On our first morning we went for a long walk on the beach. Tranquility at its best. The South Carolina mainland is across this inlet.
Walking back to the house, we saw these small alligators basking in some sunshine. Even at about 4 ft. long, they look menacing.
On our second morning we planned to go for a bike ride. We discovered that something, maybe an alligator, took a bite out of Ann's bike tire. We found a local bike shop and got the tire replaced. Then we rode for several hours on the nice secluded bike paths around the island.
We enjoyed our bike ride so much that we decided to go for another bike ride on day 3. We headed off to see the horses at the stable. Notice how much bigger the Clydesdale is compared to the others.
From the stables we headed to see the Stoney-Baynard Ruins. In the first half of the 18th century, this was the center of the Braddock's Point Plantation. The main house was built between 1793 and 1810. There were also several outbuildings, some used for slave quarters. Sea Island cotton was the primary crop.
When Union troops invaded Hilton Head in 1861, the plantation owners fled inland, and the Federal government seized the property. Shortly after the war, the main house was destroyed by fire. In 1956, Sea Pines Plantation Company purchased the ruins along with nearly 5,300 acres on the south end of the island. Their founder knew the significance of preserving history, so in 1966, he established this 9-acre site as a permanent open space.
Paul is standing by the lone corner of the main house that still stands. The square holes were where the jousts were placed to lay the next highest floor.
We enjoyed our long weekend of relaxation on Hilton Head. But, all good things must come to an end so we headed back to reality in Gainesville, Florida. We still had a few things to get accomplished before the holiday season.
This concludes our blog for 2015. Thank you for being part of our adventures.
Who knew those old ruins were present on Hilton Head? So interesting! Thanks for sharing all of your memories from travels in 2015 on your webpage. It is fun to follow you here!
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