Ray went for a long walk before breakfast. I went part of the way with him and came back along the beach. I really enjoy looking at all the houses and thinking about how I would build my dream beach house. Where would the windows be (on the ocean side)? When I got to the house, my parents were just coming back from a swim in the ocean. I put my suit on and joined them in the pool.

About 10, we went to the Amelia Island Museum of History and heard about the different nationalities that settled and ran the island. We came home for lunch and spent the afternoon in. I did some genealogy research, but didn't really find much new. Went downtown about 6, when they had a concert. It was cooler today, but still a little too hot for standing around listening to music. A nice idea though. We had dinner at the "best" restaurant yet, a crowded very good French restaurant. We had a good dinner, but the service was not quite as good as we have been having and it was much more expensive than any of the others. Also hard to eat "healthy" with cream sauce and great desserts.

I had trouble falling asleep, which means I read a lot of Middlemarch. The cars go right by my window at the head of my bed; maybe there were more on Friday night and Saturday morning...cause I woke up early too. Perhaps I'll sleep on the drive home.

Beach, pool, breakfast. Then we got to the dock in time for a ferry ride to St. Mary's. St. Mary's is not that wonderful a place, but the ride was great. Captain Scott and his sidekick, Johnny, told us lots of interesting facts and pointed out dolphins.

The shrimp fleet is seriously diminished, because people do not look for wild caught local shrimp. And because the cost of owning and maintaining a shrimp boat makes it hard to make a living that way. There are about 12 boats still catching shrimp at Fernandina Beach. There are oysters growing everywhere. Too bad they are not as popular.

Cumberland Island was owned by the Carnegies. We went by it. It is now a national park, deserted sand beaches. Scott said that the Carnegies were too nouveau riche and were snubbed by the millionaires on Jekyll Island, so they bought their own island. There are wild horses there. It was one of Mrs. Carnegie's conditions that they be left there when she gave it to the park service. We saw one of the horses on our way back.

We docked at St. Mary's, looked briefly at the Cumberland Island Park service visitor center (and gift shop--I love park gift shops), and walked a few blocks in the heat to the Orange Hall. We had to stop for a while in a lovely air-conditioned book store with comfortable chairs to get our strength up. The air conditioning wasn't working throughout the house, but it was cooler than outside and the guide was quite entertaining. She was from New Jersey...and let us sit on the furniture. Like so many of these stories, the woman for whom it was built died of yellow fever before it was even finished. Her husband remarried, the oldest child died too, and supposedly haunts the house. Other people bought it and took care of it, although it was broken into apartments at one point. It had somewonderful old furniture, some that reminded me of my grandmother's, not original to the house. We enjoyed it very much.

 After, we plodded through the heat, along the deserted streets, to the best restaurant in town, Langs' Seafood. It was wonderful and cool, we drank beer and iced tea and ate fresh seafood. It was that rarity among seafood restaurants: everything was good, the hushpuppies, the cole slaw, it was delicious and fresh. Mom and I had grouper. Dad and Ray had shrimp and scallops. The waitress was fun. The Langs own most of St. Mary's, including the license to run a ferry service to Cumberland, perhaps the thing that kept the town from disappearing altogether, since there is no other industry here now. We didn't have time to order dessert, but picked up a couple of giant double-scoop waffle cones to take on the boat. They melted faster than we could eat them, making a mess on the boat. Ray and the Captain enjoyed talking to Captain Scott about anything and everything and the speed of the boat made a cool breeze.

Back at the house, we swam, read, eventually ate dinner. Ray and I went out for a bit and did some shopping in Fernandina Beach.

Went to the beach swimming before breakfast, then to the pool. Played Spider. Visited a really nice consignment shop, where I bought a bathing suit, a skirt, some pants, and several pairs of shorts. And an Aigner purse (but that was kind of a lot). They apparently have a lot of people getting rid of really nice things here. Had lunch at home. Drove to Fernandina Beach, the old town on the island, and bought some pastries and bread. Visited some of the shops, but nothing really grabbed me. Went home, went swimming in the ocean, really big waves, went back to the pool, got dressed for dinner. Drove back to Fernandina Beach and had a really nice dinner. I had lamb...no dessert, just a taste of Mom's and Ray's. Walked along the dock in the sunset and drove home. Pretty nice.

Captain & Vanessa approaching the fort

at the drawbridge

Vanessa resting

Ray slept really late yesterday. Vanessa got up and put her bathing suit on and waited for the Captain. I played Spider (and lost) and wrote some. Ray finally got up while they were at the beach. He didn't sleep well. I said, "that's what happens when you take a nap." He and I had breakfast and then went to the beach, after they came back. Beach, then pool, is nice.

Quartermaster's quarters

Then we all went to Fort Clinch. OK, I guess I have to accept that I am something of a history geek. Maybe the combination of history and architecture makes it really fun to visit old forts. They are a lot alike and I've seem a lot of them. Ray thinks we've seen this one before. Old brick tunnels you can wander around in, but not get lost. Tables set with things from over 100 years ago. And a guy in a soldier costume who can answer any question that any of us come up with and seems to enjoy it. He said he had been doing it for 18 years. In a full, long-sleeved uniform no matter how hot it is. There were some surprise cool breezes at certain spots, when you come on a room with two windows to the ocean, for instance. It reminded me of the time we went to the fort at St. Augustine with Gerald 6 years ago and the forts and monastery we visited in Mexico. I really enjoyed it. Not to mention how much I like looking at things in park gift shops. I bought a present for someone. The stuff they sell is familiar--toy versions of civil war items, local wildlife, travel guides (I resisted). It was really fun and the Captain and Vanessa seemed to hold up pretty well and enjoy it too. If you travel with small children, especially more than one, you are bound to have somebody who is tired or hungry or wants to be picked up, but nobody in our group complained at all.

We spent the afternoon pretty quietly at the house. Vanessa generally goes out in the afternoon to sit in the sun, but not the rest of us. Then she can jump in the pool when she gets too hot.

After an early supper, we headed out for more trivia, this time at Karibo Cafe. I had called to determine, yes they were having it at 7 pm. We got there just a few minutes before and it looked like we might not be able to get in, but somehow Ray worked his magic. It was a much nicer place than Beef O' Brady's and the emcee was better. We had sangria, excellent gazpacho and really great onion rings. But somehow the atmosphere was not quite as much fun, more serious competition, fewer kids. We did well at first, the questions seemed pretty easy, but apparently so did other people. We were about in the middle of the pack until the last question, which allowed you to bet up to 16 points, Jeopardy-style. That is, if you answer wrong, you will have them deducted from your score. Put in order by size the following: Australia, India, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia. Mom and Dad and I had one opinion and Ray had another, but he didn't feel strongly about it so let us overrule him. Guess what? No surprise, he was right and we were wrong. We bet all our points and so, lost. We might have placed if we had been right.

Went right to bed when we got home and forgot to call Bonney to wish her happy birthday. So sorry, sweetie.

Vacation is so wierd, I'm not very good at it. I love the sound of the waves, though, when I can hear it, and looking at the ocean any time day or night. Somehow, I need to find a way to live where I can always see it. Swimming in it, walking on the beach are great, but seeing and hearing it are really wonderful. Now I can look out the window at the pinkening sky and see the water between the houses.

Yesterday we went swimming in the ocean before breakfast. My parents had been and gone and Ray was walking along the beach. There were other people down the way, but I had the ocean to myself for a few minutes. The waves were gentle. I floated between them and held my breath when one crashed over me. At some point, when I was standing, I looked down and a skate was fleeing out to sea. I fled onto land and waited until Ray was there to protect me before I went back in the water.

After a dip in the pool, shower and breakfast, a lot of sitting around until lunchtime. We drove to the south end of the island, past the posh homes of Amelia Island Plantation and back up to Fernandina Beach, the historic town on the northern end. We were looking for a specific restaurant that had been recommended, Espana. We stopped and the Captain go out and talked to a man at a gift shop, Slightly Off Center. He directed us, but the restaurant did not serve lunch. Neither did several others we walked to. The heat was strong and we were not. We found one place that served lunch, but it was a 15 minute wait for an inside table. It reminded me a little of a place we have eaten breakfast with Barbara on the Cape--not surprising for a beach resort. I had one of the best meals I've had in a long time--steak salad and blueberry square for dessert. Just enough good dressing, the steak cut into small enough pieces, tasty and not too tough. The blueberry square was served with warm blueberry compote and vanilla ice cream. Yum.

After lunch, more sitting around, napping for some. I called a few restaurants to find out about trivia and found one that was Monday night: Beef O'Brady's, at 7:30. That didn't leave us much time for dinner, but we weren't very hungry anyway, and ate leftovers from the fridge, as well as drinking mojitos. We got there early and ordered some beer and onion rings. At first, we didn't do very well, but in the end we came in third, after losing a tiebreaker: What year was LSD first proven to be hallucinogenic? We won a $10 gift certificate to Beef O'Brady's...I don't think there is one in Athens; we might have to use it this week. Trivia at a different restaurant tonight...it is kind of sad to be at the beach with no sisters or kids...and not really know what to do with myself. Plus it's really hot.

Played and won a game of Spider.
Went swimming in the ocean.
Went swimming in the pool.
Drove to Fernandina Beach and had a good lunch. Walked past interesting, tourist-y stores. Amelia would like it.
Bought groceries at Winn-Dixie. Interesting variety of people.
Ate supper. Walked on beach briefly. It was almost pleasant.

Went swimming in the ocean. Went swimming in the pool. Ate breakfast.

Now others are reading or playing solitaire. I want to go do something. Getting annoyed.

Ray and I got up pretty early yesterday and started getting ready for our trip. I walked out to get the paper, letting Zoe out with me. It was nice not to have Cameron pulling on the leash. I felt freer, but also a little less secure. Not that I am ever nervous about walking in Kenney Ridge, just a little different feeling, like you never know what's around the corner. Who knows what Zoe was doing--I didn't see her again until I got back and she was waiting on the front porch.

We ate some breakfast, finished packing, and filled up the cooler from the freezer and refrigerator. Ray packed the car, took his shower, and we locked up the house. We were off by 9. We stopped a little after 11 in Milledgeville, at the Metropolis Cafe. I found it thanks to iPhone and Urban Spoon. It is a Greek and Indian restaurant that the Captain was a little leery of, but we had a really nice and reasonable meal there and enjoyed the service. A young man with an earring was quite talkative and proud of the place.

After that, there was a long drive, with a brief stop at McDonald's in Baxley. South Georgia ia really flat and not very interesting, although there are moments of beauty to be found, in falling-down houses and abandoned advertisements for Coke. As we crossed into Florida, there were sad cement-block motels and even a drive-through bar--at least, that is what it looked like as we went by. There were dark clouds and lightning and we thought we were in for a doozy of a thunderstorm, but only got a few drops on the windshield. We turned East and drove over the Intracoastal Waterway, always a thrill to see the marshes and birds and grasses. As we got close to Amelia Island, we began to see more signs of "civilization" or development: Target, Home Depot, drug stores and gas stations and fast food chain restaurants.

Although I have been to Amelia before, nothing stirred in my memory, except that it is similar to other islands along the southeast coast. We found the right road and started looking at the house numbers until we found the right one. It is quite old and more like a house than a beach cottage. A split level. There is wooden paneling and wood floors, with good size rooms and plenty of chairs. Upstairs, three bedrooms and two baths. Down from the main level, another living area and second TV, as well as access to the outdoor swimming pool and more seating, completely surrounded by screening. The Captain and Vanessa swam there, then we all went across to the beach. It was pretty warm and humid, but the ocean felt wonderful. Then back to the pool, which seemed too warm at that point. There is not much in the way of yard, since the pool takes up most of it. But in the corner, Ray found a lime tree, with many big, great-looking limes (unless they are green lemons).

If you go down another level, you find a semi-finished basement, with washer and dryer and charcoal grill--and 3 rollaway beds folded up. Clearly, this is a house that is sometimes full of families with children. It makes me miss mine, but it also makes me smile--and enjoy the calm.

We had brought some hamburger with us, frozen the night before and put in the cooler in the morning. It wasn't quite defrosted, but a couple minutes in the microwave and it was ready. That plus a salad, lots of wine and crackers, and fruit, and we had a pleasant supper that was enough for us. Early to bed for all of us, except Ray and I had to flip through all the channels and see bits of several things, that were all too enervating to watch before bed. The Matrix seemed silly to me now, once one of my favorite movies. I saw Will Smith being chased for a while, but once he found his wife murdered, I wasn't interested any more.

The queen-sized bed in our room was too hard for me and I moved into the empty third bedroom with my book for a while, but eventually had an okay night's sleep and got up at 6:30. The AC is already running, but a look at the ocean is nice.