Here's a video report about Little Saint Simons Island, with some outdoor video with our friend, the young naturalist Abby. It's a good video.
Travel and Leisure Magazine lists the place among the 500 best hotels in the world, and it's in that book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die.
A few more of my pics and comments about the Georgia barrier island.
Salt Marsh, early morning. Despite its short coastline, Georgia has 30% of the north Atlantic coast salt marshes. They go on for miles and are enormously productive. Very productive of Salt Marsh Skeeters too.
Lots more fun pics below the fold, with critters, Southern food, etc. -
My pal Paula, the sous chef. On our last morning there, I was wandering around smoking coffee and drinking a good Avo ceegar, and identifying birdsong at 5:30 AM when she encountered me and asked me if everything had been good. I replied, yes, except for the lack of my favorite southern breakfast of biscuits and gravy.
She changed the whole menu for me. Biscuits 'n sausage gravy with scrambled eggs. Everybody loved it.
Every morning one of the naturalists announces the weather, the UV Index, and the Bug-o-Meter, and then any group activities if people are interested. Summer nature Camp.
Black Vultures roosting, early morning. Hoping for the death of a guest, I suppose.
We took a skiff out to explore the salt marshes for a couple of hours. Flushed lots of cool shorebirds. Whimbrels.
Armadillos wandering all around, seemingly oblivious to people.
I was lucky to spot this Water Moccasin on a hike through the woods. He defensively displayed his cotton mouth so I didn't feel like moving in closer.
When we had a spare minute, we liked to bike out to the ocean beach.
This gal hates skeeters. I called her "Burkha Girl" and I do not think she appreciated that.
Shrimp Boil down at the beach
We had a full moon, which meant large tidal changes and meant Horseshoe Crab mating time. They mate and lay their eggs in the wet sand at the same time, resulting in feeding frenzies by the shorebirds.
At low tide, it's a big beach
That's our friend Laura, one of the Naturalists, doing the oyster roast. After tasting about 30 of them, I think I can say that Southern oysters are fairly bland, large but not delicious. I like Blue Points and Wellfleets. But, like sex, any oyster is better than no oyster.
They hand everybody a glove and an oyster knife.
My terrible photo of a heron rookery. There's a gigantic gator living in that pool, named Norm.
Hike in the woods
