This could be paradise...

...provided you find the right bug spray.

Love OPH!

Having spent nearly a week here, and most of it alone, I have to say the little town of Isle of Hope was impressive. Gorgeous Spanish moss covered trees, pleasant lanes, lovely homes (that are being used, not just saved for that vacation down south), friendly folks, good food, and nearby to Savannah, if you want a more "Pier 39" experience. 

Oh, and my favorite eating place of all time is there, too.

Within walking distance to the marina is Wormsloe, a state park and historic home site. The man who built it, Noble Jones, came from England in 1733. He was one of the first settlers in Georgia. 

The tree-lined entry to Wormsloe

Fun fact: Georgia was settled as an experiment, funded by some swanky scholars in London. They provided the land and provisions to get folks started and only had a few rules you had to follow in return, one of them being no slaves. They believed that slave ownership was a form of laziness; that a man should do his own hard work and not have someone else do it for him. Yep, initially Georgia was slave-free. Funny how things work out.

Wormsloe is known for its beautiful live oak trees, which line the mile and a half long lane to the home.

What the rangers use.
They could have been funnin' me.

I mentioned bug spray. The biggest trouble here (this time of year, anyway) isn't mosquitoes. It's no-see-ums, or "gnats" as they call 'em. You can see them, though, but you won't notice them in time to keep them from biting you. That's because the itching starts hours, or in some case, a full day later. More frustrating is that no-see-ums have an utter and complete disrespect for deet. They don't seem to mind the stuff at all. Everyone has a theory or a remedy, from particular flower scents that bugs hate to smoking cigars (quoting one neighbor, "I don't really like them but they keep the bugs away"). 

While at Wormsloe I approached the rangers there, figuring they were, after all, professionals. I asked, "What do y'all do to keep from getting bit around here?" The ranger reached behind the desk and presented me with... wait for it... hairspray. Yep, that's what they used. Some olive oil with coconut oil hair spray. 

I even asked the dock workers here, who spend all day outside. They said nothing works, really. Except long sleeves and pants. Which they, indeed, wore.