Hi Digital Dawn, Just click on the Lion and it will take you to my profile. I published a book on the Island in 1985 and hopefully you may have purchased one while at the Visitor Center in St. Mary's. All the bookstores there sell the book.
I still go about once a year but try to avoid the Summer months. I was there in February but it was kind of cold.
June will be hot with lots of no-see-ums but the showers will feel much better than they do in the Winter.
Okay DOH! I just read your "profile". WOW!
Now I am really envious and impressed.
I'ma looking now for your book.
no-see-ems - nothing some bug spray cant take care of.
Which months are the best in your opinion since we plan on visiting there often?
I like from Late September to early April best. The bugs are terrible during the summer months and it is pretty hard to air condition a tent at 90 degrees. Winters can be pretty pleasant on the island as temperatures warm up in the daytime and get pretty cool at night while you are in your tent and sleeping bag. I have always camped there and while Seacamp is the only developed campground, there is Stafford Beach, Hickory Hill and Brickhill Bluff which are further up the island. Carrying all your food and water to these sites can be difficult so you need to be in pretty good physical condition for carrying 50+ pounds that distance. I have done it several times but much prefer staying at Seacamp and taking dayhikes from there.
All of my images from 1980 to 2000 were with film and they are still on slides so I haven't posted them. I did post two or three from February on this forum but they would be several pages back now probably page 100 or somewhere near that.
We always stay at the Spencer House Bed and Breakfast in St. Mary's before going over to the Island.
WOW Hersch thanks so much for this, very helpful information.
We figured that we would stay at Seacamp also, hiking out each day. We're just not as young as we use to be, and yeah hiking that far with that much equipment could be extremely difficult. Although, who needs anything more than a camera bag full of gear?
I was concerned about the heat for this time of year. Friday the temps on the white sand dunes I would say reached 95, which halted our ability to treck far into them. But then again Racoon Marsh (??) was pretty wide open and also got very hot, but that was where we captured a glimps of the the tiny falcon. Never saw any turtle tracks so we figured it must have still been a bit early for them. Guess the islands dense foilage areas would be better suited for this time of year. I have no doubt that we will frequent the island often through-out the year to experience all of its glory.
We didn't get a chance to see much of Saint Marys, but I would like next time to stay there, seems like a very nice little town.
Okay off to bed, I think I will head out tomorrow for some fun in the sun. We are headed to the zoo tomorrow unless this lady I am talking to calls and wants me to do a shoot for her in Atlanta. Either way, I'ma shooting something tomorrow! Thanks a bunch Hersch, nice to meet you, and thanks so much for this extremely useful and helpful information.
Seems like bugs below the gnat line are impervious to most everything. Better to go before they are out in full force. May be too late already.
I've never been to Cumberland Island. Always wanted to go - but I don't even like the east coast until you get to Juno or Jupiter and all points south after that. My first trip to Hilton Head was a disaster - so bad i swore I wouldn't go back. Murky, nasty ocean water that smelled like and looked like sewage - nothing I would want to swim in and the "fresh" water that came out of the faucets in the hotel room stunk worse than raw sewage as well - we wouldn't shower and checked out the next morning and went home. It was awful... and a 4 or 5 star hotel!
We stayed at Jekyll Island once and was only slightly better impressed. Wouldn't get in the water there either... and the bugs were awful. So even going to Tybee and Savannah was a tough decision and we only went 'cause we were within an hour or so of the ocean.
That said - a trip to Cumberland Island isn't out of the question as the shooting ops are just too enticing.
dang... Deb's social calendar and my photo calendar are always fightin'
I was told the stinky water was due to the sulfer in the ground water...people just get used to it. It is so repulsive to me - i doubt i ever could. Do you know how disappointing it is to be a golfer and not want to go to Hilton Head? I would if i could... but i've turned down some great offers of condo stays with golf due to that first experience.
I just got a pass/ticket for Wednesday to the ATT Classic and dogleg grill - not as good as last year - but still gets me in with a camera. I can get one more if I call today and let them know - anyone interested?
I have a photo shoot in the afternoon in Buckhead - but probably will try to get over to Sugarloaf when it opens.
Also have two tickets for Saturday - but no cameras unless you're press - and I ain't. Could have had 2 ticks for Sunday but I just got asked to play Sunday morning at AAC - ain't passing that up either.
A little extra information on Cumberland Island. It is extremely hard to get reservations for Seacamp. Reservations are taken six months prior to the date you want to go and telephone lines are so busy that you just have to hope that you get an open line. Many organizations such as the Sierra Club, Atlanta Oceans, Boy and Girl Scouts, Elementary and high schools, 4H clubs and some colleges as well as a few outfitters tie dates up this far in advance. Even though I know many of the rangers and people on and close to the Island I am given no favors in getting reservations.
Jbear, I much prefer the Gulf side just because of the white sand and beautiful water. I have a place in Seagrove Beach which has been battered by two hurricanes and a tropical storm which did as much damage as the hurricanes but I still love it there.
The difference in Cumberland Island is in the serenity and beauty of a still unspoiled Island. Often times in the winter months there will be no one else on the beach as far as the eye can see. The beauty of the Palmettos and the twisted old live oaks with spanish moss hanging down and resurection fern growing from their bark is captivating. Lots of history on the island also and the Museum on the Island is a great place to learn about this. There is also a Museum in St. Mary's. St. Mary's has a fantastic Christmas season with many of the old homes opened up for an open house during a whole week in December. Decorations, refreshments and great hospitality make this a special time to visit.
Mike and Mary Neff operate the Spencer House Inn - Bed and Breakfast and are a joy to stay with. My favorite of the several Bed and Breakfast Inns in St. Mary's.
Mark, Bikes can be taken over to the Island but by a seperate ferry and for $35.00 per bike. Bikes can be rented at the visitor center on the Island as well.
ticket is free -i have to check with my shoot co-ordinator as this is a last minute shoot and i was out of town right after she called. haven't heard from her yet - she was supposed to call or email today to firm up the time.
I got the tickets at lunch today. I forgot the golf tourny was this week - been so busy. I usually go around 10:00 and stay til about 3:00 - but my shoot is right in the middle of that unless i can get it rescheduled till Thursday.
speak of the devil - she called right while i was typing that... shoot is scheduled for 9:30 and is set for 1 hr in Buckhead. Assuming it is a simple shoot... it shouldn't take much more than an hour and then it would take about 1/2 hour or so to get out to Sugarloaf. So 12:00 to 3:00 would be easy to do. You usually meet up at the parking area on PIB and take the shuttle over - though I didn't get a parking pass. I'll check on that when i get the other ticket.
*raises hand* I am in for a Fall or Winter trip, whichever one we can all get in on. Hubby and I are always up for coastal getaways.
Hersch it breaks my heart to hear that getting into seacamp during the fall is difficult. How can they do this to me? Its like giving a kid candy and then taking it away. *CRY* I guess if I cant get onto Cumberland Island in the fall I will have to spend even more time on Tybee drinking Margarittas, and then give Wassa Island a try. Ever been there? I hear its wildlife rich? How far is it exactly to the primitive camps from the dock on Cumberland? Maybe I will just consider packing extremely light. If an MRE is good enough for our soldiers, then its good enough for me (I actually like MRE's), filling water bottles might be the issue though.
Jbear maybe Hersch could explain it, but the water around Cumberland is not pretty at all either. Almost looked like an oil slick to me, I am sure though it has more to do with mud or something like that. But your right, with photo ops like this, who cares about swimming. In my opinion, for those who want to swim, go to a nice public beach.
Problem is... one time we drove down the coast from Jekyll down to Palm Beach looking for decent water/beach and it was well past St. Augustine before I'd consider getting in the water at a public beach!
I hear ya for sure man! If I didnt have a JetSki, I probably wouldnt get into Lake Lanier much, its not the cleanest thing in the world either.
Believe it or not, I absolutely love the coast, but I'm not much for swimming in salt water. Now lay me on a beach to cook or take me out for a long walk on the beach and I am a happy camper. Weird huh? I love sand and I love the sun, but I can live without sticky salt water that burns my eyes. I'll wade in the water to cool off, but thats about it, although building sand castles at the waters edge is cool.
Guess thats why getting to islands with a camera works so well for me, walking, sand, coastal, heat, wildlife, and photo ops galore. YAY!
I agree with Grant... the gulf coast is the best. i'd much rather swim in the ocean than any river or lake. If everyone liked vanilla - there wouldn't be Apple! or something like that...
JB - Looks like I can't make it. I forgot all about Lori getting a root canal done. Looks like it might rain as well...so take some rain gear with you. Thanks for the invite. I would love to go check out that course.
Craig - I think I am going to pass on the Nall this year. I have a couple shooting ops this weekend and I think I will do those.
Just reading through the posts, pretty active Atlanta group here.
Anyone interested in a quick job? I need a studio type portrait for the hospital directory taken soon, basically an upper body/head shot. I DONT have any indoor studio stuff, and need to get this done soon.
I need a JPEG to email to the hospital, would like someone who could do this with a pretty quick turnaround time (a couple days). Willing to pay you a reasonable fee.
Anyone interested or know of anyone in the Atlanta area they could refer me to?
I live in Peachtree City, but work downtown, so location isn't really a huge issue.
