This was an interesting museum that focuses on history not being forgotten. Founded and maintained by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, it has multiple rooms housing guns, clothing, uniforms, letters and documents. One of the employees told me most of the items were donated by collectors and local families.
This was a small but very interesting museum. Besides Andrew Wyeth’s artwork, all the artists were new to me. Exhibits were thematic rather than by genre or time period. Admission was free and the museum even had batiks!
Just five minutes over a beautiful bridge from Savannah pops me into South Carolina. And an hour drive (about 38 miles) lands me in the surreal, charming town of Beaufort. Beaufort is the second oldest city in South Carolina with its downtown considered a historic district filled with mansions with Victorian, Greek Revival, Neo Classical and federal styles. Wealth came from cotton and indigo plantations and trading. Beaufort has quite a history and was one of the first areas captured by the Union in the Civil War. I visited the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park which shared the history of how freed slaves grew wealth and prosperity in Beaufort, too.
After wandering the historical downtown with its shops and homes, I drove over the Woods Memorial Bridge to Lady’s Island. I wandered Whitehall Park and viewed Beaufort from afar across the marshlands. I returned to Beaufort for lunch and met a man who has lived in Beaufort for 45 years. He told me it is the place to live and he invited me to stay with him and his wife to experience the real Beaufort. Even crazier, his kids live in Bend. It truly is a small world. We exchanged numbers. For lunch I enjoyed a Lowcountry shrimp melt. Pete managed to eat about half of my fries!
Once lunch was done, I got into the car and headed to Bluffton about an hour away. It was another picturesque town on the May River dating from the 1820’s. The Union burned the town on June 4,1863. 13 houses and two churches survived and the town grew once again. Although no longer a center for trade, many summer homes and a bustling historic area continue.
After Bluffton, I drove another hour to the Savannah National Wildlife Reserve. This protected land has a four-mile drive-only loop with beautiful marshland, birds and alligators. I saw several alligators and was more than happy to stay in the car!
The beauty of this area astounds me. The green, lush foliage coupled with all the water make this area stunning and although hot and humid in the summer, I would definitely return!
15 minutes from Asheville is the cute town of Black Mountain. The air just felt fresher here! The downtown area is a few streets but galleries, craft stores, jewelry stores and cafes were plentiful. I had a tasty cafe con leche and guava pastelito, too!
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