David’s Voyage Blog

Publish Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Coordinates:   30° 46.66′ N  81° 28.18′ W

What a treat! We spent the last two nights moored at the Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island, Georgia. Most of the island is wilderness, and it has been designated a National Seashore. The island was originally owned by the Carnegie family, and the Greyfield Inn is one of the beautiful (and large) buildings that were built on the island around 1900.

We had the chance to go on a tour of the island with the resident naturalist, and it was both beautiful and interesting. Cumberland Island is the largest of Georgia’s barrier islands, and its salt marshes serve as a grand incubator for the massive amounts of shrimp that are harvested from the nearby seas. The island itself, along with the other barrier islands, also helps protect the mainland from violent Atlantic storm surges. 

We were fortunate enough to have dinner with the guests at the Greyfield Inn. It was a bit surprising but also charming that “proper attire” was requested for dinner, which meant jackets for men. I think this is a nostalgic nod to a different time, and I found myself imagining what the grand parties must have been like for those vacationing billionaire industrialists. There was something genteel about the way people (at least the millionaires) socialized back in the early part of the 20th century, and although overall quality of life is much better today, I do think something has probably been lost in the evolution.

We enjoyed our stay at Cumberland Island very much. I would highly recommend the Greyfield Inn to anybody looking to vacation in a remote and unique locale, rich in history and natural beauty. And who knows: You might end up sharing a dinner table with one of today’s billionaire industrialists.