Not much can be seen here of what once used to be at Ft. Frederica on St. Simon’s Island except this old shelter, parts of the fort, and some foundation ruins from the old settlement spread over the 40 acres they claimed. The size of the park today is over 240 acres as more land got requisitioned for archeological research.  A lot of this fort was abandoned or survived through fire, but there was enough left to discover where the different workers (blacksmith, brick-worker, carpenter, silversmith, gunsmith, and the cook) lived, how many families and soldiers called this place home, and some of the battles involved, in the 18th century, that would help defend their territory.

I enjoy going to places with a background and history of a less machine age. I like to imagine what it would be like to have lived back then: no apartments or A/C, no cars or paved roads, no cell phones or iPods, no Simpsons or CSI. Then I imagine: the long work hours and being proud of my quality workmanship, my husband off fighting battles with a horse and a musket, my kids helping to gather wood and small game, and being able to talk to my neighbors without all the latest social networks. I would still want a camera to take pictures with, but perhaps back then blogging was still done with pen and paper.