Beach Party Fun! 

Beachcomber Properties sponsored an end of summer beach party at the Coast Guard Station.  Although the weather had been EXTREMELY hot the previous few days, the day of our party was perfect with a nice sea breeze contributing to our comfort.  We did have a couple of tents to protect us from the sun, and I think that everyone had fun!  This was a great opportunity for people to meet and greet new friends and neighbors.

A great time for all ages!

Pat Cummings (Somersby Pointe), Rick Gorman (River Ridge), and Tish Search (SSI)

Margie Henderson, Ameris Bank

Sandcastle, anyone?

Bill Felker (on right) and his wife Betty (not in photo) just moved here from New Orleans.  My son Jason is on the left.

We live in a wonderful area with resources we often take for granted.  The beach at the Coast Guard Station affords us a wonderful opportunity to throw up a tent, haul in some food, and have fun!  Did I forget to mention that there is lots of (free) parking and trash receptacles?  Maybe you can join us next year!

Welcome to summer in Southeast Georgia!  I know a lot of people complain about the heat, but I LOVE it!  After working for 6 years in NYC, I will NEVER complain about the heat again.  When working in NY, I would fly home, and as soon as I got off of the airplane, I would just stand outside with my arms extended trying to get my bones warm.  That was one of the best things about coming home.  Now it's the week of July 4th, arguably the busiest and one of the hottest week of the year, and I'm loving it! 

Real estate has slowed resulting in a great buyer's market for St. Simons.  How many times have you heard that???  What an opportunity!  The last time the market was like this (right after 9/11) , homes in the St. Simons Island Club were listed beginning in the low $400K's.  Now the least expensive home in that neighborhood is listed for $675K.  I imagine that the buyers who bought in that "down" market are happy for their foresight.  Remember, when opportunity knocks, you need open the door!

Summer is here!  How do I know?  It took me 15 minutes to get to the causeway yesterday.  Those of us who live here forget how spoiled we are.  We’re used to jumping in a car, and having the road mostly to ourselves – then summer comes!  Forget about it!  Now there are 4 lanes of traffic (not just road) as people come and leave the island.  I wonder how many cars cross that road daily.  We used to have a toll (I know, I know; 35 cents wasn’t much of a toll), but now we just zip right by the vacated toll booth. 

Want to go out to eat?  Well, get in line – literally!  We locals resent having to stand in line to go to dinner.  After all, we’re LOCALS. 

But I have to admit, I actually love summer here.  The Village is hopping, people are having fun, and with most of the island on vacation mentality, we have some lively conversations.  “Where are you from” (or the southern version, “Where ya’ll from?”) is heard quite frequently, everywhere from the gas station to the grocery store.  And the young people especially like the summers here, where they can go to the beach, hang out at the pier, and actually find a lively night life in the Village after dark.

I especially love Sunday afternoons.  That's when I can ride my bike around the island see many of the vacationers packing their cars to return home.  I remember vacationing in Nags Head during the early 80’s.  How I hated going home!  At that time, I lived over 200 miles from the ocean.  Now, I don’t have to pack up and go home; the best part of summer for me is knowing I get to stay here!