Fri, Dec 2 2011 - Sapelo Island Atlantic Coast Camping & Beachcombing Weekend (View Original Event Details)
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-Submitted by Trip Co-Leader Charlie Cottingham, Dec 6, 2011
Our fun-loving group of 19 AOCers feel fortunate to have shared this unforgettable weekend adventure at historic Sapelo Island on Georgia's seacoast near Savannah. We enjoyed exclusive use of the GA-DNR's wonderful live-oak canopied oceanside "Cabretta" group campsite and its adjoining pristine beach, and on Saturday had an amazing guided bus tour of the entire Island, thanks to our friend J. R. Grovner, a native of Sapelo's Hog Hammock community - see more about that below.
During the trip we took hundreds of photos of one another and of the Island's amazing landscape features, flora and fauna. Thanks to Ryan, Victor, Aimee and Henry for sharing the following links to their online albums of their nice shots. Glad to add other photo links as they come in!
RYAN GRAHAM'S FLICKR ALBUM:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57017520@N06/sets/72157628293859641/
VICTOR HOSSEINI'S FLICKR ALBUM:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hossmv/
AIMEE STOWE'S FACEBOOK ALBUM:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150408795653963.353920.636233962&type=1&l=aa93fee6c5
HENRY & ANITA JONES' FLICKR ALBUM:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71647164@N08/
Having had the pleasure of two or three dozen prior Sapelo trips over the decades, this return to my favorite barrier island stands out in several respects. Among them: At Raccoon Bluff we were treated to an amazing view of a healthy young bald eagle flying close overhead - first one I had ever seen or heard of on Sapelo. Joe and I spotted a dolphin surfacing several times in the mouth of Cabretta Creek by Blackbeard Island - first I had seen in that part of Sapelo in several years. Also we got to see the Christmas-decorated splendor of the palatial Reynolds Mansion, compliments of a friendly "Friends of Sapelo" volunteer group who encouraged us to come in and view their colorful handiwork.
The "weather gods" cooperated nicely all weekend, with clear to partly cloudy skies and temps near the balmy seasonal average - mid-60s each day, and not too cold at night, although the wee hours Sat AM were in the mid-40s. Both nights we enjoyed a big half moon high overhead in the company of thousands of stars and brilliant Jupiter. We took advantage of the crisp clear weather Friday night to take a break from our campfire and enjoy watching Orion and Sirius rise over the ocean from the vantage point of our 2-mile-long moonlit beach.
Our beachcombing walks on our pristine white sand beach at Cabretta were rewarded with hundreds of sand dollars and other nice shells and the amazing shapes of gnarled old trees-also a colorful sunrise Sat AM and nice sunsets both Fri & Sat. Besides great beachcombing, roaring campfires, delicious food & refreshments, and fun & laughter all weekend, a nice Saturday bonus also made this Sapelo trip special. Thanks to our friend J. R. Grovner who grew up on Sapelo, we were treated to a guided 3.5-hour Saturday bus tour of all of the Island's major attractions.
To kick off the tour we sang a hearty "Happy Birthday" to J. R. as it was in fact his 32nd birthday! We first enjoyed the rarely visited north end of the island, including the 150-year-old Raccoon Bluff church, a closeup view of Blackbeard Island from the high creekside bluff near the church (where we saw the above-mentioned bald eagle). We then had a nice walk and climb to the top of the Island's famous ancient Indian "shell ring," followed by a leisurely stop at the old "tabby" ruins of the "Chocolate" settlement that was built in the late 1700s by French settlers. At the old barn at Chocolate we delighted in taking funny photos of one another sticking our heads through its third-story "bird holes." A huge healthy pecan tree by the barn had just surrendered hundreds of its delicious pecans to the grass below, and after cracking and eating some right there on site we picked up perhaps 5 pounds between us to enjoy back home.
Heading southward, we had tour stops at the "Long Tabby" sugar mill ruins and Behavior Cemetery. At the Marine Research Institute we took obligatory group photos at its whimsical "Turkey Statue" and fountain. Our next stop was the fabulous Reynolds Mansion where got beautiful outdoor shots with the old pool and statuary in the foreground. As mentioned above were invited inside to see all the Christmas decorations and many of the mansion's amazing first floor rooms. We then took our time in the balmy sunshine to photograph and stroll around the beautifully restored 1820 Lighthouse - also the partially restored 1905 lighthouse and its old dock ruins by the tidal creek. Nanny Goat Beach was our next stop followed by a leisurely half hour or more in "downtown Hog Hammock" where we enjoyed some gift shopping and cold $2-dollar 24-ounce beers. This was at the new general store (in the front half of the "Trough" bar) by the "Wallow" B&B - owned by the famous Sapelo author and historian Cornelia Bailey and her husband Julius.
Saturday afternoon after a hearty lunch at the campsite most of us enjoyed leisurely long beachcombing walks on the Cabretta beach including sand dollar and shell collecting, prickly pear cactus fruit picking, and barefoot wading in the tidal pools and sandbars that adjoin the mouth of the creek between Cabretta and Nanny Goat Beach. On the north end of Cabretta hikers were treated to nice views of Blackbeard Island and gnarly "ghost trees" that are being washed into the ocean. Saturday evening we had a nice happy hour and dinner at the dining pavilion followed by an even more amazing big campfire.
A second delicious "potluck breakfast" Sunday morning was capped off by Mike Massa's delicious fresh sea trout that he'd just caught from the bridge by our campsite and sauteed for us! We then delighted in more adventurous beachcombing hikes, including a stop at the bleached skeletal remains of a giant sea turtle that Jim had discovered. We then shared a second big group lunch before finishing packing for our 2:30 PM bus pickup for the ferry dock.
Thanks to everyone in the group for your delicious contributions to our "potluck" group meals and for sharing so cheerfully in their preparation, serving and cleanup! Thanks especially to my AOC co-leaders Bobby and Tom who did a fabulous job making sure that this and all other aspects of the trip went so smoothly.
J. R. Grovner did a great job again this year as our resident tour guide and we look forward to his continued hospitality on future Sapelo trips. Before we got off the bus back at the campsite on Saturday we sang a song to him in appreciation of the island and its friendly people - see my lyrics below that I enjoyed writing two weeks ago about this very special and unique place.
I have the same fantastic Cabretta campsite reserved exclusively for the AOC for the following future fall weekends, so mark your calendars!
October 26-28, 2012
October 25-27, 2013
October 16-19, 2014
"SAPELO SONG"
-Key of C, moderate waltz tempo, with harmonica-guitar intro on chorus melody.
-Lyrics & music by Charlie Cottingham, Thanksgiving weekend, 2011
Sapelo, what an island!
Where you can't keep from smilin',
Where clouds seldom linger and friendships last long;
Her golden strand shines before us
As the shorebirds in chorus
Sing their old Sapelo song.
In her forest sublime, gnarly live oaks and pine,
Wearing Spanish moss cloaks, can beguile;
'Neath her star-studded sky we kneel and ask why
We should be blessed with this beautiful isle.
Sapelo, what an island!
Where you can't keep from smilin'
As deer roam her meadows and dunes, proud and strong;
In sparkling streams around us
Playful dolphins astound us,
The lore of the sea in their song.
In Hog Hammock fine folk, with a smile and a joke,
Warmly will welcome you there,
Where tradition survives, island culture still thrives,
And there always is plenty to share!
Sapelo, what an island!
Where you can't keep from smilin',
Exploring her marshlands and beaches so fair;
Her lofty lighthouse beckons
And you bet we all reckon
To be back again year after year!
Harmonica interlude on 1st three lines of verse, then sing:
...Her golden strand shines before us
As we join in the chorus...
And sing our old Sapelo song!
- Dedicated to my dear friend Mike Lewis and other adventurers who have joined us
for so many unforgettable Sapelo trips over the years - also to the wonderful
natives of Hog Hammock and employees of the GA DNR and U. of Georgia
who have befriended us...and their loved ones.
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