The cow atop the building on Walton Way was a landmark on Highway 1 for about 50 years.

Halfway down the trail visitors will come to the home of Georgia’s official state vegetable — the Vidalia onion.

“Trail 1 runs through Vidalia onion fields, which are a big draw for this trail,” Connell says.

Visit farms and produce stands, but allow time to explore historic downtown Vidalia, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Just a block off Highway 1 in Lyons is the Altamaha Heritage Center, a history museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Altamaha River Basin. Visitors can see artifacts and information on Native Americans, moonshine, turpentine, homestead, transportation and barn implements.

In Alma, the Blueberry Capital of Georgia, visitors can happily get the blues at The Blueberry Barn. From fresh-picked berries — the season starts in late April — to jams, sauces, syrups, even blueberry butter and barbecue sauce, it’s filled year-round with all things blueberry.

The shop also carries items made by local artists such as paintings, jewelry, pottery and ornaments. In a nod to the past, the store shelves are made from 100-plus-year-old wood from owner Ann Wildes’ grandfather’s house.

Also in Alma is Rockingham Pecans, famous for its specialty – fried pecans. These sweet and salty pecans were a finalist in the 2007 Flavor of Georgia contest and the number one snack food in the 2008 Flavor of Georgia contest.

Trail 1 is about much more than food, however. Okefenokee Swamp Park transports visitors to prehistoric environs where alligators and rare birds roam among carnivorous plants and lily-decked water trails.

Travelers along this route also can enjoy sports such as kayaking and turkey hunting, attend festivals and expos and learn old-fashioned arts such as making soap. You can even visit a working saw mill or grist mill.

“Georgia Grown doesn’t just mean ‘plant-based’ or ‘animal-based.’ Businesses are Georgia-grown, too,” says Connell.

Trail 37
Extending east to west for 167 miles from Homerville to Fort Gaines at the Alabama state line, Trail 37 was the first trail in the system, the state’s first officially branded agritourism highway and its first award-winning agritourism trail. Incorporated in 2013, it was up and running by mid-2014. Trail 37, which became the prototype for the subsequent trails, includes 30 stops.

At the historically significant Kolomoki Mounds State Park, visitors can see the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the southeastern United States, occupied by Indians from 350 to 750 A.D. Standing 57 feet high, the state’s oldest great temple mound dominates two smaller burial mounds and several ceremonial mounds. Kolomoki Mounds also offers outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, camping and hiking.

At 2,500 acres, White Oak Pastures in Bluffton is the state’s largest organic farm. The six generation, 152-year-old family farm has four one-bedroom cabins that are nestled in a longleaf pine forest, a general store and a farm-to-table restaurant called The Farmers Table.

Trail 37 also includes three wineries that were instrumental is getting the south Georgia agritourism trail started. The properties offer wine tastings and vineyard tours.

Near Lakeland, Georgia Olive Farms has plants that came from Italy. “Visitors can see the machinery harvest olives, and some people go just to see what an olive tree looks like,” says Connell.

For award-winning honey, travelers can make a beeline to Bruce’s Nut-N-Honey Farm in Homerville. The honey is a Flavor of Georgia winner, and it has been voted Georgia’s Best Tasting Honey.

“Trail 37 is the most unadulterated one, and all of the attractions relate to agritourism,” says Connell.

Trail 41
Trail 41, the system’s second trail, was dedicated in October 2014. Easily accessible from Interstate 75, this 173-mile trail runs north to south from Barnesville to Lake Park near the Florida state line.

“You can take a train ride. You can go to a cotton museum. You can get pecan products or go to a ranch that has miniature horses,” says Connell.

The 46 attractions along Trail 41 include Turner County Stockyard, where visitors can see a live cattle auction, and three different locations of Stripling’s General Store. This family business offers custom-cut meats, its famous sausage and jerky, seasonings and sauces, syrups and jellies, pickles and relishes.

At the Historic SAM Shortline Railroad, travelers can board air-conditioned, 1949 vintage cars and take the train to quaint little Georgia towns.

The Georgia State Cotton Museum occupies a 125-year-old school house in the eastern part of Vienna, between historic downtown and I-75.

“These are all Southern experiences. A lot of small towns don’t have large tourist attractions. This is our way of getting people off the interstate and into the countryside,” Connell says.

Trail 17
The newest agritourism highway, which runs north to south for 108 miles along Highway 17 from Kingsland to Savannah, was added in the fall of 2018. The 22 stops along Trail 17 include farms, restaurants, red brick sidewalks in historic downtown Kingsland, a cattle company and a petting zoo.

In Woodbine, visitors can kick back and relax at Captain Stan’s Smokehouse, where backyard barbecue, local seafood, Southern sides and live music reign supreme behind its “magic fence.” One customer amusingly describes the quirky vibe there as “Jimmy Buffet meets Deliverance.”

Veering off Highway 17, Market on the Square, a family owned and operated general store in historic downtown St. Marys, is located in a renovated grocery store. The store carries gift items and sweets, including homemade fudge that is made on the spot.

Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island also is part of the trail. Situated on 200 acres of land, the property spans from marshland on the west to the ocean to the east. Each day the inn provides guests with three full meals including a Southern breakfast, picnic lunch and farm-fresh dinner – plus an hors d’oeuvres hour.

Trail 17 also includes U-pick blueberry farms, so wear comfortable shoes and take your sunscreen.

Timing is Everything
Because the agritourism attractions along the trails are seasonal, visitors need to plan ahead before visiting a location.

“Berries are seasonal in the spring. Olives are big in the fall,” Connell says. “Winter is a good time to visit the wineries.” In addition, he says, “It’s not the kind of thing you can do in one day. The stops can be 40 or 50 miles apart.”

Trail stops also include overnight accommodations such as state parks, B&Bs, boutique hotels and historic inns. “We realized when people are traveling long distances, they’re going to need a place to stay,” says Connell.

However, Georgia Grown Trails is not just for long-distance explorers. Local residents can enjoy the sites as well.

“We think we know everything about the area where we live, but we don’t see for looking. So often, we don’t know or see interesting, beautiful or exciting things in our own backyards,” says Connell. “People should get out and explore their own areas. They’ll really be surprised at what they’ll find.”

So go ahead and hit the trails.

“There is only good to come of getting off the interstate and into the countryside to find beauty and charm in out-of-the-way, small country towns,” Connell says. “It lifts the spirit and enriches people’s lives.”

By Morgan Davis