Nest Fest and Turtle Crawl Triathlon, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Today we drove to Jekyll Island, Georgia at the break of dawn.
Featured in the films Glory and The Legend of Bagger Vance, the island is home to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

To get to Jekyll Island, you have to jump this in your car.

Today, we are here the the Nest Fest and Turtle Crawl sponsored by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

The first event of the day was the Turtle Crawl Triathlon, officially sanctioned by the USAT. This event features 1.5 km (about 1 mile) of swimming followed by 40 km (about 25 miles) of cycling followed by 10 km (about 6 1/2 miles) of running.

It was perfect weather to observe a triathlon.

The participants line up on the beach in their swim attire waiting for the starting gun.

Two triathletes start the race every five seconds.

Very simple...just swim around the buoys...for about 1 mile.

Then run under this horseshoe shaped finish line. The fastest swimmer took 11 minutes 58 seconds averaging 4.7 mph.

Then put on cycling shoes and roll back out of fenced-in area...mount and ride...fast.

While the triathlon was in progress, a 5 km fun walk/run was held. Here one of the participants crosses the finish line pushing her child's stroller.

The fastest cycler completed the 40 kilometers in 58 minutes 3 seconds averaging 25.7 mph.

Next dismount bike...walk bike to appropriate rack...change to running shoes...run out.

The fastest runner completed the 10 kilometer course in 36 minutes 20 seconds averaging 5 minutes and 52 seconds per mile.

The fastest runner also happened to be the overall winner, 37 year old G.R. Carr from Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Total time 1:51:09.

The first female finisher finished in an adjusted time of 2:11:13.

Over 140 triathletes participated ranging in age from 16 to 63. 13 women and 47 men participating were over the age of 40.

For some highlights of the 6th Annual Turtle Crawl Triathlon, watch the video below.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/jekyll-island/ pictures 1-76.

To be continued...

Submarines and Aunt B's, St. Marys, Georgia

Right next to St. Marys, Georgia is Kings Bay, home to a Naval Submarine Base known as SuBase Kings Bay.

Near one of the base entrances sits the USS George Bancroft SSBN 643 Sail Exhibit. George Bancroft was the founder of the United States Naval Academy and this was the fourth ship named after him. In commission for 27 years from 1966 to 1993, the ship entered the Ship and Submarine Recycling Program and ceased to exist on March 30, 1998.

This exhibit of the sail is part of the St. Marys Submarine Museum collection.

Aunt B's Homestyle Buffet is part of the St. Marys restaurant collection.

You come to "get your fatback at Aunt B's."

What is fatback, you ask? It comes from the layer of fat along the back of the pig. Gee, that's what it sounds like. Here at Aunt B's it is deep-fried and heavily salted. Used for cracklings, it seems to be a pork rind to us. We tried it once and probably won't again.

Being basically bacon fat, it is also used to flavor stewed vegetables and is a traditional part of southern cuisine and soul food.

Be sure and tell Sonya hello for us. She has been working at Aunt B's since a few days after her family opened it 6 years ago.

For a few more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/eatingatauntbsstmar/ .

To be continued...

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Pt. 2

Continuing our Swamp Island Drive at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, we step into the livestock area of the Chesser Homestead.

The animals at The Chesser Homestead included a hog...
and a chicken.

Marlon took great pride in hanging his sister's dress out to dry.

Next we walked the 3/4 mile boardwalk to reach...

a branch...

a swampy pond...

Chesser Prairie and Seagrove Lake...

some strange looking trees...

and an observation tower.

Standing at a height of fifty feet, the tower is a perfect location to listen to the pig frogs sing their songs.

Look! It's a dragonfly...I think. Helicopters appear to be modeled after them.

Meanwhile, back at the visitor center we spot more of the Okefenokee main attraction...alligators!

Alligator and turtle take in the sun.

A long-legged bird carefully walks by hoping not to be the turtle's next meal.

Marlon poses in anticipation of his own next meal.

For a video of some of the sights and sounds of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, watch the video below.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/okefenokee-national/ pictures 75-115.

To be continued...

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Pt. 1

Being so close to the setting of the old comic strip "Pogo", we decided to visit the Okefenokee Swamp (officially the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge) and look for Pogo and friends.

We found Albert the Alligator in several places in the park.

Doug tried out a demonstration of the swamp's terrain. Okefenokee was named by the Seminole Indians and means "Land of the Trembling Earth".

This cool jukebox features "Swamp Songs", the sounds of the animals of the Okefenokee Swamp. The best part is...the jukebox is free.

The visitor center features an audio-animatronic storyteller whose stories are accompanied by video. Unfortunately, the "animatronic" part didn't seem to be functioning any longer as the storyteller no longer moved.

The Swamp Drive featured many opportunities to discover gators. There REALLY is one in the picture below, we promise.

The Canal Diggers Trail gives visitors a close-up view of the attempt to dig a canal in order to drain the swamp into the Atlantic Ocean. This project, begun in 1891, was abandoned due primarily to lack of funds.

Here Marlon, walking the Canal Diggers Trail, attempts the "peace" sign.

These long narrow ponds along the side of the road are known as "borrow ditches" and are rich in plant and animal life.

Look who Doug found poking his head out of the water in one of the borrow ditches.

The W.T. Chesser family settled on a 592 acre island on the edge of the Okefenokee in the late 1800's. The homestead pictured below was built by grandson Tom in 1927.

When the National Wildlife Refuge came to be in 1937, portions of the Chesser family began to relocate. Tom and his wife, Iva, remained with their family on the island until 1958.

The house, originally four rooms, reportedly cost $200 to build! Two bedrooms were added as the family grew to seven children.

Next, we head outside to view the Chesser Homestead outbuildings.

First, we find the Syrup Shed where we think syrup was made.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/okefenokee-national/ pictures 1-74.

Next we look at the farm animals.

To be continued...

Historic St. Marys, Georgia

The water tower welcomes us to Historic St. Marys, Georgia.

The First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys recently celebrated its 200th anniversary.

Marlon sits near the spot where six oak trees were planted in 1799 as a memorial following the death of President George Washington.

Orange Hall is an example of Greek Revival Architecture!

Doug shows off his newly-purchased Passport to Your National Parks.

Many of the houses located on the main street of St. Marys, Osborne Street, are now B & Bs or cafes.

The community waterfront park opened in 2001.

Viewing the St. Marys River from the St. Mary's Waterfront Park.

Listen to the bells of The First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys in this video.
For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/april/historic-st-marys-g/ .

To be continued...