SE Georgia / NE Florida area

[Travis Thorson]

Hello,
Does anyone know of any good nature / landscape locations in SE Georgia (Brunswick area) or NE Florida. I will be there for 6 weeks and wanted to take my camera and get some pics.

Thanks

Travis

[j.e.simmons]

Plenty - a group of us is going to Cumberland Island, just south of Brunswick, on Saturday. Email me privately if you want to go.
We also have a large format photography group based in Jacksonville - go out shooting once a month. Let me know if you want the schedule.

Otherwise, Brunswick itself is interesting - an old, small city on the river. There are marshes between town and the barrier islands, St. Simons and Jekyll. If buildings are your forte, there is Ft. Frederica on St. Simons and the old millionaire's mansions on Jekyll.

Farther south, Fernandina Beach, Florida has some interesting sites - Jacksonville has lots of public preserves and wilderness areas such as Big Talbot Island, which has miles of beached driftwood.

Let me know if you want other ideas.
juan

[Bill_1856]

There's always the Great Okefinokee Swamp. (However the heck it's spelled.) Say hello to Pogo and Walt.

[Brian Ellis]

There's an interesting driftwood beach on Jekyll Island. To get on the island you pay a small fee. Just ask the guy in the pay booth to give you directions to the driftwood beach, it's well known and easy to get to once you know where it is. Cumberland Island which Juan mentioned is a great place - deserted burnt out mansion, automobile graveyard, wild horses, dunes, fascinating vegatation, all sorts of interesting things. The only problem is getting to it. Maybe his group has a private boat that can dock somewhere, if so then by all means take him up on his offer. Otherwise you'll have to get there by public ferry boat and the ferry boat's hours of operation aren't ideal for photography (basically something like 10:00 a.m. out and 4:00 p.m. back). The only other alternative is to stay at the Grayfield Inn, they have their own ferry boat that departs from Fernandina Beach. It's a wonderful place to stay, I've stayed there once, but it's very very expensive. However, in addition to not being confined to the ferry boat's hours the Inn will provide you with a bicycle which is a big help getting around the island. So if you want to splurge you might look into it but be sure you're sitting when they quote the rates. Don't waste your time at the Hofwofyl (sp?) Plantation. When you hear "plantation" you think of Tara and so might be tempted to go but don't, IMHO it's a bummer for photography. I also didn't find anything of interest on St. Simons but Juan no doubt knows the area better than I do and may know of something. The Altamaha Swamp is interesting, Bruce Barnbaum took several of us there a few years ago. I can't give you directions to the part we went to but perhaps j.e. knows about it. Sapelo Island is also interesting, I'm sure Juan knows about it. It's another island where you need to catch a public ferry boat and you need reservations in advance.

[Jim_3565]

One item I found invaluable in the Altamaha Swamp was hip waders. Take them if you have them.

[J. P. Mose]

Since you will be in GA for six weeks, you may want to travel over to Providence Canyon State Park to see Georgia's Little Grand Canyon. It is beautiful this time of year. Here is some information:

http://gastateparks.org/info/providence/

The only drawback would be the time to get there.

[Bill_1856]

Brian, I'm glad that you warned me to be sitting before checking the Inn prices. Wheah!!