After breakfast, we took an island tram tour with historical commentary. Not only is there the hotel, but a number of “cabins” owned by the titans of industry, that were built between 1887-1902 .
We were able to tour the three story home of the Rockefeller family. There were eleven bathrooms in the home, when only 10% of the population had running water. It is still a low key home without any ostantaneous furniture. The season was from January to March. There was no kitchen because all meals were taken in the Jeckyll Island club. The grandkids came and enjoyed playing on the island and spending family time together.
Our lunch consisted of an ice cream cone from the town’s sweet shop
After our tour we wandered around the shops and did a little shopping, then walked over to the turtle rehabilitation center. This is the most popular place in the island and people come from all over the area to learn about the turtles and help in their rehabilitation. We arrived in time for the doctor’s rounds, where a volunteer diagnosed the problems with each of the patients and discuss their treatment. Each patient had a name and was in an individual tank.
We came home to pack and get ready for our evening meal. We were treated to a cooking demonstration on the porch of a low country boil, which consists of shrimp, andouille sausage, red potatoes, onions, green and red peppers and corn on the cob. It was delicious.
Fhe evening’s entertainment consisted of the Gullah Geechee Ring Shouters, a group that, through West African narrative, song and dance, explained the culture of their people. These descendants from the slaves were isolated on the barrier islands of Georgia, primarily Sapelo Island, which meant the inhabitants retained their language and culture longer than most because of their isolation. Their unique dialect was studied as early as 1933 and was discovered to be complex, comprising about 3,800 words and derived from 31 African languages. Their folklore and medicinal preparations are still used today. We were given remedies for the common cold and hypertension. We all found the presentation educational and enlightening. They also bragged a little: they performed for the first inauguration of Barack Obama, have been interviewed by national and international news outlets and articles have been written about hem in periodicals, including the Smithsonian, who had a recent exhibition on their culture.
It was a wonderful way to end the evening.
Tomorrow: Saint Augustine, Florida, our last stop. Where does time go?