This weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Sea Island, Georgia for an event on my recent book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.” I was able to drive around the island and the adjoining St. Simons Island. Despite the unusually cold weather, this unique place was spellbinding. I cannot recommend a visit more for our blog community.
Sea Island is a privately owned island in Glynn County. It is part of the Golden Isles, along with St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and Little St. Simons Island. The book event was held at the Cloisters resort, a gorgeous, historic property with a wonderful beach.
The Golden Isles are covered in old oaks with Spanish moss. Walking through them is like walking through a movie set of a Southern Gothic.
As will come as no surprise to regulars on this blog, my first stop was the famous British fort on St. Simons Island. The fort and town were built by British General James Oglethorpe, a social reformer with a fascinating history. The town held around 630 regular troops and around 1,000 townspeople. I was struck by the sign on one of the ruins that said that the nicest building on the property was the candlestick maker who exported candles and soaps from the island.
Oglethorpe led the troops in defeating Spanish invaders who landed in the nearby marsh in what became known as the War of Jenkins’ Ear, so named after the ear of British sea captain Robert Jenkins, whose ear was severed in April 1731 as Spanish coast guards searched his ship for contraband. The British destroyed the Spanish force in the marsh.
The fort is a gorgeous stretch of old oaks leading into the marshes with some remaining gun placements (most of the town and fort burned down in a major fire).
I had the pleasure of speaking with historical reenactors who live in motor homes near the fort as they travel to such sites. They came from all over the United States and had a wealth of knowledge of the island and its history.
Karen was baking bread and making a wonderful bean and sausage stew as well as a pie- all on the fire pit. Karen put the rolls on a bed of cinders and then covered it with another cinder layer to create an oven. These volunteers truly bring historical sites to life and their enthusiasm for history is contagious.
After the fort, Leslie and I went to a local favorite for lunch, Barbara Jean’s on St. Simons Island.
The family restaurant menu seems to have been written by Bubba from Forrest Gump:
However, beyond every type of shrimp, the biggest draw is their different crab cakes.
We started with what was my favorite (the dirty rice) and Leslie had their famous She Crab soup. They also serve four different kinds of fresh bread, including my corn bread with jalapeño.
We then followed with the crab cakes and the shrimp & grits. They were outstanding and we could barely put a dent into the entries. As with everyone on these islands, the staff was incredibly friendly and shared a great deal local information, including such local famous sons as football legend Jim Brown (who was born on St. Simons).
From the history to the beaches to the cuisine, the Golden Isles are a delight that should not be missed. This is only an hour and a half from Jacksonville and worth a visit. Just bring a good amount of time and a healthy appetite.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Always loved Sea Island as with many areas like below the Mason-Dixon like Beaufort, Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans and my own, Richomnd, pre-mob rule. The South really is the place to live. Pssst don’t tell those Yankees, JT.
Yes! Miss shrimp and grits!! No one up here likes grits for some reason. But I make a corn bread that brings back people for seconds and in demand from friends!
They eat something called mush instead of grits north of the Mason Dixon…
Be happy you went in the winter. In the summer you’ll be treated to brown, brackish water, smells from the nearby paper mills and swarms of green heads and sandfleas!
Thanks for the nice write-up on Fort Frederica. It was nice to meet you yesterday.
Thank you Professor Turley. I’m heading to SSI in February. All the photos, and all the sites you mention, bring back such memories. I love your blog, especially the family-oriented ones. LOVED the Saint Patrick’s day blog – I’m 50% Irish. My father was a wild Irishman from County Mayo – “Where all the good men come from.”
Nora H. Kuester
in other words, The South.
I like your last name, wondering if you’re surname ancestors of the famous General Braxton Bragg. Loathed by his men and feared by the enemy for his courage and steadfastness. The man that held fast at Chicamaqua and whose troops put many a federal in the ground.
Traveler…………Bragg is my married name. My husband, who is actually a Taylor, was given the surname of his mother’s first husband, R.B. Bragg, who indeed was descended from Braxton. My hubby (“honestlawyermostly”) was born in Atlanta and lived there until he was 12. He said sometimes his family visited the rest of the Braggs, who lived in the Savannah area. Hubby’s paternal grandfather, John Taylor, a Confederate soldier who fought at Vicksburg and the Battle of Atlanta, .started a second family at age 60. In his later years, (1920’s and 1930’s) Mr. Taylor spent time helping give tours of the Atlanta Cyclorama which dipicted the Battle of Atlanta, showing tourists where he had fought during the Battle. Hubby’s grandmother, Mr. Taylor’s wife, died in Atlanta’s Confederate Widow’s Home in the early 1950’s.
Thank you for your kind words, Traveler!
With Obama’s era erasing of our history America lost a huge portion of her legacy. Our confederate statues were removed without thought of the character and unabridged courage and honor of these men. A P Hill comes to mind, a truly remarkable man and one beyond honorable, ready to duel to the death with Stonewall Jackson over a slight to his honor. Without going into my surname, I will say that it goes to the very beginnings. You’re very welcome, a true American legacy name and heritage to be proud of!
Traveler was General R E Lee’s horse’s name, a charger.
“With Obama’s era erasing of our history America lost a huge portion of her legacy.”
You are absolutely correct Traveler. When we lose sight of factual history, we frequently cannot tell the difference between right and wrong.
S. Meyer…….absolutely! (and so good to see you.)
Cindy, I win the bonus when talking to you.
You should remember your interesting family history. I am trying to get my wife to write a self-published book so that her and her parent’s history will not be forgotten. in the generations to come.
Some on this blog say the Holocaust never happened. All I need to do is remember the tattoos on my in-laws’ arms. I look and hear how some feel toward Israel though they don’t know or want to know the truth. That is why their arguments have no substance unless they provide myths.
Some are blaming Israel because they say it won’t compromise, though they did seven or eight times where Israel gave up almost everything. They didn’t give up on the survival of Israel and the Jews. That is what ended all the peace talks in the past. Even the Oslo agreement was not followed by the other nations and the UN didn’t do what it promised. Instead, members of the UNwra participated in the October 7 attack.
I will provide a few facts to those who don’t have them because in the past it changed a few minds that weren’t sealed shut.
The Arab League is 22 nations, with 473 million people, and over 5.700,000 million square miles.
Israel, post-1948, is one nation, with 9.7 million people, and 8,019 square miles.
The Arab League is 712 times larger than Israel.
Israel’s land area is 0.14% of the Arab League’s total.
The Arab League’s population is 49 times larger than Israel’s.
Israel’s population is 2% of the Arab League’s total.
S. Meyer………You are too kind! I always appreciate your input and unique insight. Your wife’s book would be so incredible. I hope she is able to write it someday soon.
Years ago when I frequented the blog “No Quarter”, someone posted a drawing of a “map of the Arab World”. If you looked very very closely, you could see a colored dot in the middle of a massive area of land. The dot was Israel. That map tells us everything we need to know! Jeez! Unbelievable, and one reason I admire and revere the Jewish people so much!
Hope you and your bride are staying warm and safe.
“The dot was Israel.”
Yes, that dot is small, yet Israel is accused of causing the problems in the Middle East. The tiniest of land is supposed to give up land for peace. That was done over a half-century ago with the creation of Trans Jordan. Today, Jordan occupies about 75% of the British Mandate, while Israel occupies 18%. Repeatedly, Israel’s neighbors demanded their land be reduced and then extinguished.
If one adds up the total lands of Israel and the Arab League, Israel amounts to 0.155%. For the dyslexic, that is very much less than 1%. But they say Israel is the problem. It won’t give up land to those whose charters call for the destruction of Israel and the genocide of its people.
Some hide behind so-called experts but they don’t provide the argument of the experts, just their names and the fact that some consider them authorities. They are not even authorities in the Middle East.
I am waiting for someone to come out and place their empty card hand on the table.
Traveler………..Yes, I remember that was the horse’s name. A wonderful name. My family is from Louisiana and I still cannot believe that the woke thug, former N’Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, tore down Gen. Lee’s statue on Lee Circle…..And it was an iconic part of St Charles Ave for years, not to mention its historic significance!
There is an enlightened group of black citizens in Dallas who made news a few years back by stating that it’s demeaning and ridiculous to think they are so fragile as to be offended by statues!!
My family’s history was a bit more tragic. Brother fought brother, ultimately three officers in the two opposing armies. Their one sister had wed into the Alabama governor’s family, a Union collaborator. It tore the family apart with two sons in the Confederacy and one son and daughter siding with the Union. The brother that fought with Sherman was killed in Wedowee in 1865 after returning home, one surrendered his commission as a Captain in the Confederacy subsequent his return from KY to construct defenses in 1862, he had eight children and a pregnant wife. The youngest brother at 17 years old mustered into the Georgia 5th Infantry where he was shot and captured at Peetsville then exchanged in a prisoner swap in Vicksburg then shot again at Franklin. He fought Sherman in Atlanta and was promoted to Captain for his courage on field and then later to General at close of war. They were ALL good men, honorable men as was their father and their grandfather. Both of whom were veterans of the Revolutionary War and the war of 1812, long juice in this Nation of ours.
It’s personal when we see what these morons have done to our history.
“My family’s history was a bit more tragic. Brother fought brother.”
Traveler, I respect you and your family’s history. It’s a painful thing to learn about a relative who was killed, even if it was long ago.
In my wife’s and my family, I don’t know of a generation where some relatives weren’t killed while others suffered in the concentration camps. This spans the recent centuries and over thousands of years. Entire parts of our families were wiped out. That pain is real. When people blame Israel or the Jews—especially when they seem to be decent people—it cuts even deeper, particularly when they can’t provide a reason for their blame.
It’s vital that we understand the weight of history and the suffering it carries, as it shapes how we see the world today. Blaming a people without understanding their past only perpetuates the hurt.
No worries on this end Mr. Meyer! I consider you a good person and hope to be found worthy of your consideration. No hate on this end whatsoever.
Traveler, You’re a decent person deserving to be liked, which is why your comments about Israel really confused me. Instead of pointing to facts or sharing your opinions based on evidence, you depended on the authority of a so-called authority without explaining their stance or backing it up. This issue matters too much, especially to me, to just let it slide. I’ve lost too many family members to stay quiet about this.
You said Israel disrupted the area and displaced the indigenous people, but I explained why and how the Jews are the indigenous people of Israel. That’s not something to debate unless you’re ignoring well-established facts. I hoped that would make you reconsider your comment or at least explain where you’re coming from. I also shared several reasons why Israel is sovereign in their area of the world.
I’m not trying to fight with you. I just want you to take another look at this. You’re a good person, and I don’t think standing on the wrong side of an issue like this is what you’d want. Can we have an honest conversation about it instead of just shutting it down?
I’m hoping to discuss this issue further. After appropriate facts are discussed, I don’t mind a difference in opinion but generally the sides come closer meeting in a more central position.
In June 2023, we visited St Simon’s and Jekyll Island having a similar experience. Since it was our anniversary, we had lots of time to explore on our bicycles. We agree with you that these islands are bucket list worthy. Looking forward to our next visit.
If you’re campers, I highly recommend Ft Mountain. Really cool place with great trails and old South hamburgers at the lake grille. The Moon eyed people mystery complete with ruins to explore. Wasn’t so commercialized 15 years ago…
The above recommendation about Jekyll Island is right on point. My wife and I just got back from there a few days ago. Beautiful beaches, great golf courses, lots of live oaks and more great seafood. Lots of history. St. Simons is great too!
Great recommendation. Its is truly enchanting area. I also recommend going to Jekyll Island and visiting the Jekyll Island Club. First established as a hunting club in 1879, it became an ultra exclusive hang-out for America’s wealthiest who sailed down every winter to spend time on the island. A secret meeting in 1910 led to establishment of the federal reserve. Then take a trip to Cumberland Island, which steel baron Thomas Carnegie bought, as one story has it, after being denied admission to the Jekyll Island Club.
Enjoy, Professor 🙂
Georgia is the best-run state in the Country, and the coast has a lot of attractions. North Georgia has beautiful mountains. Highly recommended.
A humble warning: the citizens of Georgia are wonderful–just steer clear of Atlanta. The islands are great. The swamp is not.
Yes, avoid driving through Atlanta at all costs.
Too many blacks.
But what about blacks, can they drive through or do you want them to take a bus and ride in the back?
Thanks Professor. Looks like a perfect stopover on our annual trek North from SWFL to VA to escape the summer hurricane season.
1. My favorite such historical site is Old Salem in NC, founded by Moravians who came by way of PA.
2. I’ve been allergic to shellfish for awhile now, so I hope that restaurant has other dishes.
Old Salem, in Winston-Salem, is indeed a nicely kept historical village, and given the college, the privately owned historical homes and shops, rather than a static display it has the feel of a living museum.
We’re going!!!! Have been looking for a great place like this to visit that’s not far from central FL. Perfect! Posted a thanks to you on X as well.