Americas Best Inns-Beaufort

After spending most of the day in Charleston we arrived in Hilton Head after dark. I could make out the silhuettes of hundreds of palms, reminding us of CA. The 7x12 mile Island, or more acurately the peninsula has a number of gated/guarded "Plantations" or subdivisions. Timeshare developments are popular as wel found out during one of their ...

... the buildings a research station. Around the same time the British also oved in and built a seperate research station that was in use from 1947 to 1969. As part of this station they also built an aircraft hanger in 1961. It all came to an end in 1969 after a large mudslide, again caused by volcanic activity, took out several buildings and the cemetary. Today the buiding have been cleaned up but are being left to rot away. After this trip it was back to the ship for the night.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today we drove from Myrtle Beach to Ridgeland, out last stop in the Carolina's. We stopped off today at the USS Yorktown at a place called Patriots Point. A chance to have a good ...

First stop, A quick shot down the coast, through the true rural south passing rundown homes and a seemingly equal amount of rundown churches, to Edisto Beach to stay with Jazzman, one of my dear, good friends. He manages and tends bar at Grover's (the best restaraunt and bar on the beach) located on the Plantation Golf Course (one of my favorite that I've played in S.C.). Jazzman's popularity in this town pretty much allows him to do anything he wants. So he ...

... takes the hospitality level ov** the top by providing a light meal that includes fresh Daufuskie, Gullah prepped "debbil crab"(deviled crab), bread pudding and a bev**age. This tour should also be consid**ed a "Mature Audiences" exp**ience with parental discretion advised. Which isn't to say its not for kids, but just like its for the "right" adults, it should be consid**ed for the "right" children. The tour departs from Hilton Head, SC at the Daufuskie Island Embarkation Point at ...

WE LEFT SAVANNAH AND HEADED 64 MILES NORTH TO BEAUFORT,S.C.AS WE HEADED TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER WE HEARD SEVERAL CARGO SHIPS AND BARGES ALERTING NORTH AND SOUTH BOUND TRAFFIC OF THEIR APPROACH.WE ENTERED FIELDS CUT AT SOME WHAT LOW TIDE AND WAS CRUISING AT 8-10 KNOTS THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THUD,BUMP AND THE WHOLE BOAT LIFTED UP OUT OF THE WATER OVER SOMETHING WE BACKED DOWN AND ACCESSED THE SITUATION ALL SEEMED TO BE OKAY BUT WE DEFINITELY HIT SOMETHING.WHEN WE REACHED THE DOWNTOWN ...

... to be under the live oaks and palms compared to the floor under tall pines. These woods are both jungle and pine forest complete with Tarzan vines growing upwards of 60 feet into the strong branches of live oaks!! Very impressive!! We still had energy so off we went on the recommendation of the Ranger to see the "cabins". They were another mile or so down the road snuggled up to the marshes after the Ranger's house. Apparently they were built in the 30's by ...

We awoke to another cloudy and foggy morning - maybe that justifies the hot breakfast we ate? I enjoyed apple and pecan pancakes and Richard had omelette with every ingredient you can think of added to the eggs. We stopped at a local market, Polks, before heading across the Hwy 17 suspension bridge to South Carolina. The port that Savannah is became very evident from the bridge - fourth largest container port in the US. It wasn't far to Hilton Head Island ...

... not be neaped. Made through the Ashepoo Coosaw cutoff which had a dredge working on the Coosaw River end. It was quite obvious what the drill was but there was all sorts of VHF jibber jabber from the boats behind asking the operator how to pass his yellow buoy. We passed without incident and then put the headsail up, shut down Doris (our Yanmar diesel engine) and sailed almost close hauled in 20 knots on the wide open part of the Coosaw as fast as the two boats behind us ...

... the time and we shared a brief conversation. The owners son (Joe Geary) came out to get my autograph (ha ha ha). I didn't give it to him.) ADDED NOTE: Bootcamp at Parris Island was special. It was tuff and sucked at the time - but it was and still to this day, is a sacrid place. I could write an entire book on my experience there and the many stories. I think no where else on Earth, is a person transformed in such a short timeframe. Physically and mentally.