Going to Florida

On our way to another state.  Left Georgia and George this morning heading south on alternate route 17, trying to avoid the interstates as much as possible as there is little to see.  US 95 through Georgia is one vast setting for 50-100 foot high billboards.  Beneath the billboards are thick pine forests, very lovely, but the billboards are an unpleasant distraction.  Route 17 has small towns, variety of housing options, lots of churches by the way side, and a few road kill, but generally small local variety--I'm not sure what.
We took our leisurely time as usual and had a wonderful surprise when we pulled off the main road to stop at Jekyll Island in Florida.  Now a state park, the Island was originally Millionaire's Club hosting a century old club and dining room and the cottages of those millionaires at the time--Rockefeller, Pulitzer, Morgan, Crane, and more.  Their cottages were for the winter season, Jan to March, and were more like camping, only 10,000 to 15,000 square feet.  Imagine camping in that style.  The island fell into disuse after the depression and WWII when the original 103 members dwindled to 53 and then couldn't come at all because there were German submarines around the island.  The third generation preferred to travel to Europe, the Riviera, California, and places other than the quiet little island where automobiles were discouraged.  The state took it over and it is well preserved as an historical cite.  We got to visit the island, see a couple of the houses, peek into how the other half lived for a while (and still do only elsewhere).
We passed some plantations along the way, principle crops are/were rice and pine logs, paper mills still in operation.
And then we arrived in Amelia Island where we are the guests of Lisa Jones, my mentee and friend from LA.  She used to summer here as a child and has long family roots to the area.  She's been here about 5 years and owns a restaurant, Jack and Diane's, which is funky, popular, and moving toward organic.  Lisa is the teacher responsible for getting sodas out of the schools and getting at least a semblance of fresh foods onto the campus at LAUSD.  She's still a missionary.  Can't wait to hang out with her.