Gadabout Travels

a href="http://greatgadabout.blogspot.com/">Gadabout Travels

Yesterday was completely uneventful.....just lots of heavy rain, fog, and 48 degree weather. We went out for a drive later in the day, but wasn't much fun. Today is supposed to be better.....South florida is beginning to look more attractive every day. Notice that more and more people are bailing out of the cG.

Except, of course, the people from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada.....they obviously think 48 degrees and rain is a heat wave compared to their home environment. They get out and hike, ride their bikes, and just smile at everyone.

This is still a very nice island....very little traffic, and hardly any people this time of year. There is a bill on the Georgia governor's desk right at the moment which could change the whole character of Jekyll. It would allow new development on the south end of the island....high rises, etc. We surely hope he doesn't sign it, but in the world of politics, he just may.

Jekyll is completely owned by the State, operated by a state park authority which oversees everything, and is completely self funded. No taxes are used for it's operation. The largest money maker is the $3.00 per car parking fee ($35.00 year for sticker).

For almost 100 years Jekyll was a retreat for the Northeastern rich biggies, millionaires who could afford the high cost of maintaining such a high level of comfort. They built "cottages" and a opulent hotel and grounds, golf courses, hunting areas. They arrived in their yachts, and spent, on the average, 3 months or more during the winter. Even with all this, they still had to deal with the misquitoes, snakes, etc. It seems ironic that the smoke from smouldering rags was their best escape from the misquitoes. For 9 months of the year, the employees had the place to themselves. A large staff which included groundskeepers, maids, waiters, even a ships captain for the local ferry.