I’ve lived on St. Simons Island for 30 years, and never experienced a storm quite like Hurricane Helene. I can say unequivocally that I hope to never encounter a tropical system like this most recent one again. Even with as much damage as the Golden Isles sustained, we are fortunate. As I see texted images from relatives in Valdosta, friends in the Asheville area and family members in parts of Western Virginia and West Virginia, I can see just how lucky we were. Travel to those parts isn’t recommended, especially to Western North Carolina, but there are reputable charities that are working hard to help folks there, so all of us can help to the best of our collective ability.
Our Coastal Illustrated feature gives everyone an excuse to relax after long days of yard clean-up and dealing with other storm-related issues. In it, we profile four authors with local connections – Ronda Rich, Chuck Carter, Taylor Brown and Johnathon Scott Barrett – and who have used the Golden Isles as a backdrop for one of their books. There’s a more detailed breakout at the end of the feature, which lists numerous local authors and one book for which they’re well-known to get you started. One author I wanted to interview for this feature, Tina McElroy Ansa, whose book “Baby of the Family” achieved international acclaim, sadly passed away while I was writing this.
In the Coastal Home feature, we visit with Pierce & Parker Interiors to chat about what makes the entryway to a home enviable, and then we pop in to visit with The Grove SSI and discuss how to make entryways seasonal. Enjoy – there are tons of great ideas for zhushing up your first impressions…