Beaufort, South Carolina

New Bern, Murrells Inlet, Charleston, Greenville (SC), and the Blue Ridge Parkway are a few of our favorite Carolina destinations. We visit when we can, to explore and to soak up the beauty that makes each of those places unique. But when I need a hideaway, a place to decompress after a conference or a long stretch without a vacation, we head off the beaten track to the unassuming coastal town of Beaufort, South Carolina.

Resting on a curve of a river by the same name, Beaufort (pronounced "Bu-ford" in SC, according to the nice police officer who didn't arrest me for playfully slapping my husband after he said "I told you so") is somewhat centered in a cluster of sea islands situated between Charleston and Savannah. Within that cluster, Parris Island sits to the southwest, and Hunting Island, the southeast. While not technically within the ACE Basin's boundaries, Beaufort was a must stop on our ACE tour.

Why?

With fat palm trees, tendrils of moss hanging from old oaks, tidal creeks visible from various streets, hotels and restaurants, shops, a charming downtown lined with attractive stores and homes, carriage rides, and boats lounging in the harbor near the waterfront park off Bay Street, Beaufort is an exotic getaway with the creature comforts of home. And my word, you should see the place in spring. Pink, red and white azaleas compete with an abundance of tulip magnolias that bloom throughout the city. It's breathtaking.

It isn't bad during the rest of the year, either:

Though we've visited Beaufort several times, we've yet to explore the winding backwaters of the Lowcountry. When I tweeted our intentions to visit the city, a fellow Twitterer recommended kayaking. Lack of time and the heavy rain that fell shortly after our arrival dashed that hope. Next time.

Conveniently located near the ACE Basin, Hunting Island, and Parris Island, Beaufort is less than an hour from Hilton Head, and about one hour from Savannah, GA. For more information on Beaufort, including a bit about their history, go to www.beaufortsc.org/ and www.beaufort-sc.com/history/

Hunting Island State Park

The ACE, pronounced A-C-E, is the land within the horseshoe formed by the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto rivers. Carolina Bays pock the northern section of the region1, but along the coast, waterways twist and wind, branching and spreading into the land like tree roots. It is, as the Marine Resources Research Institute calls it, a land of "sea islands, marsh islands, and barrier islands that are interlaced by estuaries, extensive salt marshes, intertidal areas, and oyster reefs."1 The result? Islands spaced beside one another like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle in progress. In an odd coincident, in places, the topography somewhat resembles this canopy of pine that we spotted along the trail:

Within this "Sea Island Complex"1 is Hunting Island. Once a hunting ground for private citizens3, this lush barrier island is now a state park, and it was the first stop on our ACE tour.

Having visited Hunting Island SP in 2005 or 2006, going in we knew to expect a Visitor's Center with a pond and real-live Lowcountry alligator, a marshwalk, and a beautiful lighthouse. We found all but the alligator, but spent little time at most of these attractions. Our goal for this trip was to learn more about the park, and to do so by hiking.

Hunting Island SP has several hiking trails. Two main trails form a long oval, with smaller trails connecting the two at various intervals. From the Visitor's Center, we started on the Maritime Forest Trail, a mixed forest of palmettos and pines, moss-covered oaks twisted with time, with a forest floor covered with what looked like fan palms.

About a quarter mile into the hike, we cut to our left, to the Lagoon Trail. This path runs parallel to a man-made lagoon, where we spotted a pelican flying overhead. A scenic stop on this very scenic route.

We continued on toward the cabins. While at the Visitor's Center, I learned the park no longer accepts reservations for the cabins, as the erosion so prevalent in the coast is quickly claiming the area around the structures. In Coastal South Carolina, Terrance Zepke indicates Hunting Island is eroding both at the northern tip of the island, and at the central beach. Before reaching the path that would take us to the cabins, we cut to the right, crossed the road, and took a tour of the Marshwalk.

Once past the gazebo, we continued on to the tidal creek, where we watched egrets soar over the marsh.

We doubled back and took the Maritime Forest Trail, searching for wildlife as we hiked back to our car. SC's state park site states Hunting Island has "an array of wildlife, ranging from loggerhead sea turtles to painted buntings, barracudas to sea horses, alligators, pelicans, dolphins and deer, raccoons, Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and even the rare coral snake (I did not know that). We saw an abundance of squirrels, a pelican, and a lone woodpecker. But the forest was a sight to see, and we enjoyed our time on the trail.

But our time at Hunting Island wasn't over. We couldn't leave without seeing the lighthouse.

According to Zepke's Lighthouses of the Carolinas, this structure was built in 1875, and was moved once to avoid erosion. Today, visitors not terrified of heights can walk to the top of the lighthouse for a small fee.

In addition to hiking, boating, bike riding, camping, picnicking, kayaking, or spending time on the beach are other activities one can enjoy at Hunting Island State Park. For more information, including entrance and camping fees, go to www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1019.aspx

Hunting Island State Park (SC)

1. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/acechar/esenviro.htm
2. http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/htdocs-sirsi/sea.htm
3. Coastal South Carolina: Welcome to the Lowcountry, Zepke Terrance (Pineapple Press, 2006) p 217

South Carolina's ACE

There is a place of intrinsic beauty, where a lattice of watery tendrils bind the land. There, time idles while a heron takes flight and soars above the marshes, and the sea gathers the rivers like a mother, her young. There, the song of the Gullah is heard in the breeze that caresses the tattered moss hanging from gnarled trees.

It is a haven for majestic creatures in need of refuge. For those who long to feel the Lowcountry in their blood. It is South Carolina's exotic ACE Basin, and I have the privilege of spending three days here to explore, relax, and breathe the qualities that make this region so unique. During our visit, I hope to see lush Hunting Island State Park and the banded lighthouse that keeps watch over SC's southern shores; Beaufort, my favorite waterfront hideaway; Edisto Beach State Park, and the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge.

It's far too to much to see in three days, but when I'm in this special place, I want to absorb what I can and take those memories home. This is the heart of the Lowcountry, an estuary of critical importance. This is what I love about South Carolina, and I'm pleased to take you along.