South Carolina's Edisto Beach State Park is beautiful even on a rainy winter day.
Click each photo for a larger image
Just outside my campsite.
There's something about this place. Come have a look for yourselves.
Showing posts with label Edisto Beach State Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edisto Beach State Park. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2015
Edisto Beach State Park in the Winter
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Edisto Beach State Park Again
Haven’t been back to Edisto Beach State Park for quite a while. One of my favorite Parks. And this site # 16 is the best of all. No wonder it has to be reserved months in advance!
We’re expecting freezing rain here beginning this afternoon. Maybe even snow overnight or tomorrow. Should be quite a sight. The view above is out the right-hand window of the Aliner late this morning. Don’t know if it will come through in the photo, but the water is gray and angry-looking. Beautiful in its own way.
That’s the advantage of a small RV like this Aliner over a cabin somewhere in the woods. With the Aliner I can change the view out the windows whenever I want. Mountains one week; ocean beach the next.
Great weather to work on the next novel, “Death Long Long Ago.” No excuse not to write! And it’s coming along. The first draft is about 70 percent done now. Slow but steady.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Edisto Beach State Park, South Carolina Interpretive Center
Click here for the first post in this series.
Well! Even Edisto Beach, South Carolina, was chilly this morning. Outside temperature dropped to the mid-30s by 4:00 a.m. or so. Though, fortunately, without yesterday's strong wind. This cooler weather sure inspires gratitude for the strong electric heaters in the Park's bath houses. And for the generous hot water in the showers!
It soon warmed up enough for a walk on the beach. Sun shining, porpoises fishing near the shore, and this pile of rocks that caught the eye.
[Click each photo for a larger view]
The first Mobile Studio Travels blog entries are up and running today. As you can see, it's definitely a work in progress. I've been posting blog entries now for a while. For the weekly Japan Considered Podcast. But I hope to make the Mobile Studio Travels blog somewhat different. More frequent entries that include photos, and maybe even links to short audio files. Though the photos alone provide enough of a challenge now. Google's "Blogger" makes it simple, they tell me. But "simple" for the modal computer user, and "simple" for the aspiring ElderGeek, are two quite different degrees of complexity.
Ms. Karen Carter, proprietor of The Edisto Bookstore, kindly provides a reliable WiFi cloud that's accessible from the parking lot in front of her store. Drop in the store and have a look around if you connect here, though. You'll be amazed by the layout, and by the skill with which the books she offers for sale have been selected. The store is right on Route 174, just a mile-and-a-half from the State Park's main gate. Can't miss it. A few purchases here are sure to enrich your Edisto experience.
After a couple hours of learning, and another ten minutes or so of actual posting, I finally got the first three or four MST blog entries up and running. Is really is simple, once you get the hang of it, as we'd say OverHome. Getting said "hang of it," however, takes time.
The Edisto Bookstore, now, is right down Route 174 from Main's Market. You remember Main's Market. With Larry Main's daily grilled and barbequed meats, and Ms. Etta's everything else you could imagine. Well, considering how long it would take to drive from Columbia -- let alone Atlanta or Washington, D.C.! -- to have lunch at Main's Market, it made excellent sense today to drive the short distance necessary to enjoy lunch there. Even economical sense. Considering the price of gasoline these days!
Anyway, that's where I ended up for lunch. And what a lunch it was. Perfectly prepared Boston butt, with sides of tomato pie, collards, and red rice. Washed down with iced tea, of course. I won't try to describe any of it. How Ms. Etta manages to prepare dishes that at once are so tasty and so healthy is beyond comprehension. But she does. Ms. Etta is as serious about healthy eating as she is about flavor. Just ask her! And she manages to combine both in the dishes she offers at Main's.
Now, lunch at Main's Market is no "fast-food" experience. It takes a while. Not to get served. But to eat! Food this good simply mustn't be gulped down. Also, any visiting outsider interested in Edisto Island can learn a lot just listening to the animated conversations of the locals sitting at other tables. It's quite a place. But be sure to arrive hungry!
Back out on Route 174, today's destination was the Edisto Interpretive Center. Driving toward the beach, turn right on Palmetto Road. Then, after a mile or so, bear left onto Oyster Row Lane. It's a hard-packed dirt road but well maintained. You're sure to see the Interpretive Center signs on the right. As noted there, the Center's open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., year-round.
This Center is one of several within the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge. Situated on State Park land, it opened in 2004 with the support of South Carolina's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Center programs rely heavily on a small paid staff, and a team of dedicated volunteers. They do everything, from answering telephones, to maintaining walking trails, to guiding evening turtle walks on the beach. They're personable. They're dedicated. They know their stuff. And they're eager to help visitors learn about the natural environment of Edisto.
Speaking of visitors, the Interpretive Center's program is designed to inform all ages of visitor. It's neither a children's museum nor an adults' museum. Its exhibits explain the environment of the Edisto area in ways that appeal to learners young and old. Now, that's not easy! But somehow they manage.
Every Saturday, even during the off-season, Interpretive Center Manager, Andrea Grabman, and other members of the staff, offer hour-long programs that introduce visitors of all ages to the wildlife of the region. Programs such as shark dissection, and opportunities to handle -- under strict supervision intended as much to protect the creatures as the human handlers -- fierce-looking crabs and other creatures in the Center's "touch-tanks." The Center also sponsors an evening lecture series designed for adults.
Click on this link to view some more photos of the Edisto Interpretive Center and its surrounding grounds. Better yet, come by and see the place for yourself!
Well! Even Edisto Beach, South Carolina, was chilly this morning. Outside temperature dropped to the mid-30s by 4:00 a.m. or so. Though, fortunately, without yesterday's strong wind. This cooler weather sure inspires gratitude for the strong electric heaters in the Park's bath houses. And for the generous hot water in the showers!
It soon warmed up enough for a walk on the beach. Sun shining, porpoises fishing near the shore, and this pile of rocks that caught the eye.
[Click each photo for a larger view]
The first Mobile Studio Travels blog entries are up and running today. As you can see, it's definitely a work in progress. I've been posting blog entries now for a while. For the weekly Japan Considered Podcast. But I hope to make the Mobile Studio Travels blog somewhat different. More frequent entries that include photos, and maybe even links to short audio files. Though the photos alone provide enough of a challenge now. Google's "Blogger" makes it simple, they tell me. But "simple" for the modal computer user, and "simple" for the aspiring ElderGeek, are two quite different degrees of complexity.
Ms. Karen Carter, proprietor of The Edisto Bookstore, kindly provides a reliable WiFi cloud that's accessible from the parking lot in front of her store. Drop in the store and have a look around if you connect here, though. You'll be amazed by the layout, and by the skill with which the books she offers for sale have been selected. The store is right on Route 174, just a mile-and-a-half from the State Park's main gate. Can't miss it. A few purchases here are sure to enrich your Edisto experience.
After a couple hours of learning, and another ten minutes or so of actual posting, I finally got the first three or four MST blog entries up and running. Is really is simple, once you get the hang of it, as we'd say OverHome. Getting said "hang of it," however, takes time.
The Edisto Bookstore, now, is right down Route 174 from Main's Market. You remember Main's Market. With Larry Main's daily grilled and barbequed meats, and Ms. Etta's everything else you could imagine. Well, considering how long it would take to drive from Columbia -- let alone Atlanta or Washington, D.C.! -- to have lunch at Main's Market, it made excellent sense today to drive the short distance necessary to enjoy lunch there. Even economical sense. Considering the price of gasoline these days!
Anyway, that's where I ended up for lunch. And what a lunch it was. Perfectly prepared Boston butt, with sides of tomato pie, collards, and red rice. Washed down with iced tea, of course. I won't try to describe any of it. How Ms. Etta manages to prepare dishes that at once are so tasty and so healthy is beyond comprehension. But she does. Ms. Etta is as serious about healthy eating as she is about flavor. Just ask her! And she manages to combine both in the dishes she offers at Main's.
Now, lunch at Main's Market is no "fast-food" experience. It takes a while. Not to get served. But to eat! Food this good simply mustn't be gulped down. Also, any visiting outsider interested in Edisto Island can learn a lot just listening to the animated conversations of the locals sitting at other tables. It's quite a place. But be sure to arrive hungry!
Back out on Route 174, today's destination was the Edisto Interpretive Center. Driving toward the beach, turn right on Palmetto Road. Then, after a mile or so, bear left onto Oyster Row Lane. It's a hard-packed dirt road but well maintained. You're sure to see the Interpretive Center signs on the right. As noted there, the Center's open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., year-round.
This Center is one of several within the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge. Situated on State Park land, it opened in 2004 with the support of South Carolina's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.Center programs rely heavily on a small paid staff, and a team of dedicated volunteers. They do everything, from answering telephones, to maintaining walking trails, to guiding evening turtle walks on the beach. They're personable. They're dedicated. They know their stuff. And they're eager to help visitors learn about the natural environment of Edisto.
Speaking of visitors, the Interpretive Center's program is designed to inform all ages of visitor. It's neither a children's museum nor an adults' museum. Its exhibits explain the environment of the Edisto area in ways that appeal to learners young and old. Now, that's not easy! But somehow they manage.
Every Saturday, even during the off-season, Interpretive Center Manager, Andrea Grabman, and other members of the staff, offer hour-long programs that introduce visitors of all ages to the wildlife of the region. Programs such as shark dissection, and opportunities to handle -- under strict supervision intended as much to protect the creatures as the human handlers -- fierce-looking crabs and other creatures in the Center's "touch-tanks." The Center also sponsors an evening lecture series designed for adults.
Click on this link to view some more photos of the Edisto Interpretive Center and its surrounding grounds. Better yet, come by and see the place for yourself!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Edisto Beach State Park, South Carolina
Table of Contents for This Series
- Arrival
- Morning View
- Pink & George’s Vegetables
- Cabins, Interpretive Center, Boat Ramp
- Interpretive Center, Bookstore
Off again to Edisto Beach State Park, one of South Carolina's most attractive camping spots. It is far from the newest Park in the system. And some of its equipment is ready for replacement. But everything is well maintained and made the most of by a dedicated and skilled staff.
All of the campsites I've seen there are attractive. But during the winter months I especially enjoy those right on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Good thing I prefer them in the winter, since they're near-impossible to reserve during any other season. It's a popular place.
The trip from Columbia to Edisto Island takes about three hours, driving sensibly. And when towing a travel trailer it's sensible to drive sensibly. Down I-77 to I-26, avoiding I-95, and straight through to Route 17 South. I-26 is pretty standard-issue four-lane highway. But I-17 in this part of the country has lots of character. Small stands beside the road selling vegetables, regional crafts and art, truck parts and tires, and, of course, some of the most diet-busting cuisine one could imagine. Take plenty of time to make the drive, because you're sure to stop at least once or twice. To eat, an/or to marvel.
Too soon, really, given the attractions of Route 17, the road to Edisto Island requires a sharp left, up over a railroad crossing, and then you're on Route 174. Well, it's a fair exchange, since Route 174 is a social and natural scenery aficionado's delight. Beautiful old live oaks planted close enough to the roadway to make you watch your mirrors, sweep across the road, forming a green tunnel in places. Shops along the road are less frequent here, naturally, since there's less traffic. But it seems as though in recognition of that, the shopkeepers have joined in a commitment to make up for their small number with more interesting presentations and products for sale. Even the signs have character!
As the third hour of driving rolls up on the clock or GPS, you're on Edisto Island, and approaching the community of Edisto Beach. More on this stretch of road later on. Make a sharp left at the Park Entrance pictured here, and you're home.
[Click all photos for larger version]
Here's the Mobile Studio parked on Site # 18. All set up. Including the grill and a most useful carpet. These campsites are quite level. But they're sandy as the dickens. No way to avoid it. We're right on the edge of the beach, and that's what happens in places like this! Even without the outside carpet, it's worth the inconvenience of the sand. But the carpet eliminates nearly all of even that minor problem. Now, that grill you see beside the mobile studio is just about ready to broil a small steak for dinner, and maybe some fresh string beans. Hard to beat.
Click here for the next post in this series.
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