After the flight, the drive, the ferry, and a bouncy jeep ride on sandy paths, the hectic pace of your journey screeches to a halt. There are no crowds, no traffic noise, and wild horses graze at leisure as the sun goes down through Spanish moss. Welcome to Cumberland Island.
Accommodations at the Greyfield Inn are steeped in history. You sit and sleep on family heirlooms, & eat authentic seasonal cuisine prepared by staff who sleep in cottages on the grounds, tend the Inn’s gardens and get to live on the island as a perk of the job. If you want to get an idea life at a southern manor house, with 12 rooms and family style meals at a set time, in formal attire, this might be pretty darn close.
Sunset was lovely, and yes that is a real life air plant. They’re everywhere. Someone from Anthro or West Elm must have come here with a big suitcase…
Instead of waiting for what I’m sure was a sumptuous, lots of courses breakfast, the next morning we filled a water bottle with coffee and headed on a hike to explore the undeveloped, maritime beach!
This whole island feels like a dream world. The moss, the ruins of a Rockefeller mansion, the wild horses, the seclusion… Our hotel is the only place to stay, and there is no transportation other than bikes and a jeep for the hotel. Once we ventured away from Greenfield Inn, we didn’t see anyone else on the sandy paths except the occasional wild pig and one armadillo. From the sound they made, crashing toward us through the underbrush, I expected an elephant (and freaked out accordingly)! The National Parks service has allowed owner of the few existing homes to remain, but there aren’t many residents since the park is only accessible by boat, and supplies/food would have to be brought from the mainland. So peaceful, we did’t want to leave.
The Inn thinks of everything, and a lot of guests don’t leave it (think pink pants suits and heels, full khaki suits, straw hats and bowties). We felt a tad out of place, sweating it up in nature, but didn’t mind these perfect rocking chairs on the porch, and a sweet tea when we got back. 🙂
For more about Cumberland Island, Greyfield Inn or wilderness camping (which we–gulp– intend to do there in a few weeks!), check out the National Parks website: http://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm