Accessible only by ferry or private boat, Cumberland Island immediately separates itself from the pace of modern life. There are no bridges, no cars, no traffic lights - only maritime forests draped in Spanish moss, miles of untamed shoreline, and the quiet presence of wild horses that roam freely through the dunes. It is a place where nature leads and visitors follow.
I had the opportunity to spend the day with one of Cumberland Island's only residents, jewelry designer and Carnegie descendant, Gogo Ferguson. When I was in St. Simons Island a few years ago I reached out to Gogo about writing a story on her and her jewelry line. She immediately responded, "My husband David can pick you up by plane." Before I knew it, I was in a twin prop plane flying over the marshland of the Georgia coast and landing in a field on the famous wilderness of Cumberland Island.
If Gogo's name sounds familiar, it is because she was very good friends with John F. Kennedy Jr. She even designed his and Carolyn Bessette's rings and was instrumental in planning their wedding on the island.
Gogo's work is inseparable from the land itself. A lifelong resident of the island, Gogo has built an internationally recognized jewelry line not from gemstones mined or manufactured, but from the overlooked poetry of nature: armadillo shells, sea urchins, seed pods, snake vertebrae, and fragments of bone gathered on long, meditative walks along the beach and through the forest. Her process is both instinctual and reverent—each object carefully collected, studied, and transformed through lost-wax casting into gold, silver, or vermeil, preserving every intricate detail as a wearable relic of the island’s ecosystem. Raised under the influence of her grandmother, who taught her to see the landscape with heightened awareness and respect, Ferguson developed an eye for beauty in the raw and unexpected. Gogo shared with me, "My grandmother Lucy Ferguson, she loved wildlife more than she loved people. She saw the beauty in animals and nature, but saw such meanness in many people."
Gogo invited me to come with her on one of her scavenger hunts for natural items. We hop in her rustic, well-worn UTV and are off on an adventure.
What began as a necessity - creating a livelihood while raising her daughter on this remote island- has grown into a multi-million-dollar business collected by artists, celebrities, and even presidential families. Yet despite international recognition, Gogo remains rooted in the rhythm of Cumberland, where each piece begins not in a studio, but in the quiet act of noticing. "Look at that! That's a nice shark's eye," she exclaims as we walk along the island shore looking for shells and other natural oddities.
We hop back in the UTV and as we move through the marshland of the island, see an alligator. Of course we have to stop and admire. Through the maritime forest we come upon a mare and her foal. It's April so there are newly born wild foals all over the island. As we arrive back at Gogo's house perhaps the most distinct aspect is the large horse skeleton she has like a statue outside their home. It is remarkable that she finds beauty not only in life, but also in bones.
Gogo's tour of the island continues at Cumberland's only option for non-tent accommodations. Tucked within the wild is one of the South’s most enchanting hidden treasures: Greyfield Inn. At first glimpse, the grand white structure appears almost dreamlike, rising gently above sweeping lawns and ancient live oaks. Built in 1900 by the Carnegie family as a private retreat, the home remained a family residence for generations and was Gogo's grandmother Lucy's home. Today it remains one of the most exclusive and intimate historic inns in the country.
The interiors are quietly elegant—antique furnishings, worn hardwood floors, and family photographs that hint at a century of stories. Nothing feels overly curated. Instead, the home carries the comfortable patina of a place that has been deeply lived in and lovingly preserved.
Mornings begin slowly at Greyfield as guests gather for breakfast in the dining room. Fresh fruit, warm pastries, and Southern staples set the tone for the day ahead. From there, the island beckons.
Bicycles are the preferred mode of exploration. Pedaling beneath towering oaks along sandy paths, it is easy to lose track of time while discovering the island’s quiet corners. You might even round a bend and encounter a small herd of Cumberland’s famous wild horses grazing peacefully in the dunes.
For those drawn to history, Cumberland offers an extraordinary sense of discovery. Hidden within the maritime forest lie the evocative ruins of Dungeness Ruins, the remains of the Carnegie family’s once-grand mansion. Ivy-covered walls and stone archways now stand open to the sky, creating a hauntingly beautiful reminder of the island’s gilded past. Walking through the ruins, one can almost imagine the lavish gatherings that once took place here during America’s Gilded Age.
Yet despite its history, Cumberland never feels like a museum. The island remains vibrantly alive. Armadillos shuffle through the underbrush, dolphins appear just offshore, and loggerhead sea turtles return each summer to nest along the protected beaches. The quiet stewardship of the island has preserved something increasingly rare along the American coastline: true wilderness.
Afternoons often return guests to the wide veranda of Greyfield Inn, where rocking chairs invite long conversations and glasses of chilled wine arrive without ceremony. Evenings at Greyfield are perhaps the inn’s most beloved tradition. Guests gather for candlelit dinners prepared by the inn’s talented chef, where menus celebrate coastal Southern cuisine. And during oyster season, expect to enjoy the time-tested tradition of the Georgia coast, the oyster roast. Gogo's family not only plans a big oyster roast every year, but walks right out in the ocean themselves to harvest.
What makes Cumberland Island so unforgettable is not simply its beauty - it is the rare combination of wildness, history, and quiet hospitality that creates an experience unlike anywhere else.
After a long day of adventure, Gogo says, "Well you could just stay!" Which is a tempting offer considering the magic of this place. I hop back in the plane with David. As we tower over treetops, he says, "You want to see the historic African church where John and Carolyn were married?" I say, "Of course." He swoops down and flies over the rooftop of this piece of American history.
I land back on 'land' time feeling honored and deeply satisfied in my soul by such a special day, such a special adventure. I was able to experience a piece of America that isn't just beautiful, but untouched, frozen in time. A place that is home to so much history, history that dates back over 4,000 years.
Before I knew it, I was in a twin prop plane flying over the marshland of the Georgia coast.
My grandmother Lucy Ferguson, she loved wildlife more than she loved people. She saw the beauty in animals and nature.