If you are lucky enough to have fried shrimp for lunch while sitting under an old oak tree, wandering into a beautiful chocolate shop for dessert and finish the day with a walk on the beach, its hard to be anything but grateful. Today was one of those days.

B and J Seafood in Darien came highly recommended. Sadly they had no outdoor seating so we were forced to eat in the car in a lovely little park under huge oak trees.

The chocolate shop, Sugar Marsh Cottage, located in a gorgeous old house was a delight. We snacked on a caramel turtle and brought home some chocolates.

We had a lovely chat with the shopkeeper and one of her friends who told us a fabulous tale about Fort Clint, on Amelia Island and how the fort was build from coquina which, when attacked by cannon fire, appeared to stop the cannon balls and hold on to them, reinforcing the forts walls. So of course, we will have to visit.

But today we headed to Butler Island Plantation.

We had passed the square chimney a number of times and were surprised to find that the plantation grew rice.

Its a bit hard wandering the plantations and learning the history of the area and coming face to face with slavery, especially when I have been reading articles about the horrors of the slave trade ( We Still Can’t See Slavery for what it Was ), and of course, during these times when racism and the effects of our shared history are daily on display. Federal Judge Rejects Hate-Crime Plea Deals in Ahmaud Arbery Killing.

As we have driven north from St Simons over the past few days we have also seen viewing towers out on the marshes and today we traveled down a desolate road to nowhere and were lucky enough to spot one we could climb. Only one story high, but offering a fabulous view.

and ending the day on the jelly fish covered beach as the sun set