Gulf Shores

Beautiful --the whitest sand---it sparkles!!! We have had a couple of days at the beach and Fred went fishing today---caught some snapper.



Relaxing at the beach---surprisingly there were some shells here--the huge ones were all broken.





I just love to run my feet through the sand----wish you all were here...

Historic Brunswick

Georgia is one of my favorites because of the beautiful old homes---it seems as if every town has them. Brunswick had a driving tour to see the homes, old city buildings, churches, and old court house. All were so well-cared for. The courthouse lawn was a whole block with huge trees and blooming azaleas.

Union Street

Albany Street

One of our many pictures taken at the courthouse.

Okefenokee Swamp

We toured the Okefenokee Swamp in a flat bottom boat for 2 hours so that we could deep into the swamp. We learned about the plant life and saw alligators, the first time that we have ever seen baby alligators.


The Boat lane--they have to clear it at least once a year or it would grow up.


Cypress knobs in the swamp. We got out on this boardwalk and climbed a 90 ft tower to be up above the trees. Once you made it to the top (102 steps) you got to ring a bell.

Mother alligator with her babies (about 14-20 of them) Look for the yellow strips so you can see the babies. She does not feed them just watches out for them about 18 months---then they must leave or she will eat them. Not only does she have to protect them from predators, but she has to protect them from male alligators who will eat them.


The alligator and snake man gave a show about the snakes and had this baby alligator which is about 2 yrs old. It makes a noise, feels cold, and pees a lot!!

Sapelo Island

Sapelo Island was once a rice plantation and later bought by a tobacco millionaire, JP Reynolds. He built this estate there. You can now rent the house for $160 per person with a 2 night minimum of 12 people. (three meals are included) The island is inhabited by the descendants of former slaves (gullah culture) from the plantation and is only accessible by ferry and by invitation only. We were on a tour so we could go there. Our tour guide had married a 7th generation from one of the families. Only 47 people live on the island, 13 of which are children who have to take the ferry each day to go to school. You also have to go across the water to buy your groceries. (20 min ride) Some of the islanders have their own small boats. The mail and postmistress came over on the ferry with us.



Our tour on the beach.


At the ferry landing on the bay side.


Never have been on a boat that supplied fly swatters. They say the summers are brutal here. EVERYBODY HAS SCREENED IN PORCHES!! Believe it or not, Fred used the fly swatter. The no-see-ems have started already. Many of the islanders have cottages for rent if you are interested in getting away for a few days. (not my kind of vacation) But we did ride back on the ferry with a young couple and their 2 children from Pennsylvania who had spent their spring break on the island.

Brunswick and the Golden Isles

Georgia only has about 80 or so miles of oceanfront property. This was the first vacation home of the rich and famous before Florida was developed. This is driftwood beach on St Simons Island. The sand and water are not pretty here like in southern Florida. Each of the towns have historical districts with southern homes built in early to mid 1800's. Beautiful drives if you like architecture and I do!!! The live oaks with the Spanish moss and azaleas blooming add to the beauty.



One of the "summer cottages" on Jekyl Island. (Vanderbilt, Morgan, Macy, Goodrich, and lots of other rich from up north came here for hunting and fishing.)


The club on Jekyl Island--used as a hunting and fishing club for those who did not have a house of their own. It is a hotel now.


Beautiful lawn in front of the Jekyl Island Club.

The Beginning of Methodism

The site of John Wesley's first sermon after arriving in the New World.



On the grounds is this Christ Church and its cemetery (with very old graves)


This memorial to John Wesley and Charles Wesley is just across the road on a nature path and on the other side is the Methodist Church. The azaleas were in full bloom.

In Georgia

Guess where we ate today!!!!

Fred is all smiles.

Our First Steamed Oysters

This weekend we are visiting Fred's sister and her husband. They got a bushel of Apalachicola oysters to steam for us. We have had these oysters before baked and raw. They are a smaller, sweeter oyster, but we had never had them steamed. First step was to wash the oysters to get rid of the mud and sand. James built this screen to make it easier and he uses the power washer.






Fred and Kathy then ice them down until time to steam. James steams them in a pot with a little ice.


So delicious--we had melted butter and cocktail sauce for dipping. We ate the whole bushel!!!

Lone Cabbage Fish Camp

We drove out to the St John's River to eat at the fish camp. We had fried alligator for appetizers. It was delicious, better than the catfish. After lunch, we took an airboat ride for some gator hunting. We saw lots and have never been this close to alligators. Most of the ones we saw were 10-11 foot males. It is mating season and they were waiting for the females to come to them.


These eyes were watching every move.


We saw this bald eagle and some sandhill cranes with their babies.


I just had to sit on this alligator for a picture.

Golf Cart City

If you live at Outdoor Resort, you really need a golf cart to get around. They are running around everywhere. The resort offers a full schedule of activities for members and guests. (exercise classes, craft classes, game groups, cards, poker, dominoes,) They run around on their golf carts to these meetings, to church, to get mail, to take dogs to the dog playground, to swim, etc. In the afternoon, the streets are busy as they visit their friends for happy hour.


Movie night at the clubhouse.


some of the golf carts are custom made like this one. We even saw one that looked like an Amish wagon, another like a pickup, one like a VW bug, all kinds of designs

this was our favorite.

They all had these enclosures so they could still use them in the wind and rain. Some couples even had a his and hers.

Outdoor Resort in Titusville

We stayed at this resort this week near the space center. It is one of the nicest we have been to. Members own their own lots and rent them out. We stayed in one that was an RV space backed up to a small lake (pond). Beautiful landscaping. The resort has 1600 sites. They have clubhouses and meeting rooms, 2 restaurants, golf course, nature trails, 2 pools, RV dealership, golf cart dealership, and their own post office.



This is one of the coach house sites. A garage for your Rv and car with a screened porch and living area built in.



Another coach house


A small alligator in the ditch near our RV. You could see them late in the afternoon on the golf course and near the larger lakes.