But timing was everything in order to reach areas like Florida’s Passage (normally shallow) and Hell Gate (a passage through two islands with lots of currents depending on the winds). By leaving at 10 a.m., we could go through those areas on the high side of the rising tides. Tides in these parts vary as much as 8-9 feet. (Would you like to go to sleep one night knowing you were going to go through an area on your boat the next morning named Hell Gate?)
Winds that morning were gusting out of the ENE at 20 knots so the Captain wanted to cover all bases. Turned out a little bumpy but not bad at all. (The Captain is getting pretty good at calculating the best times to go through an area.) By late morning we settled down in at the upper helm with more coffee and thoughts about getting to Hilton Head Island. The sun felt great and the temperature was 70 degrees.
We were at MM 594.8, seven miles from Savannah, (where we had visited by car earlier in the week,) when Charlie looked up from his guidebook and announced that the pretty, winding river we were passing was named “Moon River” and that it is the actual river inspiring the popular song with the same title. My thoughts went right back to the senior citizen exercise class I used to teach where we stretched and lifted weights to many of the wonderful old songs from the past. What a different life I am living right now.
We reached our destination at 5:00 pm, secured the lines, and had a drink and a simple supper onboard.
Re-visiting Hilton Head Island, South Carolina April 16-19
April 16 - Passing the Hilton Head harbor where the PGA Heritage Golf Tournament was being played at the time. The green canopies on far right are near holes 17 and 18. See the blimp; it is way at the top.We were told that boats can anchor close to the 17th and 18th greens. It looked really crowded so we dismissed that idea. And the marina next to the golf course, Harbortown Marina, had a waiting list only at the special price of $10 a running foot per night! We have a 39 foot boat! We stayed on our boat at Hilton Head Marina for two nights and then moved to Skull Creek Marina. Prices were normal for this part of our trip- $1.50/$1.75 p er foot. At Hilton Head Marina, we were put on a public dock where the locals hang out and this dock was also used for fishing charters so we changed marinas; we cared not to stay.
This visit was going to be our second time at the island. Charlie and I and our daughter Christa first drove to Hilton Head Island in early October of 2007. We attended a beautiful beach wedding of Charlie’s niece Mackenzie and her groom, Peter. A bunch of the Thomas family had made it as well.
The mother of the bride, Charlie’s first cousin Becky, and her husband Bill, live in Hilton Head Plantation on Hilton Head Island. We informed them weeks ago of our upcoming visit by boat. Plans were made to be together for the weekend along with Charlie’s other cousin, Monte, and his wife Carol, who drove down from Athens, Georgia, a five hour trip. A good time was had by all.
We all get to together at least once a year with nearly 60 other relatives at the Thomas Family Reunion each July in Parkersburg, W.VA. Charlie has a great family and we always look forward to seeing the clan each year. The reunion actually lasts three full days; chock full of activities for all ages. Our grown daughters have missed only a few reunions since they began coming in their strollers. They still make the effort to go on their own. Since we will be cruising in Canada this July and not back home until mid-August, we regret that we will probably miss this year’s event; only about the third time in 38 years. It will be the 80th anniversary of the reunion. We’ll see what happens.
Charlie and I and Monte and Carol were lucky to see the sights by car with Bill and Becky driving us; someone else in control! We enjoyed some delicious seafood at a local restaurant named “The Sea Shack.” We had a wonderful time.It was fun to show family our boat!
It was a delight to see so much beautiful land with the abundant smells of spring and the sounds of birds, such a contrast to all the water! The weather was perfect for us; temperatures in the high 70’s. Interestingly enough, earlier that morning we looked up the current temperatures on the internet for our home in Okemos, MI (55 and sunny), in Cheboygan, MI, our home
marina near Mackinac Island, (57 and sunny) and in Hilton Island, S.C. (61 and sunny.)
Thomas family cousins and their spouses. after me, Carol, then Bill, Becky, then Monte, then Charlie. Monte and Becky are Thomas cousins, Carol and Bill are their spouses Lunch under the trees at Boathouse Restaurant, Hilton Head Island.
Shrimp Boats Hilton Head Island is a year round resort island. This island is the largest barrier island on the Atlantic Coast. It has been developed into very exclusive areas including parcels of residential living areas known as plantations. These plantations are mostly gated communities with manicured lawns, their own golf courses, pools, and private social buildings and grounds.
Hilton Head Island, like all the islands along the Eastern Seaboard, is rich in early American history. The Island was founded by the British in the 17th century by William Hutton. Besides the many historic sites from Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the island’s history goes way back to the 1500s when the Spanish boats, laden with treasure from Florida and headed back home to Spain, were attacked and raided off the coast of Hilton Head by the French Navy. The stories of buried treasure not found still remain in the lore spoken of in the area.
Hilton Head Island, like all the islands along the Eastern Seaboard, is rich in early American history. The Island was founded by the British in the 17th century by William Hutton. Besides the many historic sites from Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the island’s history goes way back to the 1500s when the Spanish boats, laden with treasure from Florida and headed back home to Spain, were attacked and raided off the coast of Hilton Head by the French Navy. The stories of buried treasure not found still remain in the lore spoken of in the area.
The land on Hilton Head is lush with abundant flower gardens, and a rich variety of trees such as pecan, cedar, oak, and pine. The coastline has pretty beaches and not as built up with high rise condos like Myrtle Beach. Besides golf, and tourism, fishing is an important industry here; harvesting oysters and the shrimp industry play a major role in the local economy.
We left Hilton Head Island on Sunday, April 19 heading for the historic and romantic southern town of Beaufort, SC.
April 20-21 Discovering the city of Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort County is famous for its history as well as its reputation as a world-class resort destination. The coastline here is beautiful with intricate saltwater creeks and rivers that wind between sea islands (including Parris Island, a recruiting station for the U.S. Marines) Besides the resort islands, some islands are still uninhabited and on many of the secluded ones, the native language of Gullah, a combination of English and African can still be heard.
In the 1700s rice planting and production of indigo were the main crops. The marshlands were perfect for the rice fields. In the 1800s sea cotton, a long silky fiber, was the main crop and well sought after. Beaufort became one of the richest cities in the American Colonies.
We left Hilton Head Island on Sunday, April 19 heading for the historic and romantic southern town of Beaufort, SC.
April 20-21 Discovering the city of Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort County is famous for its history as well as its reputation as a world-class resort destination. The coastline here is beautiful with intricate saltwater creeks and rivers that wind between sea islands (including Parris Island, a recruiting station for the U.S. Marines) Besides the resort islands, some islands are still uninhabited and on many of the secluded ones, the native language of Gullah, a combination of English and African can still be heard.
In the 1700s rice planting and production of indigo were the main crops. The marshlands were perfect for the rice fields. In the 1800s sea cotton, a long silky fiber, was the main crop and well sought after. Beaufort became one of the richest cities in the American Colonies.
The city of Beaufort (pronounced Buuuuufort) was a hotspot for both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars with the articles for the Confederacy drawn up there. The town was settled in 1711.
Charlie and I enjoyed a carriage ride tour pulled by one horse named Rocky and our tour guide Becky.
Many of the historic homes here have three stories. The bottom level was mostly open it its day and housed the slaves. The problem with that was that this coastal area is only a few feet above sea level and many times the slaves’ quarters were flooded from time to time. The middle story was used for entertaining and the top story was the family’s living quarters.On our tour, we learned interesting facts from our guide, Bonnie. She talked about the documented history of the homes and area. Bonnie also entertained us with stories carried down to add to the history to bring the lore to the story. Some tales are believed to be true but can’t be always be proven to be true, she said. For example, the origin of the sayings you are about to read, our guide told us, as far as she knows, have been said to be true.
Colonial kitchens were generally detached from the houses because of the threat of fire. The slaves that cooked would prepare the meals and walk it to the house as seen below.
The kitchen is the building on the left, to the rear of the main house, in the photo above. In order for the family not to worry that the slaves would eat the food before it got to the house, they instructed the slaves to whistle as they walked to the house with the food. The dogs would come and bark when they heard the whistling. The slaves would ward them off by giving them little bits of fried corn dough and say to the dogs, “Hush puppy, hush.”
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union just before the Civil War broke out on Sullivans Island at Fort Sumter near Charleston. The house where the formal action took place is here in Beaufort. (above) It is the Milton Maxey House, commonly known as the “Secession House, and was” built in 1813 with a foundation below it known to have been built in1743.
Houses were built with two staircases in the front, one for the men to walk up with their dirty boots and one for the ladies to use to keep their dresses clean. Besides, if an unmarried man followed an unmarried woman up the same staircase and saw any part of here ankles, he would be expected to consider proposing to her.
The kitchen is the building on the left, to the rear of the main house, in the photo above. In order for the family not to worry that the slaves would eat the food before it got to the house, they instructed the slaves to whistle as they walked to the house with the food. The dogs would come and bark when they heard the whistling. The slaves would ward them off by giving them little bits of fried corn dough and say to the dogs, “Hush puppy, hush.”
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union just before the Civil War broke out on Sullivans Island at Fort Sumter near Charleston. The house where the formal action took place is here in Beaufort. (above) It is the Milton Maxey House, commonly known as the “Secession House, and was” built in 1813 with a foundation below it known to have been built in1743.Houses were built with two staircases in the front, one for the men to walk up with their dirty boots and one for the ladies to use to keep their dresses clean. Besides, if an unmarried man followed an unmarried woman up the same staircase and saw any part of here ankles, he would be expected to consider proposing to her.
The flat chimney tops were crumbing due to the extreme weather thus the design was changed from flat to arched(below.) Note the twin staircases as well. (Below)
Throughout the tour, we were told more about the origin of some famous sayings. Such as the hanging Spanish moss everyone sees on the live oaks. Colonists used to stuff their mattress with this moss not knowing about the chiggers in the moss. Thus the saying “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
Old churches tell so much to the visitors about a town’s history, both political and religious. St. Helena’s Episcopal Church here in Beaufort was fascinating.
This church spans the time from before the Revolution when everyone was loyal to the queen, and British soldiers and families comprised the church. St Helena’s was established in 1712 when it was still an Anglican Church, the Church of England. Among the dead buried in the church yard (above) are two officers from the British Revolution. (Below)
Here is another interesting saying for you. Upon death, even though one was pronounced dead, sometimes they were actually in a coma instead; the plague, for example could make a person comatose. Some people were buried with a string on their finger and the string brought up through the grave with a bell on it, the hole giving oxygen air to the person and if the person came to, could ring the bell. Thus “Saved by the bell” and “Dead Ringer” came to be.
Many of the old homes have the front door and the back door directly aligned with each other connected by a central hallway. These houses were referred as “shotgun” houses making it easy to shoot someone if needing to catch someone breaking into your house.
Another fact about the homes was regarding the ceilings of the front porches. They were painted light blue. It was believed that wasps would not build their nests on a blue ceiling because they would think it was the sky.
Most of these old homes within the residential blocks surrounding the downtown were currently being lived in yet looked remarkably kept as they must have looked in their era. That is because if you own a house in the historical district you must abide by the 300 page code book to keep everything as close to being historically correct as well as have the ways and means to afford the upkeep. On top of that, you have to go before a board of regulators before anything is changed. Just on the outside, of course.
The homes were taxed by the square footage of a house one year and by the number of windows the following year. Many houses were built with separate buildings beside the house that were not taxed and windows that could be made into doors during the appropriate tax years.
Pat Conroy has a home here and wrote many of his books in this setting, one book is The Water is Wide.
Throughout the tour, we were told more about the origin of some famous sayings. Such as the hanging Spanish moss everyone sees on the live oaks. Colonists used to stuff their mattress with this moss not knowing about the chiggers in the moss. Thus the saying “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
Old churches tell so much to the visitors about a town’s history, both political and religious. St. Helena’s Episcopal Church here in Beaufort was fascinating.
This church spans the time from before the Revolution when everyone was loyal to the queen, and British soldiers and families comprised the church. St Helena’s was established in 1712 when it was still an Anglican Church, the Church of England. Among the dead buried in the church yard (above) are two officers from the British Revolution. (Below)
Here is another interesting saying for you. Upon death, even though one was pronounced dead, sometimes they were actually in a coma instead; the plague, for example could make a person comatose. Some people were buried with a string on their finger and the string brought up through the grave with a bell on it, the hole giving oxygen air to the person and if the person came to, could ring the bell. Thus “Saved by the bell” and “Dead Ringer” came to be.Many of the old homes have the front door and the back door directly aligned with each other connected by a central hallway. These houses were referred as “shotgun” houses making it easy to shoot someone if needing to catch someone breaking into your house.
Another fact about the homes was regarding the ceilings of the front porches. They were painted light blue. It was believed that wasps would not build their nests on a blue ceiling because they would think it was the sky. Most of these old homes within the residential blocks surrounding the downtown were currently being lived in yet looked remarkably kept as they must have looked in their era. That is because if you own a house in the historical district you must abide by the 300 page code book to keep everything as close to being historically correct as well as have the ways and means to afford the upkeep. On top of that, you have to go before a board of regulators before anything is changed. Just on the outside, of course.
The homes were taxed by the square footage of a house one year and by the number of windows the following year. Many houses were built with separate buildings beside the house that were not taxed and windows that could be made into doors during the appropriate tax years.
Pat Conroy has a home here and wrote many of his books in this setting, one book is The Water is Wide.
We learned that many films were made in Beaufort including parts of “Forrest Gump,” “Prince of Tides” and one of our favorite movies, “The Big Chill.” The home used for the Big Chill here is known as the “Tidalholm” and was built in 1856. It is a private residence today but never-the-less I took a photo of the front and on the other side of the block of the back as best as I could.
Back of the house where the movie 'The Big Chill" was filmed.
Back of the house where the movie 'The Big Chill" was filmed. Tom Hanks bought his chocolates that he ate in the movie “Forest Gump” while in the Chocolate Tree, Inc. located downtown before going to Savannah to film the scene. The park where he ate his box of chocolates was actually filmed in Chippewa Square, Savannah, as we wrote in the previous blog.
Here is a photo of the Beaufort Arsenal. Built in 1798 it was later rebuilt in 1852 and was the home of the Beaufort Volunteer Army during the Civil War.
Here is a photo of the Beaufort Arsenal. Built in 1798 it was later rebuilt in 1852 and was the home of the Beaufort Volunteer Army during the Civil War.We would definitely recommend Beaufort as a must stop for anyone passing through.
(And Charlie would definitely recommend the Chocolate Tree store from first hand experience as well.)
My highlight was my own stroll where I took photographs of my favorite sights while imagining I was back in history….
We left Beaufort after a delightful two day stay. My walk midday up the ramp (above) to check out the gift shop at the Ship's Store. Notice the steep angle from the dock to land . Extremely low ride.
(And Charlie would definitely recommend the Chocolate Tree store from first hand experience as well.)
My highlight was my own stroll where I took photographs of my favorite sights while imagining I was back in history….
We left Beaufort after a delightful two day stay. My walk midday up the ramp (above) to check out the gift shop at the Ship's Store. Notice the steep angle from the dock to land . Extremely low ride. One thing about the marinas in this part of the county, they have floating docks to accommodate the 8-9 foot changing tides. Boats tied up to floating docks do not have to have their lines constantly retied. But the people have to watch the ever changing angles of the ramps connected to the land as they walk up.
Well, as usual, I have rambled on. We have so much to tell. We would recommend this area of our country if you enjoy seeing where our country first started. This part of our country is where our roots began. St. Augustine, Florida, Savvanh, Beufort, South Carolina. Next stop, Charleston then Georgetown.
From the boating view, it has been awesome to see the sights from our country's waters edge, where our U.S. history all began!
Charlie says hi.
Hope you are all well.
Sincerely, Linda and Charlie
