Monday 5/18  Savannah, GA (Isle of Hope) to Beaufort, SC (Beaufort Municipal Marina)

A short run today but lots to look at - passed Tybee Island, Hilton Head and Parris Island - where the huge water tank was emblazoned with ‘We Make Marines.’  i was honed in with my binoculars to see some boys (and girls) but couldn’t find a soul - inside studying perhaps.  Arrived in Beaufort early and Harry had reserved a horse and buggy tour for us that afternoon.  Beaufort is old - the second oldest city in SC after Charleston.  And they built those houses big back then - most summer homes that have survived because the city was occupied during the Civil War as military post and was not destroyed.  SC also drew up an Ordinance of Secession in Beaufort, took it all the way up to Columbia and it passed but of course we know it didn’t go any further than that.   We learned that Spanish moss is neither Spanish or moss.  The plant is in the pineapple family, is not a parasite, and actually does not damage the host tree.  Tons of movies were filmed in Beaufort…major ones  - The Big Chill, Forrest Gump and The Prince of Tides, starring Barbara Streisand and Nick Nolte.  Our tour guide showed us the plot of land where the guys played that football game in The Big Chill.  Went on to tell us what a pain in the B hind Barbara was while she was there.  She had to be downtown, she had to have the historic house of her choosing (and paid a major sum to move the owners out for a few months) had to have a pool, they had to put in a pool - no historic homes in beaufort had pools, had to have a privacy fence put in!   Then she called the most High Ranking General at the Marine Corp Air Station and told him that she liked to sleep late so could he please stop flying over in the morning hours?  HA…the tour guide said the General was quite pleasant thanked her for her call and flew over her house the next morning so low that it rattled the windows, doors and contents off their shelves.  He did not hear from her again.  On the other hand everyone loved Tom Hanks - who could be seen almost every night at the local chocolate shop.  It was a nice tour but i felt sad for Babe, the 14 year old clydesdale, although nicely treated she just seemed slow and tired.  My camera went whacko on me during the ride - operator error - settings were all wrong - and i ended up with pictures of our legs and under the carriage seats and ridiculous shots that will not be shared.  Dinner was a walk downtown to a lovely place called Plum’s on the water and then Harry spied the ice cream shop….. 

The only shot i took was for Dennis and Jennifer and other marina folk - the live aboards  here in Beaufort seem to be able to do whatever they want - notice the home made stairs with a little shed like door where they kept 'stuff' and the plants....