It rained overnight, with a chance of rain all day. So we left the bikes at the airbnb and went to explore St. Simons Island and Brunswick by car and on foot. I walked the path outside our door before we set out. Our airbnb gave us access to both a private and a public pier, but we didn't bring our fishing poles.
Our neighborhood from the pier
Turtle River
Along the local path
St. Simons is the largest of the Golden Isles, with a permanent population of 15,000. Most of the development is on the southern half of the island, with the northern half consisting of woodland and marsh. We did what exploring we could between the scattered rainshowers.
Pier at Gascoigne Bluff Park, St. Simons Island
Oaks draped with Spanish moss
Tree Spirits: There's a legend of a mermaid named Cora who's lived off the shore of the Golden Isles for centuries, protecting the area's loggerhead turtles and guiding the hatchlings into the sea. Cora has been honored with a carving of her likeness into an oak tree – called a Tree Spirit – located next to St. Simons' Welcome Center. Similarly, more tree creatures have been carved throughout the island, for a total of 11 located in public places. We came across one today, and plan to scavenger hunt the other ten tomorrow.
Spirit Tree #11
Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by the British as protection against a Spanish incursion from Florida, as at the time, both Spain and Great Britain claimed the land between St. Augustine and Charleston as their own. Not much remains of the colonial fort and settlement, but it was fun to explore.
Fort Frederica National Monument
Guarding the British colonies
Ducking out of the rain
Remants of the barracks
Our next stop was East Beach at Gould's Inlet. We were strolling to the inlet when it started pouring down rain. Back in the car, we ate our packed lunch before abandoning St. Simons for the day, hoping that by the time we get to Brunswick, the worst of the rain will have passed.
East Beach
Deep thoughts before the downpour
The city of Brunswick is the mainland base to Georgia's Golden Isles. It's home to one of the largest historic districts in Georgia and one of the largest ports on the east coast. The sky remained gray, but the rain moved on, and we enjoyed a nice, long walk along the harbor and throughout the historic downtown.
The rain stopped!
Mary Ross Waterfront Park
Brunswick Old City Hall
Historic Brunswick Courthouse
New City Hall / Old Customs House
We ended our walk at Silver Bluff Brewing Company, one of only two breweries in the Golden Isles vicinity. It was nothing to write home about, but we still had fun.
Frosty, Jana and Tom
Historic Old Town Brunswick
Taking a beer break
On our way back to the airbnb, we crossed the Brunswick River via the striking Sidney Lanier Bridge. This beautiful cable-stayed bridge is 7,780 feet long and 486 feet tall, making it the longest-spanning bridge in Georgia.
Sidney Lanier Bridge
For dinner, we returned once again to Fish Tales Pub and Grill. Somehow, my shrimp and steak was even better than last night. This time, Tom got the steak as well. Yum!