Tag Archives: Jacksonville

St Marys, Georgia: Small Town with Big Connections

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Cumberland Lady
Cumberland Lady

Everyone's wired these days: my husband works from his laptop, my daughter texts from her cell phone–while listening to her i-pod, I use Facebook to stay current with my friends and my 89-year-old mother sends e-mail. Goodness! Sometimes we need to disconnect.

Nearby Cumberland Island is the place to escape, but you can't get there from here. No, you've got to go to St. Marys, because St Marys is the hub, the little town with big connections.

The National Park Service runs a ferry from the wharf of St Marys to Cumberland Island. The barrier island, whose domain name ought to be www.wilderness beach, lets you become the browser on her shores. Search for wild horses, shells, loggerhead turtles and historic mansions. On Cumberland, bikes are the high-speed mode of transportation.

You must obtain a permit to camp overnight, or else you'll have to return home. Some prefer to stay at the only hotel, the elegant Greyfield Inn. The lodge requires a two-night stay and provides guests with a private water taxi.

St Marys is just 20 minutes north of the Jacksonville airport making it easy to reach the quaint seaside village. I felt like I'd stepped back to pre-computer days when the pace was slower and somehow more personal.

Marianne's Cafe
Marianne

In St Marys colorful cottages line tree-shaded streets, yards are nicely kept, and people ride around in golf carts, for heaven sakes. Meander her sidewalks and you'll find Market on the Square- the general store, the Riverside Cafe which serves breakfast all-day, a cigar company, bait shop, bookstore, gift shops and a saloon.

Pirate Welcome at Goodbread's B&B
Pirate Welcome at Goodbread

Of course the most relaxing way to spend the day on Cumberland
is to plan a full weekend retreat. Spend a night in one of many St Marys B & B's, such as the Goodbread House, a Victorian style inn. Mardja, the proprietor, serves a scrumptious breakfast in time to catch the 9 AM ferry. But if you must, Goodbread's offers free WiFi!

Another connection to and from St Marys links with Fernandina. The new Cumberland Sound Ferry transports people while they listen to an ecosystem narrative and cross into beautiful Georgia low-country. Sometimes passengers get lucky and spot a submarine from Kings Bay Naval Base.

Save a day this summer and drive to St Mary, then access Cumberland Island. It is definitely the place to shut-down.

St. Marys Harbor
St. Marys Harbor

This article appeared in the July 2009 edition of The Mandarin Newsline.

If You Go:
www.stmaryswelcome.com St. Marys Welcome Center and Visitor Information
www.nps.gov/cuis/ Cumberland Island National Park

The River Run Weekend: Flying High to Lying Low

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River Run medal
Gate River Run Medal

Mimi didn’t plan to enter the Jacksonville Gate River Run–a 15K race that winds across 2 bridges, the downtown business district, Sports complex and residential neighborhoods.

I thought I was done competing and certainly wasn’t training. Currently my exercise consists of walking and attending yoga class.

But Judy, my former marathon buddy, was in town and asked me to join her.  Seems her training ran amuck; so we agreed to take our time and simply finish the event.

Race morning surfaced foggy and overcast, perfect conditions to prevent overheating, something I struggled with in the past. Judy and I jogged across the starting line (to look good on the live broadcast) but then walked as fast as possible.

We astounded ourselves, keeping under a 15-minute-mile pace the entire 9.3 mile course.  We talked our way through the route, amongst a crowd of 13,000 participants and honestly had fun.  We still finished with a decent time.  And we gloated.

The next morning, I groaned.  I was struck down, not so much from sore muscles, but with the flu bug, the one that’s hitting everyone.  I spent the day in bed, which other than feeling crummy, wasn’t too bad.

Life in the Fast Lane

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Hurley Haywood with the winning Porsche

Yesterday I stepped into the fast lane, photographing the winning race car in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. I even got to interview a legendary race car driver.

You see, Brumos, the local Jacksonville Porsche dealer, sponsors the Grand-Am race team. Their cars placed first and third in the big event.  So, to celebrate the victory, the vehicles went on display. "It's like we won the Super Bowl," said salesman Bill Bianco. "The place has been buzzing with excitement."

I drove over and snapped the #58 Porsche along with all the surviving dents, dirt, bugs and winner's row confetti. I also interviewed legendary race car driver Hurley Haywood.

To see my gallery of pics and read about Brumos Racing Team please visit the AutomotiveTraveler.com blog, where I post under the name Bimmer Dreamer .