A Private Island Experience at Greyfield, Cumberland Island

Imagine staying in an island full of wild horses and other wildlife such as deers and birds; surrounded with forest-like trees, mansions scattered around it, and a pristine beach you can have all to yourself. That is what a stay in the Greyfield Inn in Cumberland Island, Georgia is like.

For our second out of five stops for our honeymoon, my husband arranged for us to stay in the Greyfield. Greyfield Inn was actually a small mansion transformed into an exclusive inn after the owner moved out of the island. The entire island used to be owned by the wealthy Carnegie family, but now a couple other wealthy families also live there such as the owner of Coca-Cola. Still, it is private and only the few residents as well as guests of the Greyfield are allowed entry.

Scattered around the entire island are 5 mansions (if I remember it right) built by the Carnegies. They have their own garden which provides produce for the kitchen. They even have their own gasoline station for the boats and yachts. When the family was still residing or visiting there, they had a total of 200+ servants maintaining the entire area.

I am not going to chronicle what we did for each of the two-day stay, but I am going to share a few activities you can do as well as some photos I took. I made a condensed vlog about it which I posted on my personal Instagram account.

Greyfield Inn

We parked our car in the city near the island and rode a boat taking us to Greyfield. With us are a couple of volunteer park rangers in the island as well as four other guests.

our bikes parked outside our villa

Bikes are essential within the island because it is huge and there is so much to explore. Although the Inn provides tours and other activities where they provide transportation, bikes are the way to go because they do not want to add noise and air pollution to the environment as much as they can. You can  of course go hiking. Watch out for the wild horses, though. You will want to stay away from them especially when they are on heat. My husband even told me that he saw an alligator in the island when he used to camp there with his family years ago.

In the private beach, they have a mini storage house where guests can grab their own lounge chairs and umbrellas. While our hot breakfasts and continental breakfast as well as dinner are served in the mansion, our lunch is picnic-style, prepared by the chef. It's wonderful to freely have your meal by the beach side, under the trees, our outside one of the mansions, or even your room--whichever you prefer.

me and hubs ♥ it is so nice to have the beach all to yourself!

We biked to the beach and boy it was exhausting! For a while the forested area provide shade but near the beach, the sand just buries the wheels which made it hard to pedal. When we finally arrived, my husband and I saw a deer looking at us while we were trying to park our bikes. The staff at the inn even told us that they had a sighting of an albino deer. How magical!

Above is a photo from Plum Orchard, the second largest mansion (I think) in the island. In it are what is left of the few luxurious items such as Tiffany lamps and other pieces. Even their wallpapers are all hand-painted--each of them! It looks like one of the Downtown Abbey mansions.

At a time when there were no refrigerators and ice was a luxury, this mansion had its own ice-maker. It cost the same as a sports car back in the day. Insane! And to think this is in an island? Oh, the wealth this family has to have these things arranged for them. They also have a heater for their swimming pool even back in the day when there were no electricity available in the island. 

During the tour we learned of the Carnegies' lifestyle--how they value privacy (obviously) and built this self-sustaining island. In this particular mansion they have a racquetball court, among other things I already mentioned. I am truly fascinated by the details. One thing we learned was that there were some areas in the mansions where servants are not even allowed to go to. 

They have fine chinaware hand-painted and used only by a particular family member. Dinners are also a formal affair where they wore gowns. Their bedroom closet still have some of the 19th century clothings and even their toilet bowls are engraved! What a luxurious detail.

This is my husband and I during our first night. For dinner, it is required to dress formally--that is following the tradition and etiquette of the family. We had the cocktails and then the three-course dinner with a few of the guests. The food was outstanding. By the way, there are only around 15 guests in total allowed in the island.

We had a great time getting to know fellow guests and having conversations about the tours we took in the island as well as anything under the sun. In our table, we talked about experiences with wild animals such as bears, spiders, and snakes. Haha. Rich people (like our fellow guests) do not just talk about business and the economy all the time, you know.

The dining room was where JFK Jr. and his bride had their wedding reception. It was said that they had their wedding in the island for privacy! Naturally, the island also has its own mini airport for its guests.

This is in one of the libraries in Greyfield. The books are as old as 100 years or so, we are not even allowed to touch them. Also, according to hubs he just had the best bourbon he ever had. Worth the price, indeed.

the island's own gasoline station

the bike garage for guests and staff

One of the activities that we partook in was kayaking while also being guided by the resident marine biologist. We enjoyed seeing dolphins jumping in the distance, and we even saw sharks by their fins surfacing on the water! I was scared but the guide told us that they are smaller sharks so we needn't worry.

There were also different species of birds such as egrets, herons, and other birds fishing by the seashore. It was truly a beautiful sight! It's a bummer though that we didn't get a glimpse of the famous manatees.

***

Overall the island experience was truly a treat. The stay is expensive but worth the money. My introverted self enjoyed the private island experience in contrast to touristy and overpopulated islands.

We had so much fun under the sun that we got sunburned! Haha. This stop is my most favorite out of our five honeymoon stops. Highly recommend.

When the man you married turns out to be someone else

Ang hirap mag-asawa sa panahon ngayon...
Ang hirap mag-asawa ngayon dahil maraming lalakeng bonjing, irresponsable, tamad, walang pangarap, walang plano sa pamilya, hindi alam ang responsibilidad bilang padre de pamilya. Kaya ang babae ang papasan sa lahat ng pagkukulang pero kapalit ang kanyang kagandahan at kasiyahan. Pagtapos anakan ng madami, iiwan.
Nakakalungkot na nag-aambag na nga financially, babae pa rin ang gagawa ng gawaing bahay, mag-aalaga sa mga anak, magseserbisyo sa kanyang mister at sa family planning. Hindi alam ng lalake na maraming nagbabago sa katawan ng isang babae sa pag pipills, IUD, implant, patch, ligate... Tapos expect pa rin ng lalake na dapay maganda pa rin at fresh ang kanilang misis.
Tapos Kung sino pa ang hindi financially stable, sila pa malakas magpadami ng anak.
At kung sino pa yung pinagsisilbihan at minamahal ng totoo sila pa nagloloko...
Asan na ang "tulungan?"
Asan na ang provider husbands?
Asan na ang yung marunong sa family planning? Asan na ang mga responsableng lalake?
Asan na ang mapagmahal na mga tatay?
Asan na ang mga "knight and shining armor?"
Paunti na ng paunti sila dahil imbes pangaralan ang mga kalalakihan, babae ang inaalipusta sa pagkakaroon ng high standards.
Kaya masisisi mo ba na dumadami ang strong independent woman, single, single mom, furrmommies, high standards, mapili at hindi na martir?

 
Words By: Jamerisse Chames (Tita Charot)
Posted by: Nanay Talks

You can see a guy's character even during the friendship and courstship stage, which is why you shouldn't rush things and give them the slice of heaven until they put a ring on your finger.

The dating stage is a time to truly get to know each other’s values, principles, and character. Ask the right questions; don't just flirt or have someone to accompany you. Learn from the wise counsel of couples whose marriage you admire. Read books and listen to relationship podcasts. These will help you spot red flags and look for green flags.

Above all, work on becoming the best version of yourself so you attract the quality man you prefer. Pray for your love life if marriage is your goal.

Posted on 09/10/24, based on this original post.

Why women complain more about their jobs

See full video here

Women complain more about work than men do because women in general are not made for a 9-5 job but men are.

Men are like the Sun, they have a 24hr cycle. Hustling and providing (especially if they have a family) give them purpose.

Women on the other hand are like the Moon. We are not always full. There are times we want to slow things down. Most of all, for those who are mothers there is a reason why there is a mom guilt because it is our natural instinct to nurture our children. That means being present for them. For fathers their nurturing is through providing and protecting.

I am grateful for the first wave of feminism that allowed women to have a choice outside of the home. However the way the economy is designed now, most households need two income. It disadvantages the women so much because of our soft feminine nature.

As for me, I loved my job in the Office of the President, but I love my situation now even better. As a housewife, I don’t have to wake up early and commute and report to a boss. I cook for my husband and I make our home a beautiful place which I enjoy so much. It is truly a privilege so I will enjoy it now while I can.