Bull Island
A trip that started rather inauspiciously with a lengthy wait (through no fault of our leader, Cindy Mulligan) ended in a splendid day on Bull Island. The weather was picture-postcard perfect as we took a lovely 30-minute ferry ride from Cape Romaine over to the island, motoring through estuary creeks edged with Spartina grass and brimming with all manner of fish, birds, and other wildlife.
Once we touched ground, we trekked about a half-mile inland where we picnicked under a magnificent live oak before resuming our cross-island walk toward the beach. There, most of us headed north toward the ‘boneyard,’ so-named because of the winds that over time have transformed native trees into twisted, spectral images. We took photos, admired the sea birds, gathered shells, feathers, rocks, and simply enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach.
This was a great trip. Our guides were extraordinarily knowledgeable—not only about the Bull Island refuge and its history but also about the plants, birds and wildlife that flourish in this ecosystem. Our thanks to fellow Seabrooker Derek Fyfe who took some amazing photographs (below) which show—in no particular order—our intrepid group, an alligator sleeping, many species of plants and algae growing on the trunks of live oaks and a close up of a baby alligator,.
Middleton Camillia Gardens
Thirteen lucky SINHG members traveled to Middleton on Tuesday, March 22 and were rewarded with a beautiful tour of the Plantation with emphasis on the camellia gardens. We viewed many species of this plant (including the tea camellias from which we extract our tea) which was brought to South Carolina as early as 1786 by Andre Michaux, a famous botanist when he visited Middleton. The Southern climate allowed the camellia to be grown outdoors rather than under glass
Not only were we able to enjoy the camellias but the azaleas were in full bloom and could
be seen all along the beautiful nature paths. Above are two photos: one of our SINGH group, and two beautiful shots of the gardens and a camellia blossom taken by our trip leader, Ilse Calcagno.
Hobcaw Barony
The words are curiously unfamiliar. Barony refers to the original royal land grant of 12,000 acres on Hobcaw Point, the southern tip of Waccamaw Neck peninsula; Hobcaw means ‘between the waters’ and refers to the Waccamaw Neck peninsula that is bordered by Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
These words describe the huge rice plantations on Waccamaw Neck. When rice cultivation became economically impractical after the Civil War, these properties were scoffed up by wealthy northerners, eager to acquire them for their rich hunting and fishing. Beginning in 1905, New York financier Bernard Baruch began buying several large plantations on which he built his winter hunting retreat.
This trip is a fun, albeit bumpy, teeth-chattering bus ride around the barony, and an inside tour of Hobcaw House, the 13,000 sq. ft. iron and brick home Baruch built in 1930 to replace the original homestead destroyed by fire. An advisor to several Presidents, Bernard Baruch welcomed many important people—notably Winston Churchill and FDR—to its doors. Our docents were delightfully knowledgeable, sharing many interesting—some eye-popping—anecdotes about the Baruchs and their guests. We also saw daughter Belle Baruch’s home and Friendfield Village, the last 19th c. slave village on Waccamaw Neck.
Hunting Island
Last, and perhaps least, was a tour of Hunting Island State Park. It was a splendid day as you can see by the picture of our group below. We enjoyed a lovely, ranger-led ramble along a marsh boardwalk to the beach and lighthouse. Though billed as a photo tour, we’ve had difficulty extracting any photos from anyone in the group. However lunch at the Shrimp Shack outside of Beaufort was absolutely smashing, and well worth the almost-two-hour trip in and of itself.
Submitted by Carol Bane and Ilse Calcagno