Dream Island with a Dose of Reality!

Hey Everybody!

I have just settled into my tent for the night, along with a few of the mosquitos that have been hunting me ALL day. Clearly, they do not understand that "Off!" means OFF! If only that we're my only tale of temporary trauma....

First, some pleasant words....weather is nearly perfect, beyond the Village there is nothing but sand dunes, marshes, and forest for miles and miles...it's beautiful here! My tent is very comfortable and the local coffee shop is excellent! More about that in a few... As soon as I got up this morning I hopped on my bike and rode to the Ocracoke Lighthouse. I continued on up the street to Springer's Preserve. It's cool for at least two reasons: (1) although it's never been found, Blackbeard's treasure might still be buried here! I think he picked that spot because of the mosquitos! (2) there are secluded little beaches here and there with shallow water for those of you who like to wander the shoreline. Local kids use the area for hacky sack.

Anyway, it's hard to know what to expect when you've imagined a place for 20 years or so, but I am absolutely sure that I never imagined this day! After riding and wandering around for a couple hours I stopped at the Ocracoke Coffee Co. The mocha-mint smoothie with homemade whip cream was excellent! I'll be stopping there in the morning before catching the ferry!

So far so good....but wait! I mapped out options for the rest of my day and turned on the car. The back window went down on its own. I couldn't stop it, nor could I shut it! Surely, that's a fluke....I tried again, and again, and again....now my only option is to babysit the car because, frankly, leaving stuff in a tent isn't really a more secure option than a partially unlocked car.

I am not a happy camper at this point, but adjust to a driving tour of the remaining 14 miles of the island, occasionally checking the button to coax the window closed. At some point I pulled off the road to let traffic pass so I could find a spot to take a picture. That's when the front tires got stuck in the sand. I tried to dig out...didn't help.

Luckily, the Sheriff's Dept. patrols the highway for accidents like me :-) and within about 20 min (and $70 later!) I was back on the road. The Deputy told me somebody got stuck in the same spot last week...a man! Not sure that really helps today! But I am on the road again! Stop at the general store for heavy duty bags and duct tape. Tape up my window because I don't know when I'll get a mechanic...I'm 23 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean!

After all that trauma and finding ways to enjoy the island while babysitting my vulnerable car....I tried to close the window again and it worked. So, I had to cross my fingers, release the button, tear off the tape and plastic before the car changed its mind...and it's closed! In other words, I got to wander the beach and hike the maritime forest trail after all, but aren't you glad to know the whole story!?

The least I can do is post some pics....you know, after making you read this LONG story! So:

1. Skull of a Right Whale. They are all but extinct...barely 300 left and at some point they'll be gone. But small groups still migrate past the Outer Banks.

2. The Lighthouse.

3. Artificial Oyster Reef constructed with bags of old oyster shells. I've been seeing more and more of these since the Georgia islands. They help to stabilize dunes and vegetation and new oyster beds.

4. Blackbeard's beaches (well, Springer Preserve). No metal detectors allowed!

5. The once wild horses of the island are now managed.

6-9 Views of the island from the road and the beach...

10. The Ocracoke Coffee Company...

Well, that's my story....that's for reading! More soon.....

North Carolina's Crystal Coast

Hey Everybody!

I have made it to the Outer Banks!! Tent is up and I expect to spend a few days exploring. But first I better catch you up for the past couple of days. Yesterday morning I drove about 70 miles inland to Cliffs at Neuse State Park. It's a pretty park with lots of trails, although I failed to see the cliffs. I went to see the "must see" cliffs - what I saw was eroded hillsides. That's not the same thing in my mind, but still it's a pretty place. The problem with this particular trail is that after hiking down to the river - there are more stairs around the bend - I had to hike back up :-). Swimming is prohibited as the river has steep drop-offs and unmarked underwater hazards...not that it looks all that inviting.

Next stop was the Swansboro area. It seems to be a pretty small town, but close to beaches and all kinds of outdoor recreation. This is the Bogue Inlet fishing pier and beach on Emerald Isle. No surfers yesterday ...the water was unusually calm. And the marina at Nicky's where I had dinner. It was one of two places recommended by a local...and it was fine, but not so good that I'm recommending it.

So, this morning I started the day at Hammocks Beach State - it's a $5 ferry ride. And well worth it! It has primitive campsites, but limited ferry service until summer I guess, so I didn't get to camp there, but would love to.

This is the sign near the park entrance....we need to have these in FL! How cute is this sign?! And this is Hammocks Beach - as you can tell it is not too crowded. Infact, in season the ferry runs hourly until the beach reaches capacity. I don't know that number; sorry.

After checking out the beach I hit the road again. I wasn't sure where I'd land for the night because I didn't know whether I'd stop and explore something or if there'd be room on the ferry today, but I lucked out! This is the ferry - the trip is just over two hours from Cedar Island. This Last photo is of Ocracoke just before we reached the harbor. Notice the lighthouse...it's the only one on the Outer Banks that is solid white. I haven't explored much, although I did manage to get to the beach after sunset just to see it before I went to bed.

For now, I am in my tent for the night after dinner at the Flying Melon, which was very tasty. And I look forward to riding my bike all around the village and wandering the beach tomorrow. Hope all is well wherever this post finds you. More soon....

 

A little more from South Carolina

For the last SC entry we've got a lighthouse, a garden, and some history.

1. The lighthouse at Hunting Island State Park. This is a pretty cool place - and beautiful. There are lots of trails to hike and bike, a fishing pier, a great driftwood beach, and a big campground. And it's just minutes away from Beaufort.

2. Hobcaw Barony is on the north edge of Georgetown...not too far from Myrtle Beach. This property was owned by the Baruch family and is now owned by the Belle Baruch Foundation. I knew about this place because of one sentence in one book....so I didn't really know what to expect here. What I knew is that it had one of a very few surviving slave roads, and I thought I should make the effort to see it.

If you are interested, you can find more about the influential Baruch family. The brick house (below) is Mr. Baruch's "hunting lodge." He hosted Churchill, Pres. & Mrs. Roosevelt, Irving Berlin, etc. He advised presidents, influenced policies (including some related to taxes and fuel)....you get the idea. His daughter's (Belle) will designated that the property be used for teaching & research.

The Friendfield Village was a slave village and then, until 1952, a community of freedmen and their descendants. The pictures include:

1. The slave street showing church, houses (which were known to hold up to 12 people at times), and a multi-purpose building next to the church.

2. Inside of the church

3. Inside one of the slave houses - this back bedroom was added later. The original front room shows the "lucky strike" box that Belle offered to them. They used newspaper and cardboard for insulation.

Before passing through Myrtle Beach to count the huge number of miniature golf curses (lost count!) up and down the Ocean Highway, I visited the first sculpture garden in the USA, Brookgreen Gardens. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark. I thought it was a bit overpriced, but the grounds are very nice & it has a special garden & sculpture area for young children.

1. Pegasus by Laura Gardin Fraser is the largest sculpture in garden.

2. The Fountain of the Muses by Carl Milles is one of the prettiest spots.

3. One (in a series of eight) of the Children of the Gods sculptures by Williams.

Oh yeah, One thing that impressed me about Myrtle Beach is how well they mark the public beach access locations, and how many there are. It was also the cleanest stretch of beach I've seen in days and days.

So, that's it for now. I hope to make my way to North Carolina's Outer Banks soon! I'll be in touch....

 

Stories from the Lowcountry

Greetings from Beaufort, SC (and the Sea Islands).

This antebellum home was the mother's home in the movie based on Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides. Notice the fancy detail on the uppermost columns, then look at the rest. It is said that on "The Point" (a posh neighborhood in the historical district of Beaufort, SC) residents built to impress. Most people arrived by boat back then, so the top of the home was seen first. Thus, basic squares on all but the highest columns.

This white house was rented by both Sally Fields and Nick Nolte during movies. The oak in front of it is called an Angel Oak - so named after the first family to own (or have) the tree.

Another antebellum home that is too perfect not too include. Notice the blue ceilings. Many of these homes have blue ceilings. It reflects Gullah culture superstitions. Like yesterday in Savannah, the topic of ghosts (and children's ghost playmates) is common. Anyway, the fear of hags and haints (think haunts as in ghosts, but worse!) was real and it was (is) believed that the color blue represented happy/good/sky - therefore, heaven - and would keep the haints away. The blue bottle trees (in the flower pic below) serve the same purpose and I've seen them on streets and in yards in various sizes. The spooks are believed to be too curious not to enter the bottles at night. But once they climb in, they're trapped! By morning, they are destroyed.

This life philosophy hangs on the office door of the local chocolate shop. Dontcha just love it?!

This is a bizarre shrub that I don't think I've ever seen before. It's called a Chenille. The blooms look and feel like a caterpillar or cat's tail.

Ruins of the Old Sheldon Church. It's about 25mi north of downtown Beaufort and worth the drive. Bring bug spray! It was first constructed 1745-55, but burned in 1779 by the British. Rebuilt 1826, but destroyed by the Federal Army in 1865. It was never rebuilt. An annual service is still held here on the second Sunday after Easter.

The South Carolina Lowcountry - a stretch of state that is near or below sea level. All of these were taken during a low tide.

I know this is going to sound a bit crazy, but two months just isn't enough time for the southern states much less the entire Atlantic Coast!

 

Time is relative!

In Savannah, when the locals say "the brand new bridge" or " that building was just built" they mean sometime in the last 5-25 years. I've had that experience before...I'm still not used to it. But when your buildings, streets and stories are hundreds of years old...what's 5 or 25 years, right?

This was my first visit to Savannah. It is both humbling (specifically in regard to my photographic aspirations!) and magnetic. I already know I want to return at least one more time and stay longer. I walked the historic district for hours - from the Riverfront to somewhere beyond Gaston St.

The architecture is remarkable - all of it. There are buildings in great need of repair, beautifully restored buildings, and buildings that are going strong without any intervention. I'm going to post a couple pics of buildings, but they are not worthy of what I actually saw! Not only is it very tough to get some of the buildings photographed, but also I learned very quickly how important light is in this town. Wherever I was...it was the wrong time of day for the picture I wanted to take. That's not an excuse, but it is good to know for next time!

One of my favorite shots today was this old brick building. I don't know anything about the structure, but I loved the colors.

Magnolia Hall had the only "live" stairs that I saw today.

This street graciously provided my best chance for a photo of some of the Victorian homes. Across the street, one of the many picturesque Live Oak paths. I'm just going to keep on posting these trees until I'm tired of them :-).

I talked to a psychic/medium for several minutes at this old house: The Sorrel-Weed House is on the nightly ghost tours. During the day it offers architecture tours, but even then the discussions seem to wander to the paranormal. Anyway, this young psychic loves her job - she handed me her phone so I could see a picture of a ghost & watch a video full of ghost orbs (is that what they're called?). She knew I was skeptical, but I have to say that in the moment it's very intriguing.

This is the fountain from "The Book" - how Savannah refers to "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Have you read this book? It's so good, and true for those of you who enjoy a sophisticated true-crime, tell-all. There's also a movie with Kevin Spacey, but that book!! One visit to Savannah and I want to read it again.

No post about Savannah would be complete if I didn't include ironwork. The presence of this Dauphin fish for ship fleets was considered a blessing, so in a city that valued decorative iron it made sense to add a permanent blessing for luck and prosperity to one's home. And the entrance to an antique shop is part of the intrigue and charm of the historic district.

My last stop today was a lucky accident. I'd been wandering somewhat aimlessly with the intention of heading back to the car when I remembered I hadn't had breakfast or lunch yet. I'd looked for something down on the Riverfront earlier, but nothing appealed me - not even at The Shrimp Factory. Oh wait, that's not quite true....my one purchase on River Street was a dark chocolate graham cracker s'more. Excellent!

Anyway, it was about 4pm, so I decided to stop in the Smooth Cafe on Bull Street - 143 Bull Street. For those who get to Savannah, this cafe is a must! First of all, the coffee is fresher than you'll find anyplace else. It's delivered two days after it's been roasted about one mile from the cafe. Secondly, their hot pretzels are amazing! Best ever! And, finally, the happy owners (Katie & Gregory- I hope I got that right!) are lovely people. They travelled about 70,000 miles (over 18 months) in their car to find the perfect cafe....and then opened the perfect one themselves. How cool is that?!

Next post will be from South Carolina....

The Carnegie Family's Gift....

At last....perfect weather and Georgia's Cumberland Island National Seashore. Seeing the island on a day trip is possible, but it certainly deserves more. For the first pic I just stopped along the highway on the way to St. Mary's to catch the ferry. The rest of today's pics are from the national park.

The basics: Make reservations for the ferry, tour and lodging/camping. If you choose not to camp, then expect to pay big bucks to stay at The Greyfield Inn! (as an aside: to have a small wedding at the inn, it'll cost you a minimum of $32,000 - for fewer than 25 people.) If you only have one day and want an overview of the island take the tour. Like any guided tour it occasionally drags and makes the beach nearly impossible, but it's the only way to see the "whole" island. The tour focuses on the north end, but the guides seem to find ways to get visitors to the south end briefly.

1-3 An important church made famous by a Kennedy wedding. The 1st African Baptist Church (1890s) at the north end.

4-8 Plum Orchard Mansion (1898): This Carnegie family property is considered a "modest seaside home" and started the ball rolling for the creation of the national park. When you see the pic of Dungeness ruins, you'll be tempted to believe it is, indeed, modest! In fact, this house is quite advanced for its time: plumbing, a kind of central heat and air, an ice house, an elevator. Pics in order: the front yard, one of many wild horses, the original house not showing the additions, one of the two "Loggerhead Lamps" in the world made for this Carnegie house by Mr. Tiffany. Guides like to say that these lamps are in the first man cave. Finally, the heated indoor pool (approx. 9ft deep) - dontcha love the stairs!

9-10 Dungeness ruins (1884) with more wild horses, including a very cute 1 month old! When you're standing on the grounds you can almost see the horse carriages arriving with well-heeled guests. As for the horses, they really are wild. The only thing park employees do to manage these horses is move a deceased horse if it's in an area of heavy tourist traffic. Other parks on my visit list seem to control nearly every aspect of the horses' lives. Makes me glad I saw them here...

11 As I said in the beginning, one of the negatives to the tour is that it makes the beach nearly impossible, but it can be done if you hustle! I didn't touch water, but I did walk the dunes boardwalk. I'm told the beach would have added another 8-10min, so I would have missed the ferry. You do not want to miss the ferry: a private charter boat is at least $200 or for $700 or so you can stay at The Greyfield Inn.

So, I highly recommend this stop on one of your future journeys. I would love to return and spend a couple nights in the campground by the dunes boardwalk. While i couldnt get pics, there were cute armidillos, hilarious turkeys running down the main road, and dolphins & manta rays in the river. The place seems almost magical. A man said to me, "Lord of the Rings" could be filmed here.

I'm headed to Savannah tomorrow and could be in South Carolina by bedtime. I have no idea at the moment, but will let you know soon... Thanks for stopping by!