Sabbatical (Part 2)
When researching fun and interesting places to visit before our trip began, Amy remembered her cousin Holly telling her about Cumberland Island and Greyfield Inn. After a bit of looking around on the Internet Machine, we were booked for a few nights and ready to go…we just had to make it to a little dirt parking lot behind the railroad tracks in Fernandina Beach in time to catch the boat out to the island.

Everything about the place is relaxed; elegant and casual at the same time…things are unhurried but are done the right way. As is my habit, we got to the dock early. The boat captain, seeing our carry-on bags, told us we wouldn’t board quite yet but would get the bags on board and ‘why don’t you get a cup of coffee down the street…there’s a good place just on the left.’ Sound advice and we took it. Once on the boat there were only a few of us. A couple of employees, some boat crew, and two other couples; one staying for a few days like us and the other just for the day.

Cumberland Island has an interesting history, not the least of which was as a getaway for the ultra rich back in the days of robber barrons. Most of the island in question was owned by Thomas Carnegie, who worked closely with his brother Andrew Carnegie, to build what would eventually become U.S. Steel. So, having the stuff in fistfuls, Carnegie decided to buy most of the island and build ‘cottages.’

Only one of those cottages, Greyfield Inn, is still up and running. And interestingly is still run by descendants of the Carnegie family. It seems that Andrew Carnegie (like Gates and Buffett now) gave away most of his money during his lifetime and upon his death. Thomas was a little more traditional with his finances and left a great deal of money to his wife and children, but that soon disappeared.

The family of today only inherited the land and structures, and as they die off the land will revert back to the National Park Service bit-by-bit until none of it is left in private hands. But for now, the family continues to run the Inn as a business concern…no idle rich these days. And you won’t meet a nicer, more attentive bunch. The service and food were outstanding, people were welcoming and friendly (you are guests, after all, in their home)…and the sweet tea was the best I tried.

The other buildings, far grander than Greyfield, are either in ruins or have been converted to museums. But Greyfield itself is not what you’d initially think of if someone told you it was built by one of the richest men in the world. It isn’t covered with marble or gold. The walls are wood and plaster. There is no grand entrance or crystal chandeliers. Yes, it is quite large, but that was necessitated by needing room for servants and for the large family that would descend upon the island at holiday time. Think of it as 19th century glamping.

The house is obviously comfortable and beautiful, but it’s the property that really impresses. It is miles and miles of unspoiled, natural land covered in live oak trees and Spanish moss inhabited by sea turtles, armadillos, and wild horses. And miles of empty beaches with water that was almost hot at that time of the year.

It won’t be too many years from now that the land and everything on it will be in the hands of the government, still available to visit and view. But the experience of living there—even if only for a few short days—will be, like the gilded age, gone forever.

Our chariot awaits…the boat that got us there.

There used to be a covered path that led up to the house.

Greyfield Inn. Our room was top right.

The beautiful, quiet porch overlooking oak trees, grass, and wild horses.

This crystal doorknob is on the front door of the Inn.

The barn next to the house. There are very few vehicles on the island but there are pickup trucks used for work.

Wild horses are all over the Island. These are on the front lawn of the Inn.

Our room was upstairs and we appreciated the fan at that time of year.

The dirt trail leading down to the beach about a half-mile away from the Inn.

Beach flowers.

We had just arrived and are walking the few hundred yards to the Inn.

Lowland marshes.

Huge sand dunes protect the Island and provide a sanctuary for sea turtles.

There were summer storms rolling through, and we were blessed with awesome clouds.

I hate crowds at the beach. The tire tracks are from trucks that monitor the turtle nests.

Plum Orchard, occupied until the 1970s, is now a museum.

Wild horses on a trail during our nature tour.

A Baptist church in the middle of nowhere miles from the Inn. Bonus points if you know who got married here (without looking it up).

The lights were the olde-tyme push buttons. The wallpaper was beautiful.

The entrance to Dungeness, the original home built by Thomas Carnegie.

The ruins of Dungeness.

Sunflowers at the organic farm.

This is the very productive organic farm at Greyfield that provides many of the fresh ingredients for meals.

There was a huge lightning storm on the way back to shore. As soon as we got our bags into the car it poured buckets.