Driving through Jacksonville on our way to and from Texas a couple of times over the past ten years has always been a hassle, as the traffic of this large metropolitan area can really get snarled at rush hour and with construction.
On this trip, we headed northeast of Jax, to the islands of St. George, Little Talbot, Big Talbot and Amelia. Our campsite is in Little Talbot State Park, just across A1A from the lovely beaches with their boardwalks snaking across the massive sand dunes. Our original site was in a sunny spot, so the park ranger kindly moved us to a shady one. YES! Biting insects are not a problem at night, so we have really enjoyed sitting outside in the late afternoons, waiting for the Chalet's twinkly lights to come on while Chef Michael grills our dinner. Ambling out to the truck one morning for supplies, I was startled to hear a thud just behind me. Looking back over my shoulder, there on the ground was a two-foot long snake, apparently stunned from his fall from the towering tree above. Not sure how high I jumped, but after a little dance and a shriek or two, I continued on my way to the truck and the snake continued on his. Lucky for us both that he didn't make a direct hit on my head. We'd probably both be goners! Me from a heart attack, the poor snake from getting madly flailed about as I attempted to get him offa' me!
The Kingsley Plantation, is just down the road on St. George Island. While the main house, the oldest plantation house in Florida, 1798, is currently being restored, we were able to walk around the grounds and visit the restored slave cabin, 23 foundations are still standing. Zephaniah Kingsley was a slave trader who moved here in 1814, amassing 32,000 acres with 100 slaves tending to fields of cotton, sugar cane, and corn.
He used the 'task system' which was a more 'lenient' work regimen in that slaves were given a task for the day and upon its completion, the rest of the day was theirs to spend as they wished, while other slave owners might require their slaves to work from dawn until dusk. He married a freed slave, Anta Gemenine, a kidnapped Wolof princess. She eventually became the manager of the plantation here and on another in Haiti.
It is chilling to see the slave cabins, the wooden stocks that could restrain three slaves at a time, and to try to understand the thinking of that time that would make such a system acceptable. Depictions of the slave ships where men, women and children were stacked like cord wood, with less than two feet of breathing space above them and where it is estimated that between 22 and 50 millions souls perished were hard to fathom. This is surely one event in our history that no one can ever adequately explain to me. How anyone could ever have treated another human being with such utter disdain, disreguard and cruelty escapes me. We must never forget what man is capable of doing to his fellow man.
Not far from the Kingsley Plantation you will find the Ribault Club. Built in the 20's as a social club with golf, tennis and lawn bowling, it was named after French explorer Jean Ribault, and was restored in the 90's at a cost of $4 million. It had fallen into disrepair, and almost destroyed. Today, it is a lovely building and grounds, whose moss-draped live oaks provide a picturesque backdrop for weddings and conferences. The sign for this weekend's nuptials announced that 'Jennifer and Brad' were getting hitched. (Wonder if Angelina knows about this!)
St. George Episcopal Chuch is just around the bend. A small white frame church, built in 1883, in the 'Carpenter Gothic' style of architecture, typical for small, rural churches, it is described as a 'standing sermon.' We were wandering around the grounds when a car drove up and a perky woman called out, 'Want to take a look inside?' We gratefully accepted her generous offer for a quick look-see. The stained glass windows are original as is the red wooden front door, typical of Episcolpalian churches she told us. She rang the church bell for us which had a beautiful timbre. The newest stained glass window is 'The Alleluia Window', dedicated to the memory of Cameron Gallion in 2005, a young member of the congregation, who had passed away from cancer. The window depicts Cameron catching a big wave.
We took Mary Ann's recommendation and had lunch at Chowder Ted's, an authentic fish restaurant just across the road from one of the many fish camps in the area. The seafood chowder hit the spot!
Fort Clinch, an irregular brick pentagon with massive earthworks, 4 1/2 foot thick walls and a battery of Civil War cannons is on the northern end of Amelia Island, built between 1847 and the 1860's to guard the Cumberland Sound at the mouth of the St. Mary's River. We were fortunate to be visiting on the first weekend of the month when they have 'Living History' characters dressed up in uniforms and period costumes to describe life at the fort during the Civil War.
The Quarter Master, the Jailer, the Drummer Boy in training and Powder Runner, the Sanitary Commision Lady, and the fort's Carpenter were eager to answer our inquiries into life at the fort. One soldier told me that I should scrape that Jezebel paint off of my toenails, guess hot pink was not a respectable color for his generation. The Quarter Master noticed that I was wearing a support glove for relief of some wrist pain and suggested that I let the Surgeon take a look at it. He said if anything hurts, Doc has just the right saw to give you some relief. Getting to see two soldiers demonstrate the firing of a musket and a rifle was the perfect way to end our visit. And I'm happy to report that I made it out of the fort with all of my appendages, fingers and toes.
No comments:
Post a Comment