Road Trip – Day 8 Monday, April 4th
We didn’t go very far today. We just drove from Charleston to Beaufort, South Carolina. There are two “Beauforts”, both are named after the same man, the Duke of Beaufort. The city in North Carolina, which we drove through last Friday, is pronounced “Bo-fort”. This one is pronounced “bee-you-furd”. It sounds better with a southern accent.
Welcome to Beaufort
This Beaufort is the second oldest city in South Carolina. It was established in 1710 and has a population of about 13,000 people. It is a well preserved antebellum town which stretches along a beautiful natural harbor.
Beaufort Harbor
The houses are large and lovely among big, old oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. Beaufort is also very close to the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot at nearby Parris Island.
Antebellum House
We parked the car and checked into the Sea Isle Inn right in town and overlooking the harbor. Then we walked around Beaufort for a while to see the architecture up close and to take photos.
Historic House
After a while, we decided to explore the region by car. First we drove south on Route 21, Ribaut Road toward Port Royal. It looked like a southern suburban area with modest houses and shopping malls. At the end of the peninsula, there was a small park which led to an open beach and fishing area. On the way back, we passed a large U.S. Naval Hospital.
Spanish Moss on a Live-Oak Tree
We continued north and crossed a river on Ladys Island Drive heading east. Then we turned right onto Route 21 south, also called the Sea Island Parkway. We continued across vast marshes and tidal wetlands on St. Helena Island toward the Atlantic Ocean.
One Way to See Beaufort
The road passes through Hunting Island State Park and we saw a sign for a lighthouse, so we turned into the park. The woman at the gate house charged us five dollars per person to enter the park as non-residents, and we decided it was worth the price.
Entrance Road Into Hunting Island State Park
The road immediately narrowed to a single one-way lane which we followed. We found ourselves in a tropical palm forest of thick green trees! It was unbelievable and looked very mysterious and almost creepy. It reminded me of the redwood forest in California because of the dark dense canopy of the trees with bright green small fan-palms on the ground, instead of ferns.
Hunting Island Beach
We drove to the edge of a road and parked the car. We could hear the surf and the wind blowing through the trees. We walked out to the stark broad beach and we were awestruck. The stumps of dead trees were along the shore near the forest and across the sand, the Atlantic Ocean was crashing on the beach. It was an awesome place. Photos couldn’t do this park justice.
The Shore of Hunting Island
We followed a sign to the lighthouse and parked the car. It was a freshly painted black and white lighthouse sitting in the bright sunshine near the shore. There was a picnic area near the lighthouse and the beach was about 200 feet away. It seemed inconceivable that many people would visit this amazing place because it was so far from civilization.
Hunting Island Lighthouse
We drove out of Hunting Island State Park and continued south down the road curious about what was at the end of the peninsula, called Fripp Island on the map. The road continued past more miles of tidal marsh land and grasses. We crossed over the last bridge and were greeted by a gate house and a sign which told us it was private property. From a distance, it looked like a residential community of new houses. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to live there, in a place which seemed like the end of the world!
Hunting Island State Park
We returned to Beaufort via Route 21 and settled into our room at the Sea Isle Inn as the sun was setting. About 8:00 o’clock, we walked out to look at the dinner possibilities. There were three nice restaurants in one block along Bay Street. We chose Panini’s overlooking Waterfront Park. It was too cool and windy to sit outside, but the interior of the restaurant was unusual and inviting. Jeff had a small pizza and I had soup and a good salad with pears and walnuts. It had been an interesting day!