Tag Archives: Botany Bay

Saying goodbye to the boneyard and quirky Edisto.

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Thought I was done with the Boneyard Beach photos?

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Almost…

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I promise.

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But who could resist framing their spouse in driftwood?

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Making our way back to the path, I snapped my last photos.

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And my husband joined in the odd shell placement tradition…

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Trying to balance one on the sign.

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Success.

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Exiting through the marsh …

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We climbed back in the ungodly expensive rental behemoth…

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Of which my husband had become entirely too enamored.

It was late afternoon of our last day of vacation so we took a leisurely drive around Edisto Island and enjoyed some of its quirks.

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No one knows who erected this odd marsh angel but apparently she changes with the seasons and has become a local favorite.

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This is the only acceptable answer to the question what do I do with dead palm tree stumps?

Hula girls, that’s what.

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We drove past this native while on the main beach road.

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It was a wonderful sight so I made my husband turn around and circle by him twice to ensure decent photos.

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A poo covered jacket seems a small price to pay for such a beautiful friend.

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This bottle display is an old Gullah way of driving out evil spirits. They have to be blue, but sorry… for the life of me I don’t remember why. The Clemson tiger paw is a modern addition.

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Remember the herd of tiny deer we saw every night? I wondered where they could possibly live in so busy an area…

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The answer was our resort’s golf course.

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Where they clearly didn’t read the sign.

😉

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Do you think the other trees are jealous?

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When you’re in Edisto Beach, South Carolina one image looms large.

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It’s the one lone tree that stands in the surf at Boneyard Beach in the Botany Bay preserve.

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Admittedly it’s a fabulous tree.

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Silhouetted against the sky…

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All by it’s lonesome surrounded by plouffe mud.

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It’s certainly the most photographed tree there.

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But it does make me wonder if the other trees feel left out.

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No one prints postcards of them…

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And some of them are fabulous too.

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Such a strange and amazing place.

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I never would have thought dead trees could be so appealing before visiting here.

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But they were.

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And as much as I would have loved to spend the entire day here, our last few hours in South Carolina were running out and we had to move on.

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Past some live trees that were decorated with shells.

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Bones, burls, swirls and above all… wood.

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Yes, it’s another photo filled post of Boneyard Beach at Botany Bay preserve.

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I’d say I can’t help myself, but I could. I just don’t want to.

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We loved this place and I want you to love it too.

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It was truly one the weirdest natural wonders we’ve ever explored.

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The husband insisted I take this next picture.

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Clearly size is important to men.

Some of the wood was gnarly, some dried out and some twisted.

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But this piece was marvelously swirled.

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As we walked farther down the beach the trees were really piled up.

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Each weirder than the last.

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As we rounded a bend we found areas where shells had been strategically placed.

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It’s illegal to collect and remove things from this beach so people get creative.

It’s a wonderful way to conserve the beauty but this treeless stretch had some amazing shells that were hard to leave behind.

My husband, not caring about shells… found something else photo worthy.

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I can’t imagine why.

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🤣

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Sunset at Boneyard Beach

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I’m not sure my vocabulary contains enough adjectives to properly describe how sublime Boneyard Beach at sunset can be….

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Mysterious.

Spectral.

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Otherworldly.

Striking.

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Wondrous.

Captivating.

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Preternatural.

Glorious.

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Exquisite.

Magical.

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In other words… fan-flippin-tastic!

We really didn’t want to leave but the tide was rolling in fast and there are warnings everywhere about being trapped, so we headed back down the marsh land path.

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Where the sunset was also pretty sweet.

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As we left, I knew if we had the time I wanted to come back at low tide and walk the whole beach.

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It was that good.

😊

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Walking to Botany Bay beach at sunset.

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Since we still had a little daylight when we got back from Charleston, we decided to go back to the Botany Bay Preserve and check out the beach we didn’t have time to explore on our first trip there.

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It’s a half mile walk from the parking lot…

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Through marsh land with some pretty funky driftwood.

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The required selfie.

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Turn to your right and the sun was setting.

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Turn to your left there was still blue sky.

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Right.

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Left.

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Right.

Okay, you get my point.

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It was a lovely stroll.

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And the driftwood made for some nice shots.

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Just as the sun was going down….

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We found the beach.

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A very special beach as it turns out.

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We’d found Boneyard Beach…

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To be continued…

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Botany Bay birds… and yes, a few trees.

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Living in Maine, we see our share of shorebirds. But one we don’t have up here in the north is the pelican.

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I don’t know why they fascinate us, but they do.

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So bear with me while I share our pelican watching at Botany Bay.

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The low country provides ideal habitat and fishing opportunities for these guys and they take full advantage of the bounty.

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Herons as well.

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Though they often show a flagrant disregard for the rules.

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I could honestly have stayed and watched them fish all day.

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But we had reservations for a tour in Beaufort and had to get back on the road.

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Not having nearly enough time to finish exploring, we vowed to return.

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And be careful of snakes.

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Saying goodbye to the glorious oaks…

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We made our way out.

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Down that marvelous canopied road.

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Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve… are you ready for some trees?

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We woke up on day 3 of vacation with a lovely pink beach sunrise.

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I have to say it’s not a bad way to start the day.

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Our first adventure found us at Botany Bay Heritage Preserve. A 4,000 acre property, open everyday and free to the public. Originally two cotton and timber plantations, it’s now a haven for wildlife and a wonderful place to explore by car, on foot or horseback.

Upon entry, it’s all about the trees.

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A mile long dirt road of nothing but glorious live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

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In spots they form a stunning canopy…

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And it feels like you’re stepping back in time.

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When I think of the south?

This is the image I see.

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They truly are magnificent things.

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Driving the loop trail through ruins and fields, we eventually found the water.

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Where oaks gave way to palms.

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And pelicans…

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