Picks and Pans – in and around Beaufort, SC

Our AAA camp book led us to this incredible state park, situated on one of South Carolina’s many sea islands. The campground has beach front marsh forest and all the amenities you might need and, as a result, it’s 200 sites were full to capacity on this Easter vacation week. Full, that is, except for the one site that we got due to a last minute cancellation. After parking the van at our site, we hurried to get our bikes out and rode out to see the sunset over the marsh and then the moonrise over the beach near the island’s lighthouse. The night’s perfection was temporarily marred by the fact that on our ride back to camp we witnessed a deer-car collision, in which the minivan made it out with only a dent and the deer eventually ran off to an uncertain future in the woods.

This gallery displayed all kinds of local art and the owner, Reggie, gave us some inside information on Beaufort. It seems like this conservative, bucolic sea island town thrives on the tourists who come to town for the beach and a look around the historic old plantation houses. Apparently, the plantation owners lived mainly in town to escape the heat and insects of the lowland islands, where their crops and slaves were located.

Located in the old “Yankee” hospital right near the water in Beaufort, we really enjoyed talking with the association’s artists/volunteers about Beaufort, its history and its art.

It was here at the Common Ground coffee shop that my Pollyanna view of southern hospitality met its demise. After buying our coffee, setting up our computers on the bayview porch and relaxing for an hour or two, we were accosted by one of the coffee shop proprieters. She said we couldn’t just “set up shop on the porch” and it was for customers only. After we politely informed her that we had indeed purchased coffee and would be happy to move if another customer (none of which were present at the time) needed the table, she huffed back inside. Sean later aptly remarked that Common Ground would be more accurately named “Private Property, get the hell out!”.  Although I loved their porch, I wouldn’t recommend coming here unless you want to feel hurried, unwelcome and uncomfortable.