Beaufort, South Carolina

We were fortunate enough to spend the night in this beautiful Southern town...

Most of our daylight hours were spent on Saint Helena Island, right next door, but we saved just enough time to take a stroll around some of the older areas in Beaufort...

We parked our car along the waterfront, beneath the low hanging live oaks.  On one side was the marsh grass and salty water, the opposite side was lined with some of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen...

One home in particular, the Thomas Fuller House aka "Tabby Manse", caught our attention.  It was built in the 1700's using a material called tabby...a mixture of oyster shells and crushed lime rock.  The walls are said to be two feet thick!  Pretty cool...

We noticed another home with the porch ceilings painted in the prettiest shade of sky blue.  Supposedly, if you paint your porch ceilings the color of the sky it will trick all the nesting bugs (think dirt dobbers and wasps) into thinking that it IS the sky and they won't try to build their nests there.  If you have ever had to clean up dirt dobber messes, then you know that it is worth it to give this paint thing a try.  Besides, it looks really pretty :)...

After our slow stroll to the waterfront park and then back, all the while admiring the architecture along the way, we hopped in the car ready to head on down the road.  Just as we were leaving, a church down a side street caught our attention.  So of course we stopped and got out to take a closer look :)...

This church, St. Helena's Episcopal Church, is so very old.  It dates back to the early 1700's and as the pictures above tell, it provided aid to passerby in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  Wow...  If the walls could talk...

We walked around the church yard, which is also a cemetery...

Just as we were getting back into our car to leave, a woman approached us.  I didn't see her walk up, she was just suddenly there.  She told us that she needed help, a few dollars to put some gas into her car because she was stranded.  I had just been to the ATM, so I actually had some money to give her (rare, I usually don't carry much cash).  I gave her the money and for some reason I also reached out and gave her a hug.  I wished her well and turned around to my car for just a sec, when I turned back around she was gone.  Poof.  Just like she came.  Ya'll, I just don't know...I hugged her and she felt real, but it was a strange experience...

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...