PT1Unfortunately everyone who does a tour on the island uses the same name for their tours. This IS NOT about Jim's tour which we should have taken, this is about JR's/Yvonnes's tour which I regret booking. We wanted a private tour and booked with JR (who we found out later was Yvonne's no good son). He promised us a great tour, time on the beach shelling, walking around the outskirts of the Reynold's mansion, a visit to the Gullah/GeeChee area, and most of all a trip to the lighthouse which we could climb since his mother (Yvonne) holds the keys.
We booked in March 2023 and our trip was for end of April 2023 for my daughter's birthday. I called 2x and emailed once. He doesn't like to answer his phone but I was able to speak to him finally the Thursday before our Saturday trip. He assured me everything was good to go and we had our names on the list for the ferry.
Fast forward to our trip day we had a nice visit at the Visitors center and got down to the ferry landing to be told we weren't on any list. Yvonne, who was checking people in said it was OK and to pay her $5 cash for the ferry ride. We rode the ferry over to the island to find out JR had cancelled his tour. Don't know when, but we never received any notification by email or text or a phone call, yet he had all that info. Us and 3 others got pushed onto Yvonne's public tour. She wanted us to pay her cash right then for the tour, which was $10 a person. Luckily my spouse had some cash on him so we paid her and asked when we would get a refund from JR since we paid him in advance. NO less than 3x during tour she walked up to us and asked us if we paid her for the tour. I believe she was trying to shake us down for a tip for the tour. Hopefully she's not that forgetful.
We boarded a bus and were going to be in the front, but a lady that needed assistance and had a scooter/wheelchair needed the seat so we went to the back. She was complaining because she had called ahead to make sure the tour was ADA compatible and was told it was, but it was not. Yvonne told her if she had known she would have brought the other bus. (which we heard her say later the other bus was broken.)
So we sit in the back and find out this bus is hot as hell and the A/C can only run when Yvonne is not speaking on the microphone was was garbled and had no volume to hear her. So we roasted for most of the trip. And breathed in diesel fumes as well. Our first stop was the cemetery which as history buffs we love. Unfortunately, we got to spend 5 minutes only, taking a picture of the entrance after she told us their were some unique headstones in the back of the cemetery, but we didn't have time to stop for long. We had to get to the Long Tabby Ed and Research Laboratory as soon as possible. This is where we found out Yvonne was a worker here and recently retired and drove the tour buses for the island tours now. Inside there were aquariums of various marine and land animals native to the island. Time spent inside was about 30 minutes. Place had a bathroom. Then outside for a short and I mean short talk about the Tabby Ruins and then the rest of the time was spent at the Post Office where she was pushing people to buy postcards, one of which was of her. Time spent at this location was at least 1 hour. Should have been a 20 minute stop, TOPS.
The next part of the tour was through the Hog Hammock community and I mean through. We only stopped at a rickety convenience store for about 30 minutes. Nothing else to see there. No bathrooms available. Was hoping to meet some locals possibly and see their intricate basket weaving or an opportunity to buy baskets but it wasn't offered. So get what you can at the visitors center because that's the only place to get them. We drove so fast through we only got one picture of the place.
Our next drive by was to the Reynolds mansion. I knew we would not go inside but I thought we could stop and take some pictures of the outside. NO GO. Another drive by. Then onto the Sapelo Island Lighthouse. This now was the only good thing about this trip. When we got there she asked in a bored voice, "No one wants to climb the LH right?" I yelled from the back of the bus "Hell Yes! we do!" And ran up the aisle. Since she's the only person on the island with the keys she had to open it for us. I could tell she was unhappy. But everyone on the tour was enjoying seeing it. Many of them climbed as well. You just couldn't go outside on the lantern room balcony because the railing was not safe. You could see the light up close though. The views were great. I was one of the 1st to climb and so I was also down pretty quick. Took a quick walk around and got all my shots and then walked down the road to get a picture of the sign and look at the rear range light. I was also able to climb that. No one else on the tour did. She was itching to go, so I didn't even have time to go back to the bus they picked me up on the road out.
Next stop was the beach which on our original read more