Hilton Head Island - Daufuskie Island - Savannah

[giradman]

Daufuskie Island - Part 2

As stated previously, there are a variety of choices to get to the island, all by boat (I guess one could swim from Harbour Town - ), such as the ferry, private boat, or a tour - the main transportation once on land is via a golf cart (4-passenger ones the most popular) (see pics below). On the way over, bottlenose dolphins are often seen (the pic shown is from the web but we spotted 3 or 4 swimming); also, a kayak rental is yet another option and apparently dolphins will often appear near your craft.

We decided on a 'boat ride + guided tour' - we were lucky in that our guide was sort of a 'local legend', i.e. Charles Thorn (or Charlie), shown below - we landed at the County Dock (red arrow on the schematic map) - there were 4 of us w/ Charlie, so a 4-seater cart was all that was needed. The tour was mainly of the historic sites on the left side of the map - if desired, you can ferry over to Haig Point and rent a golf cart for a self-guided tour (there is a handy brochure that points out the historic sites - yellow dots on the map).

Charlie was just a joy as a guide - not only knowledgeable about the island's history and the Gullah culture, but was a great story teller & raconteur - if you plan a trip to this area and want to visit the island, then I would strongly encourage trying to go over w/ Mr. Thorn. He wrote a book, Children of Shadows, which is fictional but based on Daufuskie Island - I did an inexpensive Kindle DL to my iPad and just finished the novel - not Dickens or Mark Twain, but an enjoyable read after the tour. NOT yet done - one more post on this mystical island - Dave

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[giradman]

Daufuskie Island - Part 3

Once the boat was docked, we walked up the ramp to the historic marker shown in the first image below (in two parts) - brochures are available along w/ golf cart rentals nearby if you want to do a self-guided tour. The houses on this end of the island are in a variety of conditions, from falling down to restored or enlarged. The second pic shows a typical Gullah home which is part of a restoration project - this house will soon be available for rental (has new plumbing, AC, electricity, etc.) - noticed the magnificent live oaks w/ abundant Spanish moss & resurrection fern - could do a whole post on this amazing tree!

The third & fourth images show the Mary Fields School for black children (no longer operative) w/ a descriptive sign in front - read carefully - the famous Atlanta, Georgia born southern author, Pat Conroy, taught for a year in this very school and his autobiographical book about his experiences on Daufuskie Island, The River is Wide (1972), was made into the movie Conrack (1974) starring Jon Voight - the film was made in the Brunswick, Georgia area south of Savannah - a number of other famous 'Sea Islands' are located there. Conroy is also the author of a number of other books made into films, including The Lords of Discipline (about his time in school @ the Citadel in Charleston), The Great Santini (w/ Robert Duvall), and The Prince of Tides (Barbara Streisand & Nick Nolte).

Finally, the Gullah culture has so many traditions related to the language, foods, and other arts & crafts - one example is the making of baskets from sweetgrass and other materials (brief description quoted below - Source) - these coils are handmade and put together in a wide variety of sizes & shapes - and are expensive taking HOURS to make - the last two images are of a basket we purchased in Charleston about a half dozen years ago - if you have a chance to support the craft, then buy one if visiting!

NEXT up Savannah - this may take another 3-4 posts, but after a short breather! Dave

Sweetgrass basketmaking was brought to South Carolina by slaves who came from West Africa. The functional baskets were used on the plantations and sold for extra income for the slave owners. Today the West African descendents keep the basketmaking tradition alive in Charleston.

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[scifan57]

Daufuskie Island - Part 3

Once the boat was docked, we walked up the ramp to the historic marker shown in the first image below (in two parts) - brochures are available along w/ golf cart rentals nearby if you want to do a self-guided tour. The houses on this end of the island are in a variety of conditions, from falling down to restored or enlarged. The second pic shows a typical Gullah home which is part of a restoration project - this house will soon be available for rental (has new plumbing, AC, electricity, etc.) - noticed the magnificent live oaks w/ abundant Spanish moss & resurrection fern - could do a whole post on this amazing tree!

The third & fourth images show the Mary Fields School for black children (no longer operative) w/ a descriptive sign in front - read carefully - the famous Atlanta, Georgia born southern author, Pat Conroy, taught for a year in this very school and his autobiographical book about his experiences on Daufuskie Island, The River is Wide (1972), was made into the movie Conrack (1974) starring Jon Voight - the film was made in the Brunswick, Georgia area south of Savannah - a number of other famous 'Sea Islands' are located there. Conroy is also the author of a number of other books made into films, including The Lords of Discipline (about his time in school @ the Citadel in Charleston), The Great Santini (w/ Robert Duvall), and The Prince of Tides (Barbara Streisand & Nick Nolte).

Finally, the Gullah culture has so many traditions related to the language, foods, and other arts & crafts - one example is the making of baskets from sweetgrass and other materials (brief description quoted below - Source) - these coils are handmade and put together in a wide variety of sizes & shapes - and are expensive taking HOURS to make - the last two images are of a basket we purchased in Charleston about a half dozen years ago - if you have a chance to support the craft, then buy one if visiting!

NEXT up Savannah - this may take another 3-4 posts, but after a short breather! Dave


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Thanks for the excellent travelogue and here's hoping for many more.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for the excellent travelogue and here's hoping for many more.

Greatly appreciated - will start organizing my pics (some mine & many from the web) on Savannah, Georgia - as mentioned, will require multiple posts - Dave

 

[suenc]

Well, Susan chimed in about the food which is quite good and a LOT of restaurant choices - for our first night we ate @ Ela's Grille in the Shelter Cove marina on Broad Creek (see previous post & maps) - we started w/ oysters on the half shell (two different kinds from New England & Virginia) - I had the grilled swordfish w/ wild rice and small berry salad (click on the links for menus).

For our second night, we ate at Alexander's Seafood Restaurant on the Palmetto Dunes property (a few minutes from our hotel) - again, started w/ Blue Point oysters on the half shell and we both had the stuffed shrimp (shrimp stuffed with scallops and jumbo lump crab, served with garlic parmesan rice and vegetable du jour, finished with a lobster cream sauce) which were delicious; the sides were somewhat bland - this is highly regarded from the reviews but was probably our least favorite restaurant.

Third night, we went to Harbour Town on the Sea Pines Plantation (place w/ the golf course & lighthouse) and ate at the Topside Waterfront Restaurant on the second floor next to the lighthouse w/ spectacular view of the 18th hole, Calibogue Sound, and the marina area - I had the fresh grilled redfish w/ a citrus butter sauce and a choice of sides - picked garlic sautéed spinach & quinoa blend pilaf - one of the BEST fishes that I've had in months! Unfortunately, they were out of oysters, so we split the fried calamari & the gumbo - both superb - I would highly recommend this place for the location, views, ambience, and the superb food! P.S. if you're not staying @ Sea Pines, then a $6 entrance fee.

Fourth night, we did a tour of Daufuskie Island which left from Shelter Cove (more on that later) - on return we were right @ Ela's Grille, so went back for more! Shared another dozen oysters on the half shell, two types again from New England & Virginia (but different locations). I had the blackened yellowfin tuna rare in the preparation shown below - this was just a delicious dish - had wine w/ all of these dinners, and like a Pinot Noir w/ tuna (choose a Russian River one from CA).

Last night on returning from a day trip to Savannah, we stopped in Bluffton (both future posts) and dined at the restaurant which is operated by the family of the Bluffton Oyster Company - we shared a dozen May River oysters, just harvested a few blocks away - LOVE it! I had the blackened snapper w/ a side salad and some nicely flavored red mash potatoes and a few glasses of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - quite informal place w/ great service - will return in the future!

My main purpose in this post is for those who may be vacationing in the area - all of these are excellent restaurants - check the links and 'pick & choose' - Dave
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The first night I had fried soft shell crabs--a bit high in fat but yummy! We got as many oysters as we could--the May River ones, fresh out of the water, were the best.

 

[suenc]

How soon can we go back to Hilton Head? GiR didn't mention the white, powdery beaches. There are lots of hotel spas,too--ever had a hot stone massage?

 

[giradman]

Savannah, Georgia - Part 1

Well, took a day off and Susan responded w/ a few posts; SO, to my last (and may take me 4-5 posts) topic from this Hilton Head Island vacation, i.e. a day-trip into Savannah, Georgia, which is just under an hour's drive from the island, so a must visit for its history, beauty, and cuisine.

Savannah was found in the early 18th century - the colony was established by James Oglethorpe and was the colonial capital of Georgia - an introductory history below (Source). From Hilton Head, HW 46 will go through Bluffton and eventually run into HW 17A (a branch of HW 17, known as the King's Highway in colonial times and still goes through many of these coastal towns which were founded back then) - the map below shows the route - the boundary of the states of South Carolina & Georgia are defined by the Savannah River; the highway enters Georgia over the new Talmadge Memorial Bridge (pic below of the bridge w/ a huge container ship about to go underneath the bridge); another pic shows the much lower old bridge (my introduction decades ago) - more later on the port, the waterfront, and boat rides (note the blue arrow on the map, site of Ft. Pulaski, another upcoming post).

On the second aerial pic below, a white arrow points to the Talmadge Bridge; also, Savannah's famous 'historic district', which is roughly outlined by the white lines placed on the image by me - this is the main area of interest when visiting; next is a schematic image of this district showing the waterfront and the many parks and neighborhoods; the next overhead map shows the approximate two dozen parks throughout the historic district which makes this such a beautiful place to visit - more on the parks and mansions later.

If you are a first time visitor, I would suggest going straight to the Visitor's Center (final pic below) - plenty of activities there, including a nice historic museum, gift shop, tourist information, and typical fast food - a good start is to obtain trolley tickets (several different companies) which will provide a narrated introduction to the town. Dave

P.S. if you look on the first map below, notice the closeness of the lower end of Dufuskie Island to the outlet of the Savannah River - many of the residents there actually boat into Savannah to do their shopping - much easier than to getting back onto the mainland and then driving to the city.

Savannah is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. A strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War, Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport. It is Georgia's fifth-largest city and third-largest metropolitan area.

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[scifan57]

Savannah, Georgia - Part 1

Well, took a day off and Susan responded w/ a few posts; SO, to my last (and may take me 4-5 posts) topic from this Hilton Head Island vacation, i.e. a day-trip into Savannah, Georgia, which is just under an hour's drive from the island, so a must visit for its history, beauty, and cuisine.

Savannah was found in the early 18th century - the colony was established by James Oglethorpe and was the colonial capital of Georgia - an introductory history below (Source). From Hilton Head, HW 46 will go through Bluffton and eventually run into HW 17A (a branch of HW 17, known as the King's Highway in colonial times and still goes through many of these coastal towns which were founded back then) - the map below shows the route - the boundary of the states of South Carolina & Georgia are defined by the Savannah River; the highway enters Georgia over the new Talmadge Memorial Bridge (pic below of the bridge w/ a huge container ship about to go underneath the bridge); another pic shows the much lower old bridge (my introduction decades ago) - more later on the port, the waterfront, and boat rides (note the blue arrow on the map, site of Ft. Pulaski, another upcoming post).

On the second aerial pic below, a white arrow points to the Talmadge Bridge; also, Savannah's famous 'historic district', which is roughly outlined by the white lines placed on the image by me - this is the main area of interest when visiting; next is a schematic image of this district showing the waterfront and the many parks and neighborhoods; the next overhead map shows the approximate two dozen parks throughout the historic district which makes this such a beautiful place to visit - more on the parks and mansions later.

If you are a first time visitor, I would suggest going straight to the Visitor's Center (final pic below) - plenty of activities there, including a nice historic museum, gift shop, tourist information, and typical fast food - a good start is to obtain trolley tickets (several different companies) which will provide a narrated introduction to the town. Dave

P.S. if you look on the first map below, notice the closeness of the lower end of Dufuskie Island to the outlet of the Savannah River - many of the residents there actually boat into Savannah to do their shopping - much easier than to getting back onto the mainland and then driving to the city.



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Thanks for the beginning of another interesting travel story. Here's another city you visited that's got me wishing I was there.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for the beginning of another interesting travel story. Here's another city you visited that's got me wishing I was there.

Thanks Scifan... for your comments and ever present support for my travelogues - just wish others would join in w/ a few likes, questions, or their own experiences in these areas Susan & I visit - but on to the next post about this wonderful & historic coastal city! Dave

 

[suenc]

Daufuskie Island - Part 2

As stated previously, there are a variety of choices to get to the island, all by boat (I guess one could swim from Harbour Town -), such as the ferry, private boat, or a tour - the main transportation once on land is via a golf cart (4-passenger ones the most popular) (see pics below). On the way over, bottlenose dolphins are often seen (the pic shown is from the web but we spotted 3 or 4 swimming); also, a kayak rental is yet another option and apparently dolphins will often appear near your craft.

We decided on a 'boat ride + guided tour' - we were lucky in that our guide was sort of a 'local legend', i.e. Charles Thorn (or Charlie), shown below - we landed at the County Dock (red arrow on the schematic map) - there were 4 of us w/ Charlie, so a 4-seater cart was all that was needed. The tour was mainly of the historic sites on the left side of the map - if desired, you can ferry over to Haig Point and rent a golf cart for a self-guided tour (there is a handy brochure that points out the historic sites - yellow dots on the map).

Charlie was just a joy as a guide - not only knowledgeable about the island's history and the Gullah culture, but was a great story teller & raconteur - if you plan a trip to this area and want to visit the island, then I would strongly encourage trying to go over w/ Mr. Thorn. He wrote a book, Children of Shadows, which is fictional but based on Daufuskie Island - I did an inexpensive Kindle DL to my iPad and just finished the novel - not Dickens or Mark Twain, but an enjoyable read after the tour. NOT yet done - one more post on this mystical island - Dave

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Daufuskie is a unique American experience. I was surprised at how much there was to do on Hilton Head. By the way, I am not as fat as I look in the picture--the wind was blowing my shirt.

Well, Susan & I just returned from a 5-night trip on the southern South Carolina coast on Hilton Head Island, about a 5-hour drive from home - now, I could have attached this to my 'Carolina Thread' but the island is on the Georgia border and near Savannah, another beautiful coastal historic city, so maybe this trip warrants a new thread?

We've been to Hilton Head Island (HHI) numerous times and I ran three medical meetings there back in the 1980s and early '90s, thus a popular place to visit - HHI is one of the largest barrier islands along the Atlantic coast and has nearly 40,000 residents (of course, this greatly increases w/ the inflow of tourists in the popular summer months) - the history of the island is complex, so for those interested check HERE.

The first two images below show the geographic location of the island on the southern coast of South Carolina near the Georgia border - the first a larger map has a red arrow for the turn-off from I-95 to HW 278 which transports you across the intracoastal waterway onto the island; the next map shows a larger image of the island - other arrows show upcoming posts, i.e. Bluffton (brown), Savannah (green), & Daufuskie Island (yellow) - we stayed @ the Omni Resort (blue arrow) on the ocean.

The island is divided mainly into multiple 'Plantations', each a complex of a hotel or two plus condos and other residential areas, so numerous choices (as shown on the third image - we stayed on Palmetto Dunes - I use to run my radiology meeting from the Westin Hotel on the Port Royal Plantation). Probably one of the most recognizable images of this island is the Lighthouse in Harbour Town on the Sea Pines Plantation which occupies the most southern portion of the island and has the golf course that hosts an annual PGA golf event.

The final two images show the Omni Resort where we stayed for 5 nights w/ a wonderful oceanfront suite on the 4th floor - the SC beaches are some of the most beautiful in the USA, smooth sand and extensive - Susan loves dipping her feet into the ocean (she grew up in New Jersey and the shore was second nature to her).

Upcoming posts will be numerous and include some of those colored arrows on the first map and possibly some other areas that we've visited over the years but not on this trip - again, my main purpose for these travelogues is to help those who may be wanting to come to this wonderful part of the USA, although I hope others will enjoy the commentary - may take me a week or more to complete this thread but have patience, if you're interested - Dave

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[giradman]

Savannah, Georgia - Part 2 - Gardens & Parks

One of the great pleasures of visiting Savannah is that the historical district is amenable to walking although the trolleys visit constantly and carriage rides are available, as shown below (and really a MUST do!) - smaller vans can be hired and the carriages come in different sizes and at varied prices.

The squares & parks of historic Savannah have been well preserved (and were saved destruction when Sherman entered the city near the end of the Civil War - a separate post) - see quote below from HERE - nearly two dozen of these squares still exist and are mostly dedicated to various individuals from the past. Below are pics of 6 of these beautiful places to stroll, Pulaski Square, Forsyth Park, Liberty Square, Orleans Square, Washington Square, & Oglethorpe Square (the latter two in honor of the first USA President and the founder of Georgia) - please click on the link for short descriptions of these and the other ones. Dave

Voted one of the 10 Most Beautiful Places in America by USA Weekend Magazine, the squares and parks of Savannah are the community's most beloved icons. Originally designed with 24 squares, 22 remain today to be enjoyed by the millions who grace their grassy utopias every year.

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[suenc]

Bluffton, South Carolina - Coastal Town on May River

Bluffton, South Carolina is on the way to Savannah, Georgia and is an easy stop - an edited introductory history is quoted below (Source). The map and aerial view below shows the relationship of the town to the May River - HW 46 continues through the area on its way to HW 17A south which will enter Georgia - just under an hour by car to travel from Hilton Head to Savannah.

The Heyward House on Boundary Street (4th pic below) is the historical welcome center and can be toured. Just several blocks away is the May River w/ beautiful views of the waterway, marshes, and other flora & fauna. Along Calhoun Street are multiple art galleries which we spent most of a Sunday afternoon perusing - and were amazed at the talent in the area; a number of the galleries were cooperatives representing numerous artists working in all sorts of artistic genres - Susan bought a beautiful fresh water pearl necklace and I purchased the segmented wood vase shown below from the Maye River Gallery (check the pictures thread for a more thorough description).

Oyster harvesting was a thriving industry in the early 20th century and the historic Bluffton Oyster Company remains the last hand-shucking house in the state of South Carolina. The family runs a restaurant in another section of the town where we ate our last night's dinner (described a few posts above) - we shared a dozen of absolutely delicious May River oysters w/ a kicking horseradish/cocktail sauce - this place will be a return visit in a future trip to Hilton Head. Dave


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Fresh oysters out of the river! Dave wanted 6 more for dessert, but I was full and nixed it. Now I'm sorry. :-(

 

[scifan57]

Wonderful pictures, Dave! I'll bet houses fronting on these squares don't come cheap. If I ever get to visit I'd like to take both carriage and trolley rides.

The bags at the back of the horses are everywhere it seems, no one likes shoveling up after horses anymore.

 

[giradman]

Wonderful pictures, Dave! I'll bet houses fronting on these squares don't come cheap. If I ever get to visit I'd like to take both carriage and trolley rides.

The bags at the back of the horses are everywhere it seems, no one likes shoveling up after horses anymore.

Hi again - the first 2 or 3 pics of the squares are mine, the remainder from the web - believe over the decades, we've been to virtually all of the squares and many multiple times - and I would recommend for 'first timers' a trolley ride, then a stroll, and finally pick up a carriage (of the size desired).

Concerning the horses, the poop bags are pretty universal - Charleston, SC is also a gorgeous historic southern port city to visit w/ so many carriage rides that each driver is given one of a number of routes to keep the equine congestion under control -

Next two posts will be about the houses and mansions around the squares - Dave

 

[Czevski]

Savannah is one of my favorite places to visit. The area near the waterfront with all the squares is always interesting to walk. And I always get fried green tomatoes! But don't forget to go to Tybee Island.