Bulls Island Beach Drop With Coastal Expeditions--Thoroughly Enlightening And Deeply Soul Soothing

I had been eagerly looking forward to this day since I booked the Bulls Island Beach Drop with Coastal Expeditions three weeks ago, but truth be told, it is an excursion that had been on my radar for many, many months prior. Once leaving Highway 17 in Awendaw, it was a pleasant drive on Seewee and Bulls Island Road. On Bulls Island Road, I passed a sign proclaiming my arrival into the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge just before the road ended at the parking area of Garris Landing where a long, cement walking pier extended out into the serene, nutrient rich saltwater estuary. Beyond the thick patches of marsh grass, some three miles in the far distance, the trees of Bulls Island rose into the partly cloudy blue skies of the morning.

The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge extends 22 miles along the Atlantic Coast consisting of over 35,000 acres of beach and sand dunes, salt marsh, maritime forests, tidal creeks, fresh and brackish water impoundments, and 31,000 acres of open water. Zealously protected, it is home of the cleanest and nutrient rich waters in the world. Bulls Island is the southern boundary and consists of 5000 acres--to put that in perspective, a little larger than Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms combined. These were all pertinent facts our barefooted biologist/guide shared with us as the captain steered the ferry away from the dock and guided it through the winding estuary waters towards Bulls Bay.

We cruised past a couple of perched brown pelicans and a few great egrets foraging for food along the edge of the marsh grass. In the estuary, you are either a producer or a consumer, and birds are consumers. Other birds were flying about in the near distance. Nick pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a closer look. After identifying a few of the 293 species in the Refuge, he turned his attention back to his narrative.

He picked up a cluster of oyster shells from off a table in the middle of the ferry. "Notice the larger shell surrounded by smaller ones," he says pointing, "The biggest oyster in a cluster is the female, the smaller ones are males." He continues, "In the estuary, its hard work being the female, producing an ample cluster." To the oysterman who work the Bulls Island estuary, the larger female is what they prize, hacking it from the cluster with a hammer. Now, came the provocative piece of information. "To replace the lost female, one of the males changes its sex to female." He added, "If need be, the female can likewise change its sex to male." Oysters from the Bulls Island estuary are the best in the world.

Next, he pulled a skull from the collection of bones and shells. "Who can tell me what creature this belongs to?" One of the passengers calls out, "It’s a sea turtle." "Yes, but what kind of sea turtle?" He informs us, "It is a loggerhead sea turtle, the largest turtle in the world." Only 1 in 1000 loggerheads survive to adulthood. On Bulls Island, there are about a hundred protected nests--each marked with a PVC pipe sticking out of the sand to warn the beachgoers and shell collectors. Each nest produces about a hundred eggs. So, the dilemma is obvious and protecting the nests is imperative." With its powerful jaws, it can crush the shells of blue crabs, stone crabs, whelks and other shelled creatures crawling around in the estuary's waters, but interestingly its favorite food is jellyfish.

As we neared the north end of Bulls Island and our drop location, Nick discussed the importance pluff mud plays in the ecosystem of the estuary and shared a local story about a rusted out piece of abandoned machinery along the shoreline of Bulls Island. Then, he drew our attention to the island's trees and a steel tower located at its midpoint. He asked, "What happened in 1989?" Several passengers responded, "Hurricane Hugo." Continuing, he said, "Subjected to the full fury of the storm, the trees on Bulls Island were totally wiped out. Notice the height of the trees in comparison to the tower. Before Hurricane Hugo, you would not have been able to see the tower."

The drop location was in sight and Captain Richard slowed the Caretta and eased it up onto the shoreline. A walking plank was extended from the bow and one by one we disembarked the ferry and stepped onto the gently upward sloping beach. Just below the surface of the water, blue crab scurried along the edge of the shoreline. For the next three hours, we were free to explore, collect shells, swim or simply plant a beach chair on the soft sand and sit back to soak in the wonder of it all. From our drop location, on the Bulls Bay side of the island, it was about a two mile walk to the famed Boneyard Beach--my destination.

Still water-soaked from high tide and cool to the touch, the islands soft, virgin sands gave way to my feet as I walked, leaving an imprint of my steps behind. Large groups of pelicans basking in the warm morning sun socialized along the water’s edge. As I rounded the northern tip and trekked southward towards the Boneyard, the beach grew larger with every passing minute. The tide was on the wane and the surf was retreating back into the Atlantic Ocean, exposing more beach. Beyond the low grassy dunes to my right, I could see some of the backwater impoundments. Trapped tidal waters spilled onto the beach cutting a path of swiftly moving water to the ocean. Just beyond, rising out the sand, bleached white from the sun and rubbed smooth by the wind and surf, stood the first grouping of the hauntingly weathered trees of Boneyard Beach.


Uninhabited and secluded, Bulls Island is a place where civilization only makes periodic and scheduled visits. It is a natural maritime wonder teaming with wildlife and covered with pristine beauty. The Bulls Island Beach Drop offered by Coastal Expeditions is 5 hours of "wow" well worth the $40. Our biologist and guide for the excursion was friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to answer any and all questions. His narrative to and from Bulls Island was informative, entertaining, and ingeniously laced with a balanced blend of wit and humor. The three plus hours spent on the island soaking in the unmatched beauty was thoroughly enlightening and deeply soul soothing.

New dates have been added for the Beach Drop. Click here and book.

            A Historic Mystery

Bowens Island Restaurant-It's Like Pluff Mud, Either You Love it Or You Don't

It stands above the island's tidal creek like an old brown pelican perched on a weatherworn dock,
spreading its wings in the warm southern sun. A hodgepodge of grayed timber, rusty corrugated steel, old doors for windows, graffiti covered tables and piles of bleached oyster shells, it was recognized as an "American Classic", basked in the lights of Hollywood and successfully endured trial by fire. It is tastefully Lowcountry through and through in its fare and adored by the locals, but if you are expecting to be served hand and foot, you're at the wrong place. It has been tagged with a reputation similar to pluff mud, "Either you love it or you don't", and that is just about how its reviews read.

Located on a 13-acre island, Bowens Island Restaurant is just five minutes from Folly Beach. It was established 46 years ago by the Bowen family. The original structure was mostly destroyed by a fire in 2006. In that same year, just before the fire, it won a prestigious James Beard Foundation Award - named one of eight "America's Classics" boasting "timeless appeal and quality food that reflects the history and character of its community."

In 2010, the restaurant appeared in the movie Dear John under the name Shrimp Shack. It has been referred to as a seafood dive, but when that reference is coming from Coastal Living and Southern Living magazines the reference would be more a compliment than a slur - meaning in this case "a simple place with traditional fare and unforgettable ambiance."

On Charleston Magazine's "Charleston Bucket List - things every local must experience", dining at Bowens Island Restaurant was number 25. The magazine said, "there's no finer place in the world to watch the sunset over the marsh, slurping oysters harvested just a few yards away." A large deck overlooking the water with umbrellaed tables is perfect for such nightly renditions.

If you are looking for a menu to view on its web sight, you can forget it as well. Oysters, fried shrimp, hushpuppies, Frogmore stew, and cold beer is all you will find. The oysters, what the restaurant is best known for, are locally harvested and shoveled onto old, wooden tables from the fire pit. The beers are all local brews. Finally, be forewarned - No frills, no personalized service, loud patrons and a rude bartender are what you should expect according to some of the reviews. The food - Judge it for yourself.

The restaurant had that old shack-on-the-water, oysterman village appeal. Piles of white oyster shells decorated the landscape. The remains of an old boat ramp overgrown with sea grass reminds one of past maritime glory. A fishing pier with a raggedy pavilion was connected to a bait hut just outside of the rust tattered Sophisticate room. My favorite was a Caribbean style sign hanging above two tables reminding you it was "Another Day In Paradise."

Bowens Island Restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday 5pm to 10 pm. It is located at 1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC. A kayak/paddleboard rental run by Charleston Outdoor Adventures is on sight.

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The Ordinary On King Street-An Oyster Hall Ernest Hemmingway Would Fancy

Paris café Le Dome

In the 1920's, Ernest Hemmingway was in Paris. He sat at a cafe and ordered a plate of oysters and a glass of wine. After consuming the mollusks and vintage he described the experience. He wrote, "As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans."

It was this passage that sparked Jon Rowley's passion for oysters. As consultant to restaurants and seafood companies, he has received national marketing awards and considerable media coverage for restaurant oyster programs and promotions he has initiated. He is also credited with coining the word "merroir".

"Merroir" is used to describe an oyster's tasty relationship to the briny water it lives in. It is a twist on the French word "terroir" which refers to the unique flavors and qualities that a growing region imparts on the products raised there, as with grapes and wines.

"Merroir" brings to mind another observation penned by Tom Robbins, "Eating a raw oyster is like French kissing a mermaid." Alas, I can only imagine. When it comes to French kissing a mermaid or more precisely slurping oysters, I am a virgin. I have been to the oyster festivals in Charleston and watched people voraciously consume mountains of the beloved crustaceans, but I have resisted its affections. I like to chew my food.

Either way, "merroir" is a word associated with a new oyster hall in Charleston, The Ordinary. Its address is the once-upon-a-time Bank of America building on upper King Street built in 1929 renovated. Hall is a fitting designation for this fairly new American brasserie considering it has 22-foot ceilings. The massive bank vault door that once secured the money remains as an eye catching centerpiece. It separates the raw bar and the kitchen.

Chef Mike Lata speaks of "merroir" as he describes the oysters found in South Carolina's waters known for their briny, juicy burliness and rarely found outside this area. Two local oysters served are the Capers Blades and Otter Island wilds. Caper Blades are grown in Bull's Bay and Otter Island wilds are harvested around untouched Otter Island located between Edisto Beach and Hunting Island.

One notable difference between the two oysters is their shape. Capers Blades have sharp and elongated shells and Otter Island wilds are rounder and very flat. A second difference is where "merroir" comes in. The taste of each oyster is related to the waters where it is harvested. The Otter Island oyster is "considered by many to be one of the best wild oysters to ever be harvested in South Carolina characterized as being meaty, salty yet sweet, full flavored South Carolina oyster." The question remains, will you agree? Only one way to find out.  

While it is an oyster hall, other menu offerings include cold and hot dishes of clams, lobster, and a crispy grouper sandwich. Large plates of Swordfish Schnitzel, Black Bass Provencal, Grilled Wahoo and Blackened Mahi Frites are offered with vegetables and sides. All wine offerings are shellfish driven.

So, take the hint from Hemmingway and be happy and make plans to visit The Ordinary. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 3pm to 11pm. Location is 544 King Street.

Vote for the Best Iconic American Foods. Charleston, SC-Shrimp and Grits is a nominee. The final results will be posted July 24th.

The 30th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival At Boone Hall Plantation-The Mighty Oyster Returns

The mighty oyster

It never occurred to me the warmest months of the year, May through August in the northern hemisphere, do not contain the letter "r", but all the other months do. Actually, I never really thought about it, until now. Why this sudden realization? It's oyster time in Charleston and the 30th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation will take place Sunday, January 27th. In the spirit of this well-liked festival, coined as the world's largest, I decided to do some oyster research and found this interesting fact.

It was once believed you should not eat oysters in any month that doesn't have an "r" in it. The truth is that oysters are safe to eat all year round; they just aren't as good in the summer months, when the waters are warm. This is when the oysters spawn, and their flesh turns milky and soft. Winter is a better time to eat oysters because that's when the water is coldest and the oysters are firmer, plumper and the flavor is best. Thus, this explains why you don't see any oyster festivals in the summertime.

My take on the consumption of the slimy bivalves is you either like them or you don't. I am in the don't category, unless they are coated and fried. What possessed the first individual to have even considered consuming the slippery, white matter is a mystery. Perhaps, that person saw a sea gull pick one up, fly into the air, drop it on a rock, and then eat its fleshy parts. Curiosity being what it is, that person decided to give it a try and loved it. To tell the truth, I have been in the Charleston area seven years and haven't as of yet indulged in the oyster frenzy. Maybe, it's time I give the roast a try.

Roman emperors paid for them by their weight in gold, Casanova and Cleopatra believed in their powers as an aphrodisiac, Abraham Lincoln had parties where only oysters were served, and Native Americans voraciously consumed them. The peninsula of Charleston was known as Oyster Point and White Point Gardens got its name from the piles of oyster shells found there. Charleston's oysters grow naturally in clusters, but between the years of 1830 and 1869 a high quality oyster appeared on the scene that did not grow in clusters. It was called a Millpond Oyster and it grew as a single, large oyster. Millponds were used by the Charleston lumber industry before steam power appeared. Logs would sink to the bottom and the oyster spat would attach themselves and grow. When the use of millponds were abandoned, this delicacy disappeared from Charleston markets.


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It is believed the best oysters in Charleston come from the Bulls Bay area north of Mt. Pleasant. The reason being the bay's topography. Bulls Bay is a large but shallow stretch of water. The entire bay is open to the ocean; the amount of water that can flow in and out is not limited by narrow inlets. The tides flush the bay and surrounding creeks with each lunar cycle creating a convergence of high salinity water with the incoming tides and an eradicating of low salinity rain water and runoff with each outgoing tide. Saltwater makes for good oysters and great festivals.

The Lowcountry Oyster Festival has been named one of the "top 20 events in the southeast." Over 80,000 pounds of the slimy mollusks will be made available to be shucked and eaten by over an estimated 10,000 visitors. There will be "Oyster Shucking" and "Oyster Eating" Contests. JetBlue will be giving away tickets every hour on the hour and will be good from February 28, 2013 - February 28, 2014. If you are not an oyster-lover there will be a food court setup featuring 8 different Charleston area restaurants. There will be live music on the main stage, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers. A Children's Area, hosted by Pluff Mudd Circus, including jugglers, aerial artists, and bounce castles will be on site. It starts at 10:30 am. The morning for Sunday looks to be cool, around 40 degrees, but it will warm up to a high of 58 degrees. It closes at 5:00 pm. General admission is $12.

Boone Hall Plantation scenery

Charleston residents love their oysters, but they love their boats too. This weekend is the Charleston Boat Show at the Charleston area Convention Center, January 25-27. General admission on Friday is $5 and $9 Saturday and Sunday. For all the information go to Charleston Boat Show.