Things to see on St. Helena island near Beaufort: Penn Center and Chapel of Ease (possible the Land’s End ghost!)

Penn Center, an African-American cultural center and a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1862 as the first school in the South for the education of freed slaves. Along with the Bailey museum it is a testimony of the Gullah People’s rich culture and history. The permanent exhibit showcases some of the oldest photographs of African-Americans, the original 1863 school bell and many artifacts related to the life on Sea Island. Martin Luther King Jr. use to retreat here during the 1960s.

The Penn Center is located on St. Helena island, only 15 minutes drive from Beaufort, historic Port Royal and beautiful Hunting Island State Park. The Bailey museum is open Monday to Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM and the admission fee is $4 for adults and $2 for children and seniors. For more information on current educational programs and a calendar of events visit the Penn Center website.

Nearby Penn Center on Land’s End road is the Chapel of Ease. This tiny church, a perfect examply of tabby construction, was built in 1748 for the convenience of plantation owners too far away to attend service in Beaufort.

Take a close look at the graveyard and the mysterious mausoleum creeping in the back. This is the sight of the inexplicable Land’s End Light. “…The light rises up in the air like a bouncing ball of fire. It lingers long enough to squelch any idea it was just your imagination or a hallucination.” Over the years many local residents and prominent business people claim to have seen the light. Even researchers from Duke University came to study the phenomenon in the 70s. Most believe the light has to do with the spirit of a soldier stationed at Fort Fremont built to defend Port Royal from Spanish attacks. Funny thing is not one shot was ever fired from the fort! Now the fort ruins are on a private property and inaccessible to the public.

You can read more about the Land’s End mystery from Terrence Zepke’s book “Best Ghost Tales of South Carolina. Check out some famous Lowcountry Ghosts on my previous post.

If you like seeing old South Carolina churches then you must visit the Old Sheldon Church Ruins, a truly inspirational historical site around Beaufort.

Edisto Gardens in Photos (Free family travel attraction)

“Are we there yet?”…Put an end to interstate driving boredom and stop to smell the roses at the incredible Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg. It’s beautiful, fun, educational and best of all FREE!

Read more about the history of and all the cool things chidren and the entire family can do at Edisto Memorial Gardens. All couples will appreaciate the romantic and intimate surroundings the gardens and boardwalk have to offer. Love is in the air at Edisto Gardens!

If that’s not enough maybe these amazing photos will do the trick

Happy and safe family travel to Charleston and Hilton Head!

New life springs from ashes at Old Sheldon Church near Beaufort (historical and free things to do)

The Old Sheldon Church Ruins and Graveyard are about half an hour drive from both Beaufort and Interstate I-95. The centuries old church is a South Carolina truly inspirational historic site attraction the whole family should enjoy.

Here lay the remains of Prince William’s Parish, better known as Sheldon Church (named after Bull’s family ancestral home back in England). William Bull, the Commissioner for the Sheldon church construction was South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor and he also assisted in laying out Savannah. His tombstone is currently displayed in the graveyard.

Interesting Facts
1. The Sheldon church was built between 1745 and 1755 and it was burned twice. First by the British Army during the Revolutionary War, then by Sherman’s troupes at the beginning of the Civil War. Although never rebuilt the church’s pillars and outside walls remained erect withstanding the test of time.

2. The church recently became a very popular location for wedding ceremonies. The spiritual ruins are testimony of endurance in the face of hardship. Surrounded by green lush grass and serene oak trees the Old Sheldon Church is an inspirational and unforgettable wedding setting. With each matrimonial ceremony new life springs from the fire ashes.

3. A public service free for anyone to attend is held annually on the Second Sunday after Easter

4. An old hand-operated water pump close to the gate is still functioning and is quite popular with kids as shown in this video with my 4 years old.

5. There is space for only 2 two cars to park safely on the side of the road; however there is an event parking overflow across the gate.

Where
The church is located on Old Sheldon Road off of highway 21 between Beaufort and Yemassee.
Directions: After the intersection between Hwy 21 and 17, continue on Hwy 21. Turn right on Old Sheldon Road. About ¼ mile after you reach a stop sign the historical marker and gate entrance will be on your right. Here is a link to Google Map for the location.

While in the area visit artistic Beaufort “The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America” and historic Port Royal the first settlement in the New World! If time permits continue your historic drive up to Hunting Island State Park and see the Lighthouse, the only one open to public along the South Carolina Coast.

Come experience the rich history and beautiful surroundings of South Carolina Lowcountry!

Historic Port Royal, a free must see Beaufort attraction on your way to Hilton Head

When in Beaufort, or on your way to golf-paradise Hilton Head, make sure to stop by historic Port Royal. Port Royal was the first settlement in the New World predating Jamestown by 45 years and St. Augustine by 3 years. It is adjacent to the deepest natural harbor on the Atlantic Coast, the Port Royal Sound and it boasts the only public shrimp dock in South Carolina. Not only that, but here the memorabile hurricane scene from beloved Forrest Gump movie was shot!

Best time to visit is late afternoon to catch breath-taking sunset views of the serene Carolina marshes. Better yet you can have dinner at the Dockside Restaurant located, you guessed it, at the edge of the dock :-).

Things to do with kids is visiting the Lowcountry Estuarium to see the interactive exhibits about the coastal environment.

Another Port Royal attraction is the Union Church museum located on 11th Street. Built in 1878 it was active until the mid-1970s and shared by Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists, who rotated Sundays.

You can also drive up to Parris Island built as a fort by the Spaniards in 1566. They called their settlements Santa Elena and made it capital of La Florida Province but abandoned it 10 years later after Native Americans attacked it. Parris Island became a Naval Station in 1876 then a prison in 1906. In 1915 the island became a recruit training station for the U.S. Marines. On the base there is a military museum open to the public.

If time permits take the scenic drive to Hunting Island State Park for some fun at the beach. Check out the historic Lighthouse, the only one open to public along the South Carolina coast.

Here is a map on how to get to Port Royal. Below are some sunset pictures I took last week from the shrimp dock at Port Royal.

Didn’t you wish you were there?

Happy vacation on the amazing South Carolina coast!

Visit Edisto Memorial Gardens on the way to Charleston, Hilton Head or Savannah (free things to do)

Edisto Memorial Gardens: imagine 150 acres filled with roses, azaleas, camellias and many other floral beauties spaced among Yoshino cherry, giant oaks and century old cypress trees. This is as close to Eden as you can ever get. And is FREE for everyone to enjoy!
Located in Orangeburg, “The Garden City”, and easily accessible from I-95 and I-26, the Edisto Memorial Gardens is a must see family attraction on your way to Charleston, Hilton Head or Savannah.

My 3 years old and I did just that this past weekend and we had a blast at the prestigious Festival of Roses, one o the top tourist events in the Southeast. It really made our trip to Beaufort much more enjoyable.

Attractions and fun things to do
1. “Smell the roses” at the Display and Test Garden featuring award winning roses
from the All-America Rose Selections, Inc. There are 4,000 plants representing over 75 varieties of roses.

2. Take a stroll along the 2,600 feet boardwalk through scenic Horne Wetlands Park. This takes you into Tupelo/Cypress Swamp along the North Fork of the Edisto River. Edisto is the world’s longest black water river crossing eight South Carolina counties all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

3. Admire the peaceful Water Wheel, the most photographed feature at Edisto Memorial Gardens, added in 1941 to supply water to the nearby pond.

Specially for Kids
1. Feed ducks and geese at the pond located by the park entrance. This is a real kids magnet!

2. Splash at the Water Spray Park, a 6,000 sq. feet spray pad, playground, picnic shelter and restrooms. The park is open in the weekends in May and September and all week long in the summer.

3. Live the fairy tale during the Holidays at the Children’s Garden Christmas.

For the Whole Family
1. Test your skills at the 18-holes disc golf course located behind the Test Garden.

2. Picnic and take beautiful family photos at the Centennial Park in front of its impressive palmetto tree fountain.

3. Enhance your senses at the very romantic Sensory Garden a favorite spot for all “love birds”. It features plants with distinctive texture and fragrances and described by plaques in both English and Braille.

The only negative I found is the amount of litter throughout the park. I hope this is a temporary glitch mainly due to the large crowds visiting the Festival.

Where
Edisto Memorial Gardens is located on Highway 301 four blocks from downtown Orangeburg.
Here is a Google Map to the garden
The garden is open year around seven days a week from dawn to dusk.

Bring your loved ones and smell the roses at Edisto Memorial Gardens!

Hunting Island Lighthouse (Beaufort things to do and see)

The Hunting Island Lighthouse is South Carolina’s only publicly accessible historic lighthouse. At 132 feet high it rewards those brave enough to climb its 167 steps breathtaking views of the Hunting Island State Park, the sweeping Lowcountry marshland and the Atlantic Ocean.

Interesting Facts

1. The first lighthouse was constructed of brick and was completed in 1859 but demolished few years later by the Confederate troupes. Current lighthouse, completed in 1875, is entirely made of wrought and cast iron plates so it can be “easily” disassembled and moved;

2. Speaking of moving the original location was one mile to the north. Severe beach erosion and the fact that high tides were coming just 35 feet from the lightkeeper’s house forced the lighthouse relocation in 1889.

3. The lighthouse endured the test of Mother Nature. In 1886 it was shoked by a 7.5 Richter earthquake and in 1893 became a sanctuary for women and children of the City of Savannah steamship, severely wrecked by a hurricane.

4. The lighthouse needed constant oil supply. The keeper hauled a 50 pound oil tote several times a day to the top! Oil and other goods were transported by sea up to the Jackson River wharf and there by tramcar over a 3,000 foot-long tramway up to the Oil House on the lighthouse grounds.

5. The Hunting island lighthouse was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1933 and replaced by sea buoys. You can see two buoys on the lighthouse grounds. The ruins on the ground are remnants of the light keeper House that burned in 1938.

Tips to Know Before You Go

1. The lighthouse is open daily from 11 AM and the last climb is at 4:45 PM and believe me the staff will close exactly then.

2. Admission fee is $2. This is extra from the State Park entrance fee and there are no discounts. Infants and toddlers are not allowed. Kids need to be at least 44 inches tall.

3. Wear something comfortable and that’s not very slippery on smooth surfaces. Everything inside the lighthouse is made out of iron. The climb is pretty fast; once up be mindful of heavy winds and secure your hats, sunglasses and everything else that’s loose.

4. There are educational signs on most of the “floors” that provide interesting trivia and a good excuse to stop and catch your breath. This should also keep kids entertained and give them motivation to continue on.

5. The guardrails seem much shorter (up to your waist) than at other lighthouses. So hold your little ones hand just to be safe.

6. It’s much easier to go up than down; the staircase looks more daunting and feels more nauseating as you go down in circles…maybe another opportunity to read the signs and take photos

7. There’s lot more to see on the grounds. Kids will have fun checking out the old tramcar and the dwellings (especially the outhouse!), balancing on the ruins of the keeper’s house, and learning maritime navigation facts from the two giant buoys next to the restroom building. These came from the Charleston harbor.

Where
The lighthouse is located inside the Hunting Island State Park. Once you pass the fee booth follow the road and when you come to an intersection turn left. Follow the Lighthouse gift shop sign. Here is a map on how to get to Hunting Island and also a map of the park itself.

Come experience the rich history of Beaufort area along the South Carolina coast!

Samurai crab dances on Hunting Island marshes (Beaufort attractions and free things to do)

The Hunting Island gorgeous marshes are crawling with these little warrior Samurai look alike crabs. They do seem to “dance” all day the long foraging for food in the black rich mud. The well developed weapon arm is used for digging and to fend off predators and the right small arm is used for eating.

You can admire these marsh performers for free on the half mile nature trail boardwalk. The trail is on the right side of the road soon after you pass the entrance sign to the Hunting Island State Park.

Stay fearless on the South Carolina Coast!

Amazing Sunset Beach Photos: Quiet and Relaxing Family Time

Need some peaceful time at the beach, close to attractions and civilization yet away from the big city resorts crowds? Sunset Beach NC is your answer. The beach is located off highway 17 just 30 minutes drive from North Myrtle Beach and 1 hour from Wilmington NC.

Tips to know before you go
1. If you stay more than 3 nights then rent a house on the beach. I use Sunset Beach Realty ; their website has good search and filter capabilities and lots of photos for each available house. Otherwise try Sea Trail Golf resort.

2. Get a house on 2nd or 3rd row and skip the ocean-front. You’ll save hundreds of dollars and not miss on the view and distance at all. Sunset Beach is really narrow; all houses are very, very close to the beach. Most “back” houses are newer, taller and have better amenities. As you can see from the slideshow below the ocean views and sunsets are incredible.

3. For food, best thing to do is to get super-fresh mouth watering fish from Bill’s Seafood (right located on the island) and cook it at the house. I’ve had the most delicious, sweet and tender scallops ever. And I don’t even like scallops!

4. There is only one old-fashion one-way bridge connecting the town (your best groceries option) and the beach. Every hour, 15 minutes exactly before the hour, the bridge closes to let the boat traffic pass thru. So plan accordingly…if you do get caught no worries the whole thing lasts for about 15 minutes and is quite entertaining to watch. Be mindful of the ongoing construction for the new four-lanes overpass bridge scheduled to open in 2010…that will bring lots more traffic, noise and commerce to Sunset Beach. So go now while it’s still peaceful and quiet!

5. Things to do for kids: At the beach: Body surfing on boogie boards (very popular with boys), biking, walk around the Bird Wildlife sanctuary and collecting shells (the beach is a shell Mecca, you’ll see full size beautifully colored oyster, clam, conk, and whelk shells); In and around town you can visit the Ingram Planetarium, the Museum of Coastal Carolina on Ocean Isle (10 minutes drive from Sunset) or go to Myrtle Beach and check out Alligator Adventure “The Reptile Capital of the World”.

Lake Wateree Photos: A day of fun for the whole family

Lake Wateree is a fisherman’s delight big on big blues, crappie, bream, largemouth bass, striped bass and nightime cat-fishing. The parks even has a tackle and gift shop open daily till 8 PM; besides fishing supplies you can get snacks, drinks, souvenirs, firewood and fishing licenses.

No worries if you’re not so big into fishing, there are plenty other activities to enjoy: tubing, canoeing and kayaking or plain old swimming. Of course there is nothing wrong with just laying around catching a nap or baking in the sun.

If you’re in to burn some calories while admiring the breath-taking natural surroundings hike the scenic 0.7 miles Deportes Nature trail or bike the paved roads in the park (no dedicated mountain bike trail yet).

Lake Wateree state park offers 72 sites, all with water and electrical service. Many will accommodate large RV. These sites go quickly in the summer months, so visitors should plan ahead.

Lake Wateree map and more info from the South Carolina state parks website.

Driving Directions
The park is about 35 miles north of Columbia and 75 miles south of Charlotte. From I-77: Take exit 41, follow secondary 41 N. to stop sign at Hwy 21. Turn left and go approximately 2-3 mi. to the first paved road. Turn right on Rd. 101 (River Rd.), the park is 5.5 mi. on the left.

For only $2 admission fee (free for kids under 15) that’s a family weekend getaway worth shouting about!

Funny Signs and Encounters in Myrtle Beach and Lancaster

What’s a road trip without some funny encounters? In our recent Myrtle Beach family weekend and getaway on the picturesque South Carolina backcountry roads, we saw some funny signs and pets worth shouting about:

Ocean Creek Resort in Myrtle Beach close to Barefoot Landing and the Alligator Adventure zoo. We had a great time during the Easter weekend at this beautiful all inclusive private resort. Our 3 years old loved splashing around at the kiddies pool and the hot Southern style morning breakfast was terrific. I liked the intimate private beach and little canal (took some awesome sunset photos and videos) and the fact the hotel had free high-speed wireless Internet access throughout the complex.

They should probably revisit their signage… don’t be fooled by it, the staff was very professional and there is 24 hour security patrolling all around the premises (in golf carts).

Alligator Adventure
If you’re in Myrtle Beach then you must visit the Alligator Adventure, the self-proclaimed “Reptile Capital of the World”. Here is a list with an in-depth review of the zoo, incredible photos and an alligator feed-frenzy and galapagos turtle racing videos…just in case you need more ammo to make up your mind.
Check out the Rose Haired Tarantula exhibit and you may run nose to nose with…Spiderman!

Lancaster Indian Landing
This is a cute little town (although growing very rapidly) close to Charlotte and near the North Carolina border. Some of the outdoor attractions in the area: Andrew Jackson state park, Great Falls Dam and Lake Wataree (awesome for fishing).

On the road again… A die hard biker maybe on its way to the lake.

Keep on laughing in South Carolina!