Living in the Land of Cotton

We have two sets of friends/colleagues who live in golf course communities. Last week we visited the second set in Dataw Island, South Carolina. This is a beautiful community with history, heritage, and also a lot of natural beauty. Of course (heh heh), golf is the focus. There are two courses present; good ones, I am told (I am not a golfer). Our hosts, D & N, are on the courses 3-4 days a week.

The site is an old cotton and rice plantation near Beaufort, South Carolina (right next to Parris Island and the Marine Air Station). That is Beaufort (bewfoot), not pronounced the same as Beaufort (bowfort), North Carolina.

This is the site of the old plantation house, built using "tabby" construction. As near as I can tell, this material resembles the coquina that St. Augustin, Florida abounds in, except that tabby is man-made. It is the result of calcined lime from shells, combined with sand, ash, water, and oyster shells. It is put into forms and allowed to harden. The walls end up very thick and fairly impervious to hurricanes.

Tabby construction is not used very much these days.

One of the nice things about this community is the way in which they have preserved this heritage and the natural feel of the grounds. The low country lushness abounds all around and among the community's grounds and clubhouse.

The live oaks especially, with their Spanish moss adornment, are just beautiful.

But the rest of the sights and sounds are spectacular, too. This is South Carolina Low Country at its best. Everywhere you go on the island you see the marsh and water. You hear birds singing and see wildlife everywhere, too.

The houses are in the low country style. They are gracious, dormered, and natural looking. Most blend into the landscape perfectly.

Early morning here is a real treat. We took a 3-4 mile walk around the whole island, taking in the scenery.

The real story, though, is about our hosts. They were the most gracious people we have visited in quite a while. We stayed a little over a day, but felt as if we had been in a whirlwind. We talked, we listened, we ate, we drank, we visited, we toured, and we laughed. There was lots of catching up, a ton of jokes and stories, and a real connection. D & N are just plain fun.

We took one entire day to visit all around the area, starting with breakfast at a local favorite. Then we were off into the neighborhoods outside the development. This was an example of a Savannah-style home, with its side porches (for the breezes) and a front door that opens into the porch (rather than the house). These were beautiful and interesting. Loved the porches.

Then we started off near the Beaufort waterfront, beautifully developed.

Starting at a little riverside park, we visited The Point, a central part of Beaufort history. This town, unlike Savannah, was spared by the Union forces during the War Between the States. The town and its huge houses on The Point and elsewhere served as bivouacs, officer's quarters, and hospitals during the war. The churches were taken over and re-purposed, some as stables.

I could not keep up with the details of the tour, but I was fascinated by the beauty of the homes, the huge and varied live oaks, and the tales.

There was intrigue, honor, lost fortunes, tax sales, benevolent strangers, kindness between blacks and whites, and much more.

They take their history seriously here. They dress for the old times. They tell stories. They record tours. They take tourists around by horse trams. I found it quite compelling.

I enjoy architecture a great deal. I found these homes really beautiful, from the columns and entrances to the porch roofs painted in blue (slaves believed this discouraged ghosts).

The local area and many of the homes have played a large part in movies. The list is long, this is only part:

• The Big Chill
• Forces of Nature
• Forrest Gump
• The Fugitive
• The Great Santini
• Last Dance
• Prince of Tides
• White Squall

and more. The story is told that Barbra Streisand, living in a local B&B, called up the Marine Air Station commander to ask that the jets not begin taking off at 6AM (because she needed her sleep). The commander acquiesced, and the jets began taking off at 5AM.

We visited St. Helena's Church, an Episcopal Church established in 1712 by the Act of Assembly. It was one of the most bright and airy churches I had ever visited.

In its graveyard lie two British troops buried honorably after battle, by the American forces.

Then we were off to Hunting Island State Park, to see the site of turtle egg collection, and to visit the lighthouse. This was a really spectacular park on the Atlantic. It was beautifully kept, and had tons of things to see and do.

The lighthouse was made of iron rings, bolted to its pad for security. Like the Assateague lighthouse it had been dismantled and moved as the beaches eroded.

On the way back we stopped off to see these beautiful baskets, product of the Gullah/Geechee culture. The Gullah are African-Americans with a special Creole language. They live in the low country of South Carolina and Georgia. It surprised me to find out via Google that the Gullah creole has features common to Jamaica's patois and Barbadian creole.

The baskets are really works of art, and are priced as such. The one in hand at the left ran $525. The least expensive tiny basket was $80. They were just too expensive for a casual purchase, but it hurt to walk away, they were so beautiful.

Each is the product of hours and hours of work, though.

Among other things, the Gullah are truck farmers. We stopped off at the strawberry fields to pick up something to put on the shortcake I promised to make after dinner.

After dinner we had one last turn through the grounds, catching the egrets bedding down for the evening. Apparently the noise and smell are a detraction to nearby homeowners, despite the beauty.

This visit was very special. We got to know D & N better, and truly enjoyed their hospitality. They will come visit when we get to Austin and get settled.

Thanks, so much for a wonderful time!