The other day when we got back from our visit to the Cape Romain Wildlife Reserve we mentioned that we
would also like to take you out to another beautiful location for observing wildlife and coastal nature at its best - Winyah Bay. That takes a bit of explaining. Some of you have heard of our mega-tourist attraction, Myrtle Beach - often referred to here as "The Grand Strand." It has absolutely everything you could ever imagine in the way of "beach-going vacations" if you can handle wall-to-wall people and incredible traffic. But, just South of Myrtle Beach, life begins to return to a calmer, Southern style of life and by the time you
reach Murrell's Inlet you can really start to "chill out." For the next ten or fifteen miles, things really begin to change. Although Pawley's Island, Debordieux Island, Litchfield Beach and others offer exquisite coastal living - with
great care taken to preserve the beauty of the area - beyond that, Mother Nature becomes "Numero Uno" for real!! From the area near Pawley's now known as "Hobcaw Barony" (the coastal hermitage of the Baruch family) all the way to just North of Charleston enormous
sections of the coast have been placed in the custody of the State of South Carolina, the National Parks Service and other services dedicated to the protection of wildlife and the preservation of natural habitat. We have taken a tiny look at one of them and today we will take another very small look at another one - Winyah Bay. I have said before that
we are not (with a capital "N") professional photographers - but - I desperately hope these pictures give you a tiny feeling for the incredible beauty of this area. Our trip begins in Georgetown - third oldest city in t
he state of South Carolina - and just a few miles South of where we usually hang out in Litchfield Beach. This town is an absolute 'gem' when it comes to places to eat, shops to visit or - just stuff to see!!!! The top, right picture shows one of the broad, Oak canopied streets that abound here and the ones below that are from "dockside" - behind - the main street
of Georgetown. In other words - these are taken from the boat as we glide to the Northeast toward the bay. We are headed to a really unusual - make that unique - place at the confluence of the Waccamaw, Black, Pee Dee and Sampit Rivers where Native Americans have gathered for eons to fish, to socialize and to celebrate their good fortune in living on the South Carolina coast.
Let me pause and explain some technical points. There are several companies that offer trips to Winyah Bay and all are excellent in what they offer. My recollection is that we used the "Rover Boat" company and made our reservations at the "Rice
House Museum." But - whatever - if you check the internet - or - look around in downtown Georgetown (it ain't that big!!!) you will find someone to take you to the bay. I can pretty much assure you - the people who offer these services are outstanding businesses and I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them. I think you will absolutely love strolling along the docks - and - you'll likely get a chance to meet a character like the cat we met - one of the most unusually colored cats we have ever seen!!!! Back to the trip ... the charter services that provide
tours of the bay pride themselves on the skill of their tour guides
and I have been extremely impressed with their knowledge. On the journey out the channel you will see an astonishing array of watercraft so just be prepared. As you proceed down the channel you will come to the Winyah Bay Lighthouse, a remarkably beautiful structure sitting serenely on the Southeast side of the bay. The
structure you see is the third lighthouse to guard Winyah Bay. The first was built in 1795 and, for illumination, burned whale oil in a six foot
lantern. The second, more modern, light was destroyed during the War Between The States. The current lighthouse stands eighty feet tall and was one of the last manual lights in operation in the United States. Depending on the time of day, along the way you are likely to encounter one of our most important businessmen
on their morning (or evening - or mid-day) rounds. They are - our local shrimpers!!!! These hardy, independent seamen are the heart and soul of our fishing
industry in South Carolina and we are very proud of them. At Winyah Point we have reached the location where the mighty Atlantic is kept at bay by our valiant barrier islands. At the confluence of the rivers I mentioned earlier it is clear that there is a lot of marine activity. For that reason, sea shell gathering, waterfowl watching, fishing, shrimping and just about all things having to do with the coast are
outstanding!!! The charter boats will put you ashore on one of the most pristine beaches you could imagine and for several hours you are able to wander these exquisitely beautiful and peaceful shores in almost total solitude. Virtually every kind of bird, seashell,
 |
| Horseshoe Crab |
coastal plant or estuarine life is here waiting for you. One of my all-time favorites is the Horseshoe Crab - considered to be a "living fossil." This gentle critter has been around in its present form for about 450 million years (that's staying power!!) and closely resembles the "Trilobites" so often preserved in fossil form.
Another incredibly beautiful shell we call "Angel Wings" (known by scientists as Cyrotopleura costata) is a member of the "mollusk" family. It is very difficult to find both
halves of the shell together unless you find one that has recently died. The beautiful beaches offer stunning photographic opportunities. Even the sight of a sun-bleached tree trunk invokes images of mysterious events on these lonely and isolated shores. Whether you are "into"
seashell collecting or not .... whether you are a big "wildlife observer" or not ... whether you are really dedicated to "birdwatching" or not ... or if
 |
| Jellyfish |
you are just a plain old person just trying to come to grips with life in this bewildering universe a trip to Winyah Bay can be a huge step toward reaching peace within yourself. I highly recommend it. You really don't have to carry a lot of gear for a trip like this - we carried one small cooler with soft
drinks and sandwiches and never
even opened it!! You get swept up in the experience and time goes by
so swiftly that before you realize it it is time to rendezvous with your
 |
| Whelk |
 |
| Remains of USS Harvest Moon |
|
boat captain for the trip back to Georgetown. It is maddening to try to write about a visit like this and to know that you are only scratching the very thinnest layer of the surface. Folks, I know it will be extremely difficult for most of
you, impossible for many, and highly unlikely for others - that you might visit the coast of South Carolina - but - TRY!!! I'm not just saying this because it is my state but
because it offers so much to all of us. Come on down!!! The trip back offers a lot of the same sights we saw coming out but - surprisingly, there are countless things that you didn't see before!! One thing that absolutely blew our minds was the number of Bald Eagles hunting along the Eastern bank of the sound. We saw at least six and are pretty sure that two - if not three
- pairs were breeding pairs!! That means that our
 |
| Bald Eagle |
eagle population continues to rise!!! Along the route back we saw a cylindrical object protruding slightly from the gently lapping waters of the sound. It had a number of sea birds resting upon the edges of the cylinder so we sought out the naturalist and asked about the origin of that strange formation. Turns out that it is the remains of the U. S. Navy Ship Harvest Moon torpedoed on the night of February 26, 1865 and sunk by Confederate
forces protecting the Georgetown shoreline. Another irony is that this naval expedition was almost exactly one year after the sinking of the
USS Housitanic by the CSS Hunley - the first submarine to sink a vessel in combat and almost exactly the same time that General Sherman was paying his respects to Columbia, our capital city, as we talked about in the last post. Here's the deal folks .... there is just no way I could possibly write enough - or show you enough pictures to - give you an accurate impression of the spectacular adventure you can have with a relatively short, inexpensive excursion like this. Notwithstanding the fact that when we returned to town the "Georgetown Bluegrass Festival" was fully underway - this was a fantastic trip. I hope you get to take the boat to Winyah Bay some time soon. Let us know how you liked it!!! We'll be back with more adventures soon but, until then, keep those walking shoes limbered up.. See ya.
would also like to take you out to another beautiful location for observing wildlife and coastal nature at its best - Winyah Bay. That takes a bit of explaining. Some of you have heard of our mega-tourist attraction, Myrtle Beach - often referred to here as "The Grand Strand." It has absolutely everything you could ever imagine in the way of "beach-going vacations" if you can handle wall-to-wall people and incredible traffic. But, just South of Myrtle Beach, life begins to return to a calmer, Southern style of life and by the time you 
reach Murrell's Inlet you can really start to "chill out." For the next ten or fifteen miles, things really begin to change. Although Pawley's Island, Debordieux Island, Litchfield Beach and others offer exquisite coastal living - with 
great care taken to preserve the beauty of the area - beyond that, Mother Nature becomes "Numero Uno" for real!! From the area near Pawley's now known as "Hobcaw Barony" (the coastal hermitage of the Baruch family) all the way to just North of Charleston enormous 
sections of the coast have been placed in the custody of the State of South Carolina, the National Parks Service and other services dedicated to the protection of wildlife and the preservation of natural habitat. We have taken a tiny look at one of them and today we will take another very small look at another one - Winyah Bay. I have said before that 
we are not (with a capital "N") professional photographers - but - I desperately hope these pictures give you a tiny feeling for the incredible beauty of this area. Our trip begins in Georgetown - third oldest city in t
he state of South Carolina - and just a few miles South of where we usually hang out in Litchfield Beach. This town is an absolute 'gem' when it comes to places to eat, shops to visit or - just stuff to see!!!! The top, right picture shows one of the broad, Oak canopied streets that abound here and the ones below that are from "dockside" - behind - the main street 
of Georgetown. In other words - these are taken from the boat as we glide to the Northeast toward the bay. We are headed to a really unusual - make that unique - place at the confluence of the Waccamaw, Black, Pee Dee and Sampit Rivers where Native Americans have gathered for eons to fish, to socialize and to celebrate their good fortune in living on the South Carolina coast. 
Let me pause and explain some technical points. There are several companies that offer trips to Winyah Bay and all are excellent in what they offer. My recollection is that we used the "Rover Boat" company and made our reservations at the "Rice
House Museum." But - whatever - if you check the internet - or - look around in downtown Georgetown (it ain't that big!!!) you will find someone to take you to the bay. I can pretty much assure you - the people who offer these services are outstanding businesses and I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them. I think you will absolutely love strolling along the docks - and - you'll likely get a chance to meet a character like the cat we met - one of the most unusually colored cats we have ever seen!!!! Back to the trip ... the charter services that provide 
tours of the bay pride themselves on the skill of their tour guides 
and I have been extremely impressed with their knowledge. On the journey out the channel you will see an astonishing array of watercraft so just be prepared. As you proceed down the channel you will come to the Winyah Bay Lighthouse, a remarkably beautiful structure sitting serenely on the Southeast side of the bay. The 
structure you see is the third lighthouse to guard Winyah Bay. The first was built in 1795 and, for illumination, burned whale oil in a six foot 
lantern. The second, more modern, light was destroyed during the War Between The States. The current lighthouse stands eighty feet tall and was one of the last manual lights in operation in the United States. Depending on the time of day, along the way you are likely to encounter one of our most important businessmen 
on their morning (or evening - or mid-day) rounds. They are - our local shrimpers!!!! These hardy, independent seamen are the heart and soul of our fishing
industry in South Carolina and we are very proud of them. At Winyah Point we have reached the location where the mighty Atlantic is kept at bay by our valiant barrier islands. At the confluence of the rivers I mentioned earlier it is clear that there is a lot of marine activity. For that reason, sea shell gathering, waterfowl watching, fishing, shrimping and just about all things having to do with the coast are 
outstanding!!! The charter boats will put you ashore on one of the most pristine beaches you could imagine and for several hours you are able to wander these exquisitely beautiful and peaceful shores in almost total solitude. Virtually every kind of bird, seashell, 
Another incredibly beautiful shell we call "Angel Wings" (known by scientists as Cyrotopleura costata) is a member of the "mollusk" family. It is very difficult to find both 
halves of the shell together unless you find one that has recently died. The beautiful beaches offer stunning photographic opportunities. Even the sight of a sun-bleached tree trunk invokes images of mysterious events on these lonely and isolated shores. Whether you are "into" 
seashell collecting or not .... whether you are a big "wildlife observer" or not ... whether you are really dedicated to "birdwatching" or not ... or if 
drinks and sandwiches and never
you, impossible for many, and highly unlikely for others - that you might visit the coast of South Carolina - but - TRY!!! I'm not just saying this because it is my state but 
because it offers so much to all of us. Come on down!!! The trip back offers a lot of the same sights we saw coming out but - surprisingly, there are countless things that you didn't see before!! One thing that absolutely blew our minds was the number of Bald Eagles hunting along the Eastern bank of the sound. We saw at least six and are pretty sure that two - if not three 
- pairs were breeding pairs!! That means that our 
forces protecting the Georgetown shoreline. Another irony is that this naval expedition was almost exactly one year after the sinking of the 
USS Housitanic by the CSS Hunley - the first submarine to sink a vessel in combat and almost exactly the same time that General Sherman was paying his respects to Columbia, our capital city, as we talked about in the last post. Here's the deal folks .... there is just no way I could possibly write enough - or show you enough pictures to - give you an accurate impression of the spectacular adventure you can have with a relatively short, inexpensive excursion like this. Notwithstanding the fact that when we returned to town the "Georgetown Bluegrass Festival" was fully underway - this was a fantastic trip. I hope you get to take the boat to Winyah Bay some time soon. Let us know how you liked it!!! We'll be back with more adventures soon but, until then, keep those walking shoes limbered up.. See ya.
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