In the 3 1/2 half weeks since we left Norfolk we've traveled 536 miles and are closing in on Jacksonville, FL. This is where we'll leave the boat for a month while we travel to Cleveland and California for the holidays - looking forward to it!
Our visit to Linda and Jim's was really great. Their home has been in the family for four generations and I can understand why. The live oaks grow along the sides of the driveway and house - along with various types of palms. Steve is standing in front of the largest (and presumably) oldest of the live oaks.
Linda and Jim's grandson and his family are currently staying with them. This is Nathanial on Steve's lap on the swing in the yard. More pictures of the house and yard - really an amazing place. Linda and Jim host weddings on the property (during the spring and fall mostly) - what a gorgeous setting it is for a wedding!
This is Linda, Jim, Dottie and Steve as we prepared to tour the island. Dottie grew up with Jim on Edisto Island and is very knowledgeable about the history of the people and land (as is Jim!). The Edisto Indians who lived here in the 1600's eventually all died out but their legacy remains in the names of the rivers around this region.The 67 square mile island originally 13 or 14 plantations (I don't remember which) with the main products being rice and indigo. Some cotton was also grown here. We were able to drive by several of the original plantation homes - many looking the same as they did in the early 1800's. The plantation homes basically were 4 rooms - a hallway down the center and one room on each side of the hallway (both first and second floors). This allowed the breezes from the marshes to cool the house. This is an example of the "1 room deep" homes. Many cypress trees also (the orange ones) as well as pecan trees.
The most interesting stop was the Edisto Presbyterian Church (Jim and Linda are members). It was founded during 1685 and 1695 and has been restored to it's original form. You can see the box pews (which some churches had to rent in order to pay bills) and the slave gallery up on the second floor along the sides. The cemetery there was also very interesting with graves dating from 1787. I think the parish is still mad at the Yankees for stealing their pipe organ during the Civil War - it ended up that the ship it was on sunk by the Confederates and the pipe organ still lies at the bottom of ?? The Union forces occupied all of the island during the war and didn't treat the homes very well. Few if any were burned though unlike other cities in the South.
After a great breakfast of oysters and grits (with brown gravy of course - and sweet rolls :-)) we headed out about 10:15. On the way, we passed the first of the plantations homes built on Edisto Island. It faces the water because there were no roads to the island and everyone came by boat - hence the front door faced the water. We used the GPS to backtrack (the pink/black line in front of the little boat was our path IN) down the unmarked river and reached the South Edisto River with no problems or groundings!! It was a very windy day which made for a rough ride up the Coosaw River. Waves were 1 - 2 feet with the occasional 3 footer just to remind me to pay attention :-)
Arrival time to Beaufort, SC was about 3 pm - early enough to spend a bit of time relaxing. Steve of course has the breakfast place already picked out ........ He spotted this little bird pecking at the oysters that are stuck to the dock pilings.
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