Whew, it is hot, hot, hot here in NC all of a sudden! The soaring temps outside make me even happier to revisit about our last destination in Beaufort, SC: Hunting Island!

Hunting Island is one of the most popular state parks in South Carolina, attracting more than one million visitors a year. Thankfully, it didn’t seem that crowded at all when we visited! Our first stop was at the Marshwalk, a boardwalk that extends across the tidal flats, through a few tiny islands, and out onto a platform perfect for viewing marsh wildlife. We saw egrets, some sort of gecko, and tons of fiddler crabs on our walk, but alas, no dolphins!

The Marshwalk is less than a mile long, so it was a quick out and back. Our second and final destination on Hunting Island was the beach and lighthouse area. There is a $5 per person fee to enter this part of the park, but both John and I would say it was well worth the price. As we drove past the gate house, we both agreed it felt like we were entering Jurassic Park – so lush, green, and tropical!

This might sound strange, but we were both a little bit obsessed with the parking lot! It’s hard to describe, but instead of being one large area, it twisted and turned between the trees, and each spot felt like it was tucked away.

Once we finished oohing over our parking space, we took another boardwalk out to the beach.

Turning left, we walked along the water’s edge until we got to an entirely new section of beach, which looked like this:

Children’s book lover that I am, my immediate thought was that it reminded me of the post-hurricane illustrations in Robert McCloskey’s Time of Wonder. Anyone else?? Here’s a visual aid for those who aren’t familiar with this masterpiece:

I’m not sure what causes all of the downed trees and driftwood, but we had fun exploring.

Next up: the Beaufort shop with which I completely fell in love. Sigh…

All photos personal

I’m going to take a short break from my South Carolina trip recaps to bring you my May goals! I didn’t post any April goals this year, though I did manage to make progress on several 101 in 1001 projects last month, so that’s something :)

Once Wed

So: May goals. I’ll be traveling for a full week this month, so I’m keeping things simple!

— Design and print address labels for the Em for Marvelous shop
— Research local Parks & Rec dance classes to hopefully kick off no. 86!
— Read my thesis again :)
— Buy a straw tumbler. Thank you all again for the recommendations!

You can see all of my 101 in 1001 goals right here!

After stopping at the Old Sheldon Church Ruins, it was on to Beaufort, proper! Our first agenda item was to check into our accommodations, the City Loft Hotel. CLH is a boutique hotel in Beaufort’s historic district. John found it on Trip Advisor, and I’m so glad he did!

The hotel is really neat on the outside – it’s an old-school motel-type place that’s been completely remodeled, but they kept intact some of the more charming features. I loved the sun umbrellas, louvered shutters, and breezy curtains!

The inside furnishings, too, are modern, both in style and features. We loved the slick tub, awesome shower, and iPod lamp!

One of our favorite features of the City Loft Hotel was the cruiser bikes provided for guest use, free of charge! We happily took them for a spin, making our way through the beautiful historic neighborhoods surrounding the hotel and downtown area.

I would highly recommend a trip to Beaufort, SC, and if you do go, the City Loft Hotel, too! Up next: where we ate!

All photos by moi

John and I were lucky enough to travel south for a mini vacation a few weeks back, and we saw and experienced so many neat things that I’d love to tell you about! Expect several posts over the next few days from our South Carolina adventure :)

Our first major stop was at the Old Sheldon Church Ruins, which John first heard about on Trip Advisor. The Ruins are a historic site just outside of Beaufort, SC (that’s Byew-furt, for my Northern readers, distinct from Beafort (Bow-furt), NC, where John and I got engaged). There is no admission fee. The original church on the site was built between 1745 and 1753, then burned down by the British in 1779 during the Revolutionary War. It was rebuilt in 1826, then burned again in 1865, this time by General Sherman in the Civil War. The ruins remain on the site, surrounded by beautiful live oaks.

They actually hold events, including church services, and I think weddings, on the property. How crazy would it be to get married here??

All photos by moi