Exploring The Lowcountry – Beautiful Beaufort

Exploring The Beautiful Lowcountry

As we have mentioned before, we are really enjoying exploring the area and learning about the history and culture.

Living in Bluffton, South Carolina allows us to visit Hilton Head Island, Savannah, and a new discovery – Beaufort.

Beaufort is about a 45 minute drive from our house and a pretty easy excursion.

Known for its location in the heart of the Sea Islands and the Lowcountry this city is renowned for its scenic location and antebellum architecture.

Carriage Ride Through Historic Beaufort

We decided to take a carriage ride through the historic neighborhoods to see these beautiful homes and enjoy the short history lesson.

The New York Times named Beaufort the “Best Small Southern Town” and Southern Living rated it a “top 25 Small City Arts Destination”. It definitely is a special place!

Above is just one example of a lovely Antebellum home. Notice that the porch ceiling is painted blue? You will see this a lot in the deep South. Well, there is a reason for this. According to the Gullah/Geechee people, a blue porch ceiling brings good luck to the home and helps to ward away evil spirits. A haint blue porch ceiling resembles water and prevents “haints” from harming the people in the house. There is also some that believe that the blue ceiling deters wasps and other pests. I think we need to paint our porch ceiling right away!

A Good Travel Resource – Conde Nast Traveler

Before exploring different areas, we always consult Conde Nast Traveler. They always have the best suggestions of what to see and do in an area. They have never given us a bad suggestion and seem to recommend the best of the best in restaurants, where to stay, what to do and any fun tips to make the experience unique.

They recommended Sea Island Carriage Company and the experience was wonderful. The carriage ride was one hour long as we toured the Point area (also known as The Old Point) where some of the most magnificent antebellum mansions are located. For some interesting historical information check out this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort,_South_Carolina.

We were very pleased with the carriage ride, as they had plexiglass partitions between the seats and everyone wore masks. There are ways to stay safe and still have some enjoyment.

Waterfront Spot For A Quick Cuppa

We had a little spare time prior to our tour so decided to stop for a coffee and nosh at the Common Ground Coffee House and Cafe. The location was just perfect with a great outdoor dining option overlooking the Henry C. Chambers Water Front Park. The whole waterfront area offers a park like setting, some dining options and a marina.

Then There Is Shopping

The main retail area is so charming and offers a wide variety of shopping options. Next time, we plan to explore some of the shops and to visit Nevermore Books. We love an independent bookstore that specializes in rare, hard to find books.

During these challenging times with the pandemic, we are trying to get creative and to explore different areas throughout the Lowcountry. We really want to head to Charleston which is only 2 hours away. We will probably wait to go later in Spring and opt to stay overnight to allow for more time there.

Where do you like to explore? You would be amazed what is just around the corner and waiting for you to check it out. Maybe a new neighborhood, park, shopping area, museum.

Some of the public places are still not open due to the pandemic, but we have found some that are open and just offer limited access and number of guests to enter at a time. Because we have my 91 year old Father with us right now, we are keeping all of our activities outside.

Tybee Island may be another option for exploration. It is only one hour away and sounds like a nice beach destination. This might be the trip where we try out our new beach wagon and chairs and enjoy a picnic in the fresh air.