The Sandy Side Of The Charleston Lowcountry Experience--World Class

There are a boat load of reasons why people choose Charleston, SC as their vacation destination. For one, it's the accolades. The readers of Conde Nast Traveller have named the Holy City the top tourist destination in the U.S. three years running. That is momentous. However, the preeminent reasons that have people raving about it is its illustrious history and distinctive character. Its world class restaurant's are sumptuous. Its Lowcountry cuisine is scrumptious. Its Southern hospitality is courteous. Its antebellum charm is gracious. Its American history is glorious. This is the brick and mortar side of Charleston.

But there is more, another side to Charleston. For a cohesive aggregate, you need water and sand. And Charleston is richly blessed with an abundance of the wet and grainy stuff. The Charleston Lowcountry is beautifully framed by water soaked, sandy beaches, all of which are located on nine different barrier islands fronted by the Atlantic Ocean from Edisto to Awendaw. Some have easy access by way of bridges, some are private, and some are remote, uninhabited sanctuaries that can only be reached by boat or ferry.

Grab your beach towels, spread your blankets, place your chairs, stick your toes in the water or take a tour. Here are some of my pictures that showcase the beautiful beaches of the Charleston Lowcountry.

Edisto Beach and the Pavillion Restaurant and Lounge--Looking for a nice vacation rental on Edisto try the Sea Island Cotton Cottage.

Botany Bay Beach on Botany Island--Botany Bay Plantation Personifies The Reasons Why I Love Charleston And The Lowcountry-A Must-see

Boneyard Beach on Capers Island--A Charleston Barrier Island Tour Highly Worth A Trip To The Past

Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island--The Trials And Triumphs Of A Lowcountry Walkabout

Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier on Folly Beach--Charleston's Barrier Islands-Beautiful Beaches, Abundant Wildlife, Great Stays, And Pleasure Packed

Isle of Palms Front Beach--Charleston's Barrier Islands-Beautiful Beaches, Abundant Wildlife, Great Stays, And Pleasure Packed

Sullivan's Island near Poe's Tavern--Charleston's Barrier Islands-Beautiful Beaches, Abundant Wildlife, Great Stays, And Pleasure Packed

Edingsville Beach is located between Botany Bay Beach and Edisto Beach. It is private, but has a great story--Now Barely A Whisper In The Wind With A Ghost Of A Story, Edingsville Beach Was A Haven Of Grandeur And Extravagance

Folly Island near Morris Island Lighthouse--Five Top Places For Being Knee Deep In The Water On A Beach Somewhere In Charleston

At the present time, I do not have pictures of Bulls Island. I plan on taking the beach drop tour this spring. The island can only be reached by ferry or kayak. It is part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Preserve. If you want to learn more about Bulls Island go to Bulls Island Ferry, Charters and Kayaking. Dewees Island is private and can only be reached by ferry. You can rent homes on Dewees Island. For more information, go to Dewees Renntals. Seabrook Island is also private. For more information on rentals, go to Seabrook Island Vacation Rentals.

A Magical, Mystical Place With An Unsurpassed Beach And Southern Plantation Legends

Bleak Hall, Sea Cloud and Botany Island are names that stir ones imagination. They bring to ones mind images of foreboding estates surrounded by half-dead, moss covered, aging trees wrapped in a perpetual state of gloom, portraits of salty, blue waters and wooden tall ships and pictures of far-away, palm tree-laden inlets on secluded islands visited by treasure hunting pirates. Apocryphal and fanciful places you would expect to read about in stories and poems written by the likes of Emily Bronte, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, and James A. Michener. In some respects, these are very real descriptions of a place on an Atlantic coastal island not far from where you live called Botany Bay Plantation.

Botany Bay Plantation is a wildlife preserve on Edisto Island consisting of 3,363-acres under the
management of SC Department of Natural Resources. Formed in the 1930's when Dr. James Greenway combined the two previous plantations originally owned by the Townsend family, Bleak Hall and Sea Cloud, it got its name from the barrier island that was near, but not a part of the Bleak Hall property--Botany Bay Island. Some of the island's previous names were Tucker Island, Watch Island and Clark's Bay. The last owners, John and Margaret Meyer, deeded the property to the state.

Botany Bay Island was much larger in the early days of Bleak Hall Plantation--covered with an impenetrable tropical jungle of wild oaks, palmettos, and cedars just twenty yards from the shoreline. Over the years, the ocean has encroached on the land. Now, only a narrow, pristine strip of beach two miles long and lined with a sun-bleached boneyard of weatherworn dead timber remains--loved by photographers. It was separated from the large plantation by an inlet and a smaller island named "Porky," a shortened name from "Pour-quoi." While crossing the marsh to the beach, you will pass an outcropping of trees and plants called Hammock Island.

 

So-called Bleak Hall because of its proximity to the gales of the Atlantic, just a mile away, its name was also inspired by the title of a book written by Charles Dickens, "Bleak House."--John Townsend was an admirer of Dickens. The original great mansion of Bleak Hall was two-and-a-half stories high on a raised basement. A distinguishing feature of the mansion, a cupola, was later added after the house was built so the homesick bride of one of the Townsends could look across the river to her former home on Wadmalaw Island. It towered over the surrounding oriental gardens and the now famous ice house, which still exists and is an outstanding example of Gothic revival architecture. The road into the plantations came to a fork where a turn to the right went to Bleak Hall and the one to the left went to Sea Cloud--sometimes called "Seabrook's Folly."

At the outset of the Civil War in 1861, by orders from the Confederate government, the steamboat "Beauregard" evacuated everyone from Edisto Island and the plantations. Both Confederate and Union troops used the cupola on Bleak Hall as a lookout. At the wars end, the plantations laid devastated. The valuable silver, china, and furniture that was left behind by the Townsends were carried away or destroyed by Freedmen and the Federals. When the Townsends returned in 1866, the house was occupied by former slaves. Shortly thereafter, it burned down. A new one was built in its place, but later torn down and a modern house was built nearby. Neither houses of Bleak Hall and Sea Cloud remain.

Like all Southern plantations legends abound. One involves a "bee hive well" called Jacob's well--a well surrounded by a wall of tabby with a steeple-shaped roof and the name "Jacobus Fecit" cut into one of its sides. In its early days, it was rumored to be a place where lovers secretly rendezvoused. It is believed a little gray man stands guard over the well to keep its waters pure and only allow the "pure in heart" drink from it.

Another story involves the plantation cemetery located at the fork in the road where you turn right to go to Bleak Hall or left to go to Sea Cloud. After leaving a clearing, you enter a narrow road surrounded by dense undergrowth and trees. Here you will feel the first wave of hot air hit the back of your neck, then again and again until you leave the area. The slaves believed this hot air to be the "Hags breath" and if you linger, she will cast a terrible spell that could even cause your death.

A third legend speaks of a Portuguese man wearing large gold earrings and a red bandanna fashioned into a turban who roams the shores of Botany Bay. Seven of his victims were discovered on the beach--all of them standing straight up in the sand.

Botany Bay Plantation is a magical place with a secluded beach unsurpassed on the Atlantic coast and located on Edisto Island not far from Edisto Beach. In fact, from Botany Bay's shell-covered beach you can see Edisto Beach to the right and Seabrook Island to the left. You can take a tour of the plantation featuring 15 points of interest by car. Keep an eye out for the Portuguese man and do not linger near the cemetery if you feel a waft of hot air on the back of your neck--Botany Bay Ecotours. Location: Botany Bay Rd., Edisto Island, SC--Map

 

There Is Still Alot Of Summer To Enjoy In Charleston And Its Beaches

School is in, but the beaches are still hot. I spent Friday afternoon on the Isle of Palms near Coconut Joe's taking pictures. The beach was lined with sunbathers as far as you could see. The beach houses appeared to be occupied. There were some decent waves breaking offshore for the surfers, and tide was up, so skimboarders were taking advantage of the surf along the shoreline, skimming the waves as they rolled on shore.

Although, Folly beach is the better choice when it comes to surfing, the Isle of Palms offers the beachgoer a lot of sand and a shoreline for swimming, particularly when the tide is up. This day's crowd mainly consisted of older teens and adults soaking in the afternoons hot sun with a few throwing the football around. As I perused the beach for some good photos, I zeroed in on three skimboarders near the pier, Lizzy, Simone, and Matt, who were willing to show me what they could do with their boards. Simone, who appeared to be the more skilled of the three, executed a near perfect 360. Then, upon request from me, the three of them attempted to jump a wave at the same time, of which I was able to get a good shot of the result. Good execution and form by Lizzy and Simone, but it was Matt who stole the show.

Isle of Palms is a seven mile long island with approximately six miles of beach access for residents and visitors throughout the island. Isle of Palms County Park, located at the center of the island as you get off the connector, offers beautiful ocean frontage with lifeguards on duty seasonally along a beachfront designated swimming area. Parasailing and wave runners are available for the more adventurous beach goers to rent. For those who would like to explore the intercoastal waters, kayaks are just the ticket and available for rent at the marina. The IOP Marina is also where you can charter both offshore and inshore fishing trips as well as eco tours of nearby uninhabited islands.

Isle of Palms is also home to the Wild Dunes Resort that occupies 1,500 acres on the northern end of the island and offers residents and visitors two 18 hole Tom Fazio golf courses, 17 har tru tennis courts, and numerous pools. Wild Dunes has many private residences as well as condominiums often rented on the vacation rental market. Other options available are the many colorful beach houses with waterfront views for friends and family to relax in and enjoy the sand and surf.

For entertainment, the Windjammer is a popular hot spot on the beach offering good food and live music with a view. Three suggestions that top the restaurant list are the Boathouse at Breech Inlet where you can enjoy sunset and a drink on its rooftop bar before seafood dinner, Long Island Cafe on IOP, and Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island famed for its burgers and casual party atmosphere.

Swinging On A Hammock At Pawleys Island, SC-That's My Story And I'm Sticking To It

Looking for an unspoiled, unsophisticated, casual place where you can stick you toes into some soft sand or stretch out in the sun and take in some tanning rays? A place where a shoeless, carefree, laid-back life style swinging in a rope hammock is the norm? Look no further than the small, non-commercial resort island situated on the coast of South Carolina. It is 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach and twelve miles north of historic Georgetown. Pawleys Island is known as one of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast and carries a reputation for being "arrogantly shabby".

The four miles long and a quarter of a mile wide island was first inhabited by the Waccamaw and Winyah Indians. In time the area became populated with rice plantations on the creeks and backwaters during the colonial era. To escape the mosquitoe infestation and malaria common in the salt marshes, the planters sought refuge on this little breezy island. A man named George Pawley owned it during that time and sold portions of it to those rice planters.

It was the Cypress sided cottages built on the island that gave the community one of its monikers: arrogantly shabby. The island has stayed unpretentious with a ban on commercial and industrial buildings, allowing only a condominium complex and a few inns to be built. Some of the oldest, most classic homes have stayed, such as Beachaven, owned by William Brigham Sr., and the PCJ Weston
House, which is now the Pelican Inn. One for the record, Pawleys is the birthplace of the rope hammock, which was invented by Joshua John Ward in the late 1800s

The accommodations on Pawleys vary greatly, some brand new and modern, others simple and rustic. The list include the Sea View Inn, a 20-room Inn serving three meals a day, the Pelican Inn, an 8-room bed and breakfast and Pawleys Pier Village, a 42 unit Condominium Complex and many residential homes for weekly rental. All cater to the family experience. Other accommodations for Pawleys Island.

There is crabbing in the adjacent creeks, fishing, surfing, and stories of ghosts. Just ask any local about the "Gray Man". If you are looking for nightlife action, Myrtle Beach isn't that far away and Charleston is only a little over an hour south. The spring and fall seasons are magnificent and offer uncrowded beaches and nature at its best. So, take the plunge and swing on down, or up, whichever applies.-Vacation Rick Travel