Thursday, April 16, 2026: A couple of days ago, we saw some personal watercraft in tow while on St Simons, so we and searched for the adventure. We booked a river tour with Coastal Backwater Adventures. Since the tour did not start until after lunch, we took advantage and headed to Cafe Frederica for our midday meal.
Creatures of habit, we ordered the same foods as before and were not surprised that the meal was just as good as the first visit which impressed us. Once again, the food and service were very good, meeting that St Simons expectation.
Nothing against Cafe Frederica at all, but at lunch we each ordered Diet Coke. Now we all know drink prices have become a huge conversation when dining out. Even at convenience stores, single serve drinks cost a lot of money. For the 12oz can of Diet Coke, we paid $3.50 each. That’s $37.33 a gallon! Gas prices are nothing compared to soft drinks and yet we complain about the cost of fuel when we purchase a drink at almost every fill up. Just thinking.
We finished lunch early and were going to drive down near the pier to see if the area was as busy as it was on Saturday. Just after pulling out, we got a call from Jordan with Coastal Blackwater Adventures confirming our appointment and letting us know they were back from the earlier trip. No need to kill time, we headed on to the tour.
We arrived about 25 minutes early and Jordan met us near the dock to welcome us. He explained the afternoon and made sure all the documents were in order. From his service and communication you can tell he strives for a great experience. He introduced us to our guide for the day, Megan, and made sure we were prepared for our adventure. Off to the dock, we found our ride for the next two hours, a CraigCat. We were instructed how to drive the boat, and we were off.
After circling around near the dock a couple of times, we were guided out to the opening to start our tour. Megan explained how she would communicate and that we were free to spread out as we wanted along the route. We let an approaching boat go ahead of us since we had to slow to navigate the bridge. Once clear, we moved the throttles wide open, and we were off.
Just after we left the intercoastal waterway and turned on to the Frederica River, we started seeing wildlife along the edges. With the tide being very low, there were plenty of egrets, blue herring, and of course, alligators. Most were probably fishing for food, but the gators were definitely sunning. We would slow to view each, but as we approached the birds would fly off or move on up the river, and the gators would slide off the muddy bank into the river. With them out of view, we would move along, hoping we could outrun them.
We slowed for any wildlife that was spotted and would idle past the many docks that lined the river. Most of the docks were high end and held some nice watercraft. One of the older abandoned docks was being used by the pelicans as perches. Megan said they also get the larger white pelican in the winter so we did not catch them on this trip.
The sun was high and beating on us and the shore. The gators became too many to count. Each one we passed would act a little different. Some would enter the water before we got too close; some would appear to be begging us not to see them so they did not have to get back into the cold water.
Traveling almost to the top of St Simons Island, we took a left turn back onto the intercoastal waterway. You can definitely tell where the waters meet. We also began traveling into the wind. While we did not need swimming attire to ride, the winds made the current a little choppy, and we began to get some good, refreshing, but surprising, splash. The cool water felt good with the sun reddening our skin.
Just before the turn across the channel, we encountered our first shark of the day. Like the birds, the shark was fishing the shore. We could see his spray and fin, as he worked for food. Keeping our distance, we headed on when we could not locate him anymore. We took a short bypass and toured around the marina of the Frederica Yacht Club. Some very large boats in the marina for sure. We tucked back under the bridge and back around the bend to our starting point.
Excellent tour and great service. Once back on land, Jordan informed us that they do other tours on the southern side of St Simons that include Jekyll with Cumberland Island off in the distance. We cannot wait to take another!
Friday, April 17, 2026: Earlier in the week, Angela at Legacy RV Resort, and Beth were seeking out more adventures. Beth heard the word ‘Elvis’ and was hooked. Angela’s husband and daughter were attending some events at the Historic Ritz in Brunswick. Now we don’t have any red velvet in our rig, but Beth wants to visit Graceland and loves to hear Elvis tunes on the radio. She looked at me and asked if she could go, too. I said sure, just have Steve get an extra ticket, and you can go with them. 🙂 That is not how the story ended, but WE did end up with tickets for the Elvis Tribute at The Historic Ritz.
After a day of work, that simply would not end, we headed to Hootenanny BBQ in downtown Brunswick for dinner. Not sure what we would find, we arrived in a residential neighborhood with parking on the street. A simple house out front with a sign let us know we were at the right place.
We entered and were greeted right away by the staff directing us on how to order our meal and the seating arrangements. We could dine in the front yard, bar, dining room, on the screened back porch, or in the back yard. Great selections to match any occasion.
We ordered our food at the opening to the kitchen, paid, and headed to find our dining spot. When we entered the location, we heard music coming from the back of the place. We followed the sound to the back yard where a gentleman was singing our type of songs accompanied only with his guitar. The two songs we had heard were our type of music. We picked a small table just to the side his ‘stage’. After he finished the song he was singing, he personally welcomed us to his show and warned us about the gnat activity. He said his wife had some potion to combat them if we wanted some. Something new she was trying, but it may not be effective since she stated a gnat was already in the mixture. Not too much of a problem because there was a good breeze.
A song or two later, our food arrived. Pork BBQ sandwich with a side of slaw coupled with brisket street tacos and slaw. Everything from the meat to the sauces are made on site. Fresh food only available as long as it lasts each night. The presentation of the food was great. The flavor backed that up 100 percent. Very good BBQ that had been smoked on the smokers just beside our sitting area. The brisket was tender and seasoned well. Both of us note that we could not figure out the slaw. I described it as a potato salad flavor. Very good however it was made, and the taste grew on us with each bite.
Taking a break and introducing himself to us, the entertainer of the night was Uncle Dave Griffin from Waycross, GA. Making music for almost 50 years, he writes some on his own songs, covers good southern rock songs, and holds a couple of festivals each year in Waycross. The 16th Annual Swamptown Getdown Music Festival is coming up the end of April and 28th Annual Gram Parsons Guitar Pull mid-October. These may be some very cool events with many artists featured at both. There is nothing like good live music that is genuine and not digitally created.
While we were sitting and discussing the events, one of his followers arrived at the event and also joined the conversation. These guys probably both go way back, but they welcomed us as the conversation continued. We hated to cut that short, but we had plans, and time was running close. Maybe we will catch them again soon.
Off to the Historic Ritz in Brunswick for some Elvis!! The Georgia Tribute Festival started tonight, and the first event of the weekend was a Tribute to Elvis “Live at the International”. We entered to find a small theater where the front rows were packed with fans. Our seats were about halfway back in the auditorium which allowed us to watch the show and some of the reactions from the guests up front.
I have to pause to reflect on a conversation the Beth and Aunt Beverly had earlier in the day. She wished she could come, too. I told her that should not be a problem and that she would blend right in with the other greys in attendance with their walkers and wheelchairs. I can tell her now that was the case as we both noted that most of the fans at the event tonight were older.
Another funny occurrence takes us back to the conversation Beth and Angela had about the event. While Beth did not go with Steve and his daughter, the seats we had chosen were right behind them. Just after sitting down we had a short conversation about the event. Their youngest daughter has come to like music that is genuine and not generated by tuning devices and synthesizers. Elvis’ music was long before that time and delivered for real each time.
The first act of event introduced by the emcee, Dan Berrella, who offered side comedy as part of his roll, was Nick Perkins. Nick has been performing as an Elvis Tribute artist since he was 16 years old. In 2025, he won first place in the Georgia Tribute Festival. Nick performed songs from the the early years of Elvis’s career. His artistry was impressive, and the guy could sing. Very good start to the night.
Nest up was Jordan Poole who was the 2024 New York Champion Tribute Artist. Performing some of Elvis’ songs from movies and the next stage of his career, Jordan was also a very good performer.
Michael Chambliss, Images of the King World Champion, continued the event with more songs that were delivered with great energy, reflecting the personality and style of Elvis. Michael invited his mother and some of the ladies to join him near the stage as he serenaded them in song. 1968 comeback
The final performer of the night was Jay Dupuis, Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist. This guy was full on Elvis!. Very entertaining and delivering a performance that showed the crowd why he was the Ultimate Tribute Artist. He interacted with crowd the entire performance and knew many of the fans by name as he would converse between songs. The entire show was very impressive, and we BOTH enjoyed the evening. (I got him hooked now! 😉 )
Each performance was accompanied by the Double Trouble Show Band. These guys and lady were excellent musicians and singers. It appears that this group, along with the entertainers, will perform at each of the festival’s events. Three more sessions for the weekend. “Rockabilly Revival”, “Country Roads”, and “Southern Praise”, a gospel and inspirational music concert.
Saturday, April 18, 2026: We started the day visiting the Blessing of the Fleet festival in Darien, GA. We caught the tail end of the parade that we had forgotten but still saw some of the many floats and participants near the end of the route. Lots of them had also been in the Shellman Bluff Parade.
We entered the festival in the arts district where many local artisans were set up selling their goods, a wide variety of paintings, wood crafts, and sea-themed items.
The festival wound through the area and included something for everyone along the way. Plenty of room to move and navigate the wide variety of booths set up.
Close to waterfront park, we found the food court. No festival is complete without it. All types of food and sweets to choose from. Since it was hot and seating was limited, we opted for Rivers Edge Bar & Grill.
We had not eaten here since our very first evening in Darien back in January. Keeping with the theme of the weekend, Beth ordered shrimp tacos, blackened. Kevin made one of his usual non-fish selections. We both shared the fire roasted street corn that was perfectly named. Great meal overlooking the river and part of the festival from the screened porch dining.
We worked our way through the festival, stopping at booths on the other side of the street.
Next we headed to St Simons Island for Crafts in the Village. We expected the same type of environment but were very surprised to find mostly non-commercial goods. Almost every vendor was offering something they had created. A great stroll with some good purchases.
The weather was perfect on the island. We stopped in St Simons Sweets and got some ice cream and headed to the pier area to listen to the waves. Low tide allowed us to walk on the beach which has been under water each time before. From the walking path and on the beach, we watched the dolphins play in the water and the birds feeding near the pier.
In the center of the park, there are two large angel oaks covering a picnic area. The perfect mix of shade and sounds.
Shopped, sunned, and walked out for a bit, we headed back to camp to prepare for dinner.
A few weeks ago we went to Shellman Bluff to have lunch at Hunters Cafe, but it was closed that Friday for lunch. Confirming it was open Saturday night, we gave it a try. This is truly a hole in the wall, an old army barrack that was moved to the area and opened in 1951. It sits in the middle of downtown Shellman Bluff.
While the menu had several offerings of cafe style food, we both opted for the small ribeye steak with a baked potato. Nothing small about it for sure. Everything was fresh and very tasty. We will come back and try some of the cafe-style food soon. Very neat place tucked in the middle of nowhere.
Sunday, April 19, 2026: As the “blessing” weekend continued, we attended the Legacy RV Resort pancake breakfast. Bonnie, Amy, Angela, and Drew had spent the morning cooking up some delicious pancakes and bacon. About 25 people joined the event, many who were also vendors at the festival. Everyone was very thankful for the meal, a good fuel up to start the day.
We hung out around camp until just after noon and then headed back to the Blessing of the Fleet event. The boat parade and blessing of the fleet started at 2pm. The festival was packed full of people. We entered in the arts district again and paused to listen to some jazz on our journey to the waterfront.
At breakfast, we met one of the vendors that was also staying at Legacy RV Resort. PJ’s Woodland Soaps booth was a booth we had seen Saturday when walking through. We began using goat milk soap about a year ago. Since we were running low, we inquired about a specific scent we like. Once in the festival, we found the booth and almost an entire loaf of amber leaf. We left with all she had but did find out she can ship anywhere. As she explained her processes, we could tell she takes pride in producing a high quality soap. You can visit her website here.
We were about 25 minutes early to the waterfront for the boat parade and blessing of the fleet. Since we had the late breakfast, we decided to grab some snacks in Rivers Edge Bar & Grill. This was a great choice as we ended up at a table overlooking the waterfront. In the shade and above the crowd, we could view and hear the event from the comfort of our table while enjoying some fried pickles and pretzel bites.
There were fifteen boats in the parade of blessings this year. Our original thought was that the boats would parade by the waterfront and once the fleet was gathered a blessing would be given to the entire fleet. What occurred was that each boat would approach the bridge and receive its’ own blessing from a variety of preachers, priests, and other clergy, individualized and personal blessings bestowed to each boat, captain, crew, and potential harvest.
The entire weekend was filled with music, fireworks, vendors, food, and plenty of people visiting the event. We will visit again for sure.
Back to camp, we settled in for a great sunset to end a weekend packed full of entertainment and socializing.
