Those who venture down to Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island know their stay won’t be a typical getaway. Though the isle is just a 40-minute lobster boat ride off the coast of Fernandina Beach, Florida, its untouched 18-mile stretch of white-sand seashore, roaming wild horses and-make sure you’re sitting down for this one-lack of Wi-Fi truly make it a world apart.
According to Greyfield Inn Manager Mary Ferguson, that initial boat ride to the island is integral in obtaining the feeling of separation from a hectic life. “I think the experience of getting on a boat is kind of special. It starts that feeling that you are getting away from the world,” she says. And once guests dock, they are welcomed by the beauty of an untouched island as well as giant oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. “People just walk up and have to catch their breath because it’s so lovely. The live oaks are just magical,” she says.
The magic continues throughout the entire island with bike rides and guided history and nature tours through the ecosystem made up of beach, marsh and forest. Ferguson calls the island’s birding opportunities “amazing,” saying two ornithologists spotted 279 different bird species during a recent stay. “A visit here is an experience where you are stepping back in time-no phones, no computers and no Wi-Fi,” she says. “Once people don’t have all that taking their attention, they have the opportunity to explore.” Of course, the beach is definitely not to be forgotten. “People say they’ve traveled all over the world and they’ve never seen a beach like Cumberland,” says Ferguson.
Much of the beach, as well as the island, is actually a national seashore, managed by the National Park Service, which provides most of the island tours. “The beach is undeveloped; you don’t have the high rises or condos or cabana clubs,” says National Park Service Public Information Officer Maggie Tyler. According to Tyler, the park service only allows 300 visitors per day by its ferry that docks in St. Marys, Georgia, (not including guests who stay at Greyfield Inn) so the island never feels overrun with tourists. “Think about 40,000 acres and 300 people-you never feel crowded,” she says.
Guests are able to explore Greyfield Inn as well. Built by the famously rich Carnegie family in 1900, the retreat was created for a Carnegie daughter named Margaret, and she left the home to her daughter, Lucy. In 1962, Lucy converted the grand house into the Greyfield Inn, and today Ferguson is married to Lucy’s grandson. Needless to say, the business-and the home-has stayed in the family. “The house does not feel generic; it feels like you are really visiting someone’s home,” says Ferguson. “It’s a wonderful lifestyle; we’ve raised our daughter here. Luckily I love the water and I love the island, though it’s a challenge because we have lots of buildings getting into the 100-plus years.”