Searching for the Gullah Geechee on Saint Helena Island, SC...

I have long been intrigued by these people, the Gullah Geechee... 

When I first heard of them years ago, I was simply captivated by their story.  They learned to not only survive in situations that would be the end of many folks, but also to thrive.  Strong in heart, in spirit, and in heritage.  They combined parts of the culture they were forced to leave behind with the culture of the place they came to call home, and the result...the Gullah Geechee language and culture was born.  (You can read more about them here and here.  Check out this and this for some examples of their fascinating language).

Ok, so the kids and I, hoping to learn more about these folks and their history, took a drive out to Saint Helena Island.  I don't know exactly what we expected to find or if we really expected to find any "thing". 

There were whispers from the past in the form of churches and ruins.  The Chapel of Ease, built in the 1700's to serve the plantation families on the island...

We visited a couple of the Gullah praise houses...a striking contrast to the tabby and brick churches that were built for the plantation owners...

The Penn Center was closed and the Brick Baptist Church was holding services, so we only stopped for a moment before continuing on our way...

We saw many older buildings trimmed in some shade of purple or blue paint.  This color of paint was used on window and door trim (and even porches) to "keep the haints away"...

There was an old fort, Fort Fremont, that we found buried way back in the woods...

Oak lined alleys leading to grand old homes...

When it was time for lunch, we drove over to the tiny little community of Frogmore.  There is a place there called the Lowcountry Store and inside you will find the Blue Dog Cafe.  Blue was pretending to sleep until our food was served, then he quietly made his way over to our tables to keep us company (and watch for fallen bites and nibbles ;).) 

The kids loved having lunch there, not only was the food delicious (try the tomato pie!), but there was a chess board set up to play while waiting for your food (one of their favorite games), and of course Blue dog to keep us company :).

We enjoyed our time on this South Carolina Sea Island and the tiny glimpses we were given into it's past and the lives of those who have called it home...

South Carolina, I think I like you...

We got to experience all this goodness in just one little day :). 

And don't worry ;), I'll be back soon to tell ya'll all about the places we went, etc...

A Fortress and a Light

Before leaving the area, we took a drive out towards the coast.  Our first stop was on Cockspur Island at Fort Pulaski National Monument...

This fort was really cool.  It had a moat filled with water going around it and little wooden bridges that you had to cross to get inside...

Once inside, we got situated to watch the cannon demonstrations.  The guys shooting the guns were great with kids, they invited them out onto the grass to get an up close look and ask any questions they might have (they always have questions ;) ).

I don't know where they all came from, but a large crowd gathered as the demonstrations began.  It was really interesting (and REALLY LOUD :)!)...

When the smoke had cleared, we wandered off to see the rest of the fort...

The second level was a little different than what I've seen before.  There were NO sides towards the interior!  Gah!  It made me a lil bit nervous to be up there with energetic boys that were all amped up from the gun show...

I tried my best to keep their attention focused towards the outside of the fort, aka the part with sides on it ;)...

damage from Union fire during the Civil War...Fort Pulaski was under Confederate control

Back down and ever so glad :)!...

Just as we were coming out of a room in one corner, the kids noticed something different about the bricks on the wall.  Signatures were carved into the brick, dating back to 1861.  Wow...

We finished up our tour with a stop in the main gift shop and then it was time for the kids to turn their Jr. Ranger books in for review.  Badges in hand, we headed off to our second destination...Tybee Island.

Tybee Island was slam packed with people.  Not my idea of a good time at the beach.  So, we checked out the lighthouse and then got back on the road towards...South Carolina :)!