I haven’t read Christina’s book. I know she’s got a lot of fans in this sub, so please don’t come for me. Many folks have quoted that Christina and John first “made love” on the porch of Greyfield. 

In the nicest way possible, I think this is extremely untrue. I wanted to share my experience / thoughts, and this sub seems like the place to do it!

I am from St. Marys, which is the “gateway to Cumberland Island.” I spent much of my childhood on the island. I grew up with descendants of the Carnegies and I, myself, was lucky enough to get married on the island. My older sister worked at Greyfield throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Cumberland Island is a very popular National Seashore. It’s like a National Park, but a beach. It is also the largest barrier island in Georgia, stretching 17.5 miles long. It has always been an immensely popular destination for outdoor lovers — not just in the state, but nationally. 

Greyfield Inn is *the only* place to stay on the island. The other alternative is to camp. (There are a couple tiny houses for NPS / staff in the woods.)

Greyfield is always booked and busy. Yes, it’s a peaceful setting… But there’s *always* guests. Rooms are limited and they book out far in advance. In the 1990s, even moreso, because the “cottage” rooms didn’t exist yet. You can look at the rooms here — and subtract anything that says “cottage.” It’s not a huge hotel-style building. To an extent, you can even hear what’s going on around the inn and inside the neighboring rooms. It’s quaint. 
https://greyfieldinn.com/accommodations/rooms/

To go inside or outside, you have to go on the porch. There’s a steady flow of through-traffic. It is arguably the most popular gathering place at the inn. There’s no cars, TVs, etc. People just mosey around and perpetually *hang out* on the porch or in the living room. Even at night, people are having cocktails and socializing…. On the porch. 
The porch is also adjacent to rooms, so if you are on the porch, people can *see you* from their rooms, the living room, the bar area, etc.

Even on the very rare event that everyone in the hotel went to sleep by midnight…. Or even if John were to rent out the entire building (which costs tens of thousands per night) — there’s still a lot of staff that work around the clock, almost. They grow, cook, and clean *everything* themselves. They live on the grounds — most within shouting distance. Like I said earlier, my sister was one of them. And they take it very seriously. Gogo runs a tight ship. If JFK Jr was on the premises, every single staff member would know and be focused on him *the entire time.* 

All this to say…. I think Christina may have embellished to write that she and John did the deed on that porch, unnoticed. It is not private *in the least.* I’d go as far as to say that this would be extremely difficult even for Gogo herself to accomplish, and she owns the inn! I suspect that Christina had an angle, and this made a good counterpoint to the wedding reception that was held there later.

I have no one else to share my thoughts with, so I’m sharing them here! Also, including a wedding picture! 



Christina’s Cumberland Island porch story — skeptical