It's About Folks, ... Folks

Y'know gang, it is truly amazing that we are so blessed with the amazing friends we have - but - when you add to that the remarkable people we have had the good fortune to meet on our travels it borders on incredible. Let me give you some examples as we roam around Hilton Head. Last night we talked about our restaurant, The Black Marlin. Well, not only was our dining experience great, we got to know a fascinating young lady from Morocco who now lives and works here. We learned a good bit about her journey and came away thankful we have her in our state now. Little did we know that was just the beginning of our introduction to new folks, past and present. As we headed out in the morning we knew we had set up an ambitious itinerary. We started with a quick visit to the beach to give us a jump start and began wending our way toward the city center of the town of Hilton Head Island.

It would be difficult to do justice to the amazing story of the development of Hilton Head and Sea Pines Plantation here but let me urge you to find out more about the story of Charles Fraser the visionary whose far-sightedness brought about a revolutionary land use plan with immeasurable ecological benefits in this area. But the beginning actually goes a lot farther back - all the way back to around 1520 when Captain Cordillo Lucas Deaylion created the first permanent settlement on our coast near what is now Beaufort. About a hundred forty years later, Captain William Hilton sailed into Port Royal sound to check the area out for his boss, the King of England. Spotting a prominent bluff on the shoreline he gave it the name "Hilton's Head" and dubbed the territory "Carolina" in honor of "Charles" his king. We were off and running!! Over the years countless individuals with courageous hearts and boundless ambition have left their mark on the land. We met some of them yesterday on our outing to Bluffton. Today we decided to track down a few more. Arriving at the delightful city center (on our map look down toward the 'ball of the foot') we strolled down to the exquisitely maintained beachfront and into a number of the hundreds of specialty shops. In the first one we visited we were captivated by the feisty shopkeeper who turned out to be a young lady named Maria, originally from Rumania. Another fascinating story and another great addition to our state. Anyway, following Maria's advice we had brunch at a place called "It's Greek To Me" where our waitress was another very colorful young woman from Russia!!
But, even though Linda reminds me that it is our civic duty to shop during hard economic times, we really had to get going. I know you guys recall our visit to the ancient Sewee Indian Shell Ring when we were down at Litchfield Beach a few weeks ago. Well, there are supposedly only twenty of those structures known to exist and we had a chance to see another one at the Sea Pines Nature Preserve. (Another of Charles Fraser's legacies.) The preserve has a number of features that are unique for such sites including greater automobile access to some of the more remote sites and electric boat excursions around the large lakes and ponds.

As we strolled down Saw Palmetto-lined trails we passed a pretty little outdoor chapel perched on a hill overlooking one of the lakes.

Shortly afterward we entered the Shell Ring location and immediately felt a powerful sense of reverence as if it were an extension of the worship site we visited earlier.
Although vastly different than it would have appeared when in use five thousand years ago, the imprint of our Native American forebears is clearly visible in this once-sacred site.

After spending time communing with the spirits of those long gone we moved on toward an area where we hoped to get a glimpse of another of the local residents. We hit the jackpot almost immediately with the appearance of "Br'er Gator." (Don't forget, Joel Chandler Harris got his start near here and Walt Kelly borrowed some of our neighbors from time to time!!)

Other visitors shared their sunny spots with us and chatted with us as we wandered.

 But, soon it was time to get on the road again. We wanted to see if we could find the remnants of the home of two of the area's very colorful early residents. Continuing westward toward the upper part of our 'foot' map and toward Harbor Town we found the location of the Stoney-Baynard House. Originally built by Jack Stoney and operated as Braddock Point Plantation for many years the property was later purchased by Captain William Baynard.

Although we don't have time or space to do it justice here, the stories of these guys are absolutely spellbinding and have given rise to some truly memorable legends. (Including a great 'ghost story.') these ancient ruins still tell us so much about life on the sea islands during the early years of our country.

This is not one of the biggest tourist
destinations on the island but if you get the chance to visit I think you'll find it well worth the time.
Then it was on to Harbor Town, the iconic showplace of Heritage Golf Tournament fame. Although once described as "Fraser's Folly", because it was built with tourism rather than navigation in mind, the well-known red and white lighthouse now, ironically, serves both purposes - visible up to fifteen miles at sea.

Harbor Town's myriad shops and restaurants cater to virtually every taste but, to us, it is the lighthouse that houses the real treasure. Although tiny by most standards and a bit "self-promoting", those things become insignificant in the face of the real value received in a visit to the museum that extends to the top of the structure.
Here you will find great historical information about early South Carolina life, fascinating facts about "lighthouse lore" and fun-to-know stuff about the development of Hilton Head and Sea Pines Plantation.
And then ... when you get to the top... there are two fantastic rewards for the climb!!! First is the spectacular view of the coastal area and the miles and miles of sea island beauty.

But then, another real treat ... the museum shop and it's delightful and charming hostess, Nadia!!! Originally from Serbia, Nadia has made her home in South Carolina for over twenty five years - and we're gonna keep her!!!
She is one of the most personable people you will ever meet and with a wealth of information about the island. To end our explorations by meeting another incredible new friend was just awesome. Do not miss a visit to the lighthouse and museum if you have the chance!!!! But, it was soon time to pack it in for the day. Tired after our outing, we opted to again stop in at the Hilton Head Diner for a quick bite before calling it a day. While our meal consisted of fairly standard fare, we did learn about an increasingly popular item on their menu. It is a fish called Pangasius, also referred to as "Shark Catfish!!" Now the ninth or tenth most popular seafood item on the continent, this Vietnamese import is rapidly growing in favor with Americans. Hmmm, we jus keep on learning new stuff. So, on that somewhat fishy note we'll close for the day. It's been fun having you with us but don't get lazy yet!! We'll be back soon and you'll need to be ready to go!! See ya.
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