Author: Easin' Along

After leaving the beautiful surroundings of Huntington Beach State Park in Murrell’s Inlet, SC we went Easin’ Along to the south to our next destination, the Marine Training Center at Parris Island, SC. We were looking forward to exploring the installation as well as nearby Beaufort, SC.

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and although we made it shortly before the check-in time of 2:00 pm, the office closed at noon. We were assigned to campsite nine when we made reservations several months earlier and found it with no problem. To our delight, the campsite was adjacent to the shower and bathroom facility and we had it pretty much to ourselves. The other eight RV’s in the camp were either unoccupied or so large that the occupants showered in their RV.  Bertha’s shower is a little tight for someone 6’4” and I use campsite showers whenever possible.

After a run to the commissary and Exchange for a few essentials, we set out to explore the Marine Base a bit. My first impression of Parris Island is that for a military installation, it certainly is a scenic one. There are vast stretches of the marsh with birds soaring overhead, much like Huntington Beach.  It was near the end of the day and the setting sun over the marsh offered a lovely view. Back at campsite nine, I prepared a simple dinner of hot dogs and grilled onions and Helen (adorable wife) set up her puzzle table and went to work.  I settled into Bertha and watched my Tennessee Volunteers squeak out an overtime win over Georgia Tech.

On Sunday morning we decided to do some exploring away from the Marine base.  Helen had written postcards to the grandchildren so our first mission was to locate a post office as we drove off the base.  We didn’t find the post office but we did encounter hundreds of Marines assembling for a day of training. I grabbed my camera and jumped out into the street to take pictures of these dedicated young people. My eyes were drawn to a platoon of female trainees marching to class.  They were erect, in step, with eyes forward, and filled with purpose.  No could watch them without feeling a sense of pride and deep gratitude for their service.

Helen had done her usual research and determined that our destination for the day would be Hunting Island State Park Beach, about 45 minutes away.  Our route would also take us through the town of Beaufort where we planned to catch a meal on our return to Parris Island. I was ready for some shrimp and grits.

The campground at Hunting Island was located right on the beach.  Since this was Labor Day weekend, the campground was full, but we made a mental note that this would be a good place to camp on a future visit. An overnight storm was creating some water problems in the area so we quickly passed through the campground office for some brochures and drove on toward the beach.

Hunting Island Beach was as busy as the campground, and we were fortunate to find a place to park. After purchasing a pass we took the camera and made the short walk through the woods to the beach.  The day was a bit muggy and buggy, but the scenic walk made everything bearable. Huge live oak trees covered with resurrection ferns filled the forest as did low-lying palm fronds.  I’m glad I had a camera.

When we reached the beach I was struck by the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew the year before.  There were uprooted trees scattered all over the sand as if they had been plucked up and discarded by a giant hand. Even more interesting was how beach visitors were using the trees. One family found the root ball useful for a canopy, while another visitor used a tree as a balance beam. Helen and I walked the beach for a while looking for shells, but soon succumbed to the heat and the bugs and decided that it might be best if we found a cool place for lunch.  The road back led us to the Foolish Frog in Beaufort.

This charming restaurant was recommended by our friend Mary, a Beaufort native, as her favorite place. The parking lot was full (always a good sign) so I found a place across the street and we settled in.  The host led us to our seats beside the Bloody Mary buffet and pointed out that the days special was Oysters, Crawfish, Shrimp, and grits. It didn’t take long for me to decide.  Helen had a meal of Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. Both selections were delicious.  The grits concoction was full of flavor and the crawfish were cooked to perfection. This was a lot of food, but I had little trouble finishing it off.

On Monday we were off to meet our friend Mary for a day of learning the history of Beaufort.  Mary’s knowledge of the history of Beaufort is unequaled and made for a fascinating tour of South Carolina’s second oldest city, founded in 1711. We met her at her charming home on the marsh to begin our tour.

Beaufort has done much to preserve its history and historical structures and we began our tour along some of the older streets and homes as Mary gave us a detailed of many of them including the home of Robert Smalls, civil war hero and first black congressman from South Carolina. Our tour took us by a home named the Castle, a large beautiful antebellum that was used as a hospital during the civil war.  Helen and I stayed in this home with a group of friends about five years ago.  At that time it was owned by the brother of someone in our group.  Supposedly the house is haunted by ghosts of the hospital’s deceased, but we never met any of them.

We passed the home where Pat Conroy wrote some of his novels as well as the locations where movies such as The Big Chill, Forest Gump, The Prince of Tides, and The Great Santini were filmed. The old homes are stunningly well preserved and the Spanish Moss that surrounds them adds a touch of the low country to each.  We ended our day confident that we were now better educated than before we arrived. Our day also ended with another visit to the Foolish Frog followed by a trip to Beaufort’s famous Chocolate Tree for some awesome dark chocolate.

 

 

We gave Mary a big hug for being so incredibly generous with her time and her incredible history tour then waved goodbye. Unfortunately, our time in Beaufort and Parris Island was nearing an end. The next day we would drive south toward Savannah and Tybee Island, GA. Once again, we’re Easin’ Along.

Note: Our trip along the Coast was interrupted by Hurricane Irma during our stay at Tybee Island, GA.  We were able to make it home with no difficulty, but Irma dictated a break for Easin’ Along while we made the return trip. Thanks to our readers for coming back. We join our trip in progress.

The Kure Beach area gave us a wonderful beach vacation. While there we enjoyed fantastic meals at Jack’s Mackerel Grill and Freddie’s Italian Restaurant and both were as good as we remembered from our visit two years ago. Those dining experiences will be covered in a food post at a later date. The Kure Beach pier, built in 1923 and the oldest fishing pier on the Atlantic coast, is a great place to walk off those evening meals and we loved chatting with the tourists attempting to catch fish. The view of the picturesque beach at dusk can be stunning.

Speaking of fish…Helen (adorable wife) wanted to pick up some fish to grill on our last night at Kure Beach. While we waited for our table at Jack’s Mackerel, she asked the friendly bartender to suggest a seafood market in the area. Our bartender said she always went to Blackburn Brothers just down the street. It was a good suggestion. We went the next day and were told by everyone in the market to try the Hog Snapper, something we had never heard of.  Helen was intrigued so we bought a piece, hand-cut by the lady behind the counter.  I chose a fresh piece of grouper.

Back at the campsite, we fired up our Coleman Road Trip Grill and cooked the fish, brushed with a little olive oil and sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning.  The grouper was delicious, and to this day, Helen swears that the Hog Snapper was the best fish she has ever eaten…ever. For the rest of the trip, she asked at every fish market we entered if they had Hog Snapper, but it was not to be found.  Thanks, Blackburn Brothers. We enjoyed a great meal and one not to be forgotten.

We are certain to return here but, after five very pleasant nights at Fort Fisher AFB Recreation Area, it was time to tow Bertha to the south and make our way to Huntington Beach State Park in Murrell’s Inlet, SC, a three hours drive.

After check-in, we backed Bertha into a secluded campsite in the woods. As is her usual custom, Helen was getting antsy to see the ocean so, after setting up; we took the five-minute walk to the beach. What a treat…the beach is wide and there were only a few people about. We looked forward to our morning shell search and coffee walk.

Back at the campsite, we could barely make out a small parking lot through the woods to our rear so we decided to take a narrow path and see what was attracting people to this spot. What we saw were birds…lots of beautiful birds soaring over a very scenic marsh. Extending out into the marsh was a long walking pier. Although it was late and we were ready for dinner, we walked out for a better look.

Over the next few days, we probably spent as much time in the marsh as we did on the beach. The assortment of cranes, ibis, wood storks and the very rare Roseate spoonbills flying overhead made for must-see entertainment and I took lots of pictures.  These birds obviously didn’t mind being photographed and remained committed to feeding in the marsh while we snapped away.

I’m certain that I’ve never seen a spoonbill prior to this trip and, with their unusual bills, they are both peculiar and impressive. According to the Park Ranger, their natural habitat is in the Florida Keys, but a few had made it to South Carolina in 2009 to take up residence here. We saw three on our first walk and again on every day after that. One morning we spotted two of them among a group of wood storks and began taking pictures when an alligator shoved his nose above the surface in the middle of the gathering. He swam up to the spoonbill before taking a leap at him.  I missed the picture, but the alligator missed his target also and swam away to begin his morning nap. The spoonbill was remained unruffled by it all and continued to swirl his wide bill in the shallow water.

Our morning beach walks were also a treat. We caught the rising sun every day and had the beach almost to ourselves.  There was not an abundance of shells, but we found some tiny shark’s teeth to add to our collection. Adjacent to the dunes, a turtle nest was fenced off and awaiting a big coming out party.

I have been coming to Murrell’s Inlet and Pawley’s Island for over forty years and Helen for much longer than that. We love the area and much prefer the laid-back lifestyle offered here over the heavy commercialism of large beach cities. Also, I have a love of fresh seafood, and I love it best when it’s fried. Murrell’s Inlet is home to one of the best seafood restaurants on the Carolina coast—Lee’s Inlet Kitchen.  I couldn’t stay away so we checked in there during the second evening of our stay for fried flounder and fried oysters and some of the best hushpuppies in the world. It was divine dining.

On our last evening in the Huntington Beach area, we met Cheryl and Bill, good friends from Knoxville at Bovine’s Grill in Murrell’s Inlet for dinner and drinks.  We were seated on the deck with an awesome view of the marsh and enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing evening with great food and great laughs. This trip was getting better by the day.

The next morning we packed up Bertha for the drive down the coast to Parris Island Marine Training Center near the town of Beaufort, SC. Before we departed, we took the time to have our picture made in the large rocking chairs at the Park Visitor Center. Helen cornered a Park Ranger to show him a picture of the snake she nearly stepped on that morning to see if he could identify it. He identified the striped reptile as a harmless Ribbon Snake, native to the marsh of South Carolina.

We’ll long remember our time and the birds of Huntington Beach State Park.  For now, it’s time to fly south. This is retirement living at its best and we’re glad you’re Easin’ Along.

We have had a wonderful journey on the trip we titled “Bertha and the Beach”.  As of this post, we have made our way to Tybee Island, GA where the beach is beautiful, and nearby Savannah is charming and a delight to explore.

Unfortunately, we are being forced to evacuate due to an impending hit from Hurricane Irma.  In addition, our internet connection has been weak in our location and I have had to reposition in order to post this update.  If all goes well we will be back at home sweet home soon and will share all of the fun we have had in North and South Carolina and along the Georgia coast.

We love our readers and want to stay in touch, so please come back.  In the meantime, we are Easin’ Along for now with Irma in the rear view mirror. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those in the path of this storm.