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...