Traveling the South Carolina Low Country: Bonna L. Nelson

South Carolina Lowcountry, Beaches and Barbecue

by Bonna L. Nelson

For beautiful Atlantic Ocean beaches, mouth-watering seafood and barbecue, and an abundance of history and culture, coastal South Carolina (SC) is the perfect destination. Emerging from pandemic restrictions, happy with our newfound freedom and looking forward to relaxing on a beach, we headed south in March to Seabrook Island, SC. During our two-week stay, we took several trips into nearby historic, charming Charleston and surrounding areas.

The South Carolina Lowcountry coastline is dotted with barrier islands, some developed, some not, that run parallel to the Atlantic coast. SC’s thirty-five barrier islands, more than any other state except Florida, shield the mainland from storm and wave damage and are constantly reshaped by the ocean. Usually, grassy dunes thrive behind the islands’ sandy beaches, and inland salt marshes, wetlands and maritime forests are rich habitats for a variety of flora and fauna. I read that the Lowcountry once prospered with its slave-based agricultural products of rice, cotton and indigo, which thrived in the

hot subtropical climate. Now the Lowcountry is known for its history, culture, natural features and tourism. The region’s culture is said to have Native American, European, African and Caribbean roots.

We knew we were in SC when we started to see Spanish moss gracefully draped across trees alongside the roadways like garland draped across Christmas trees. The somewhat romantic, haunting and mystical silver plant is usually found decorating southern live oaks and bald cypress in the lowlands, swamps and marshes on south eastern coastal areas.

Funny thing about Spanish Moss, it is not really moss and it doesn’t damage the trees. The frizzy gray plant that looks like Albert Einstein having a bad hair day is actually a flowering plant in the bromeliad family. The moss shelters creatures such as songbirds, snakes, bats, chiggers and spiders and is often associated with Southern Gothic imagery and Deep South culture.

Following the trail of the Spanish

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Lowcountry restaurants, cafes and grills were bustling. We passed by the Equestrian Center and noted riders on stunning horses. The tennis courts, golf courses, basketball and volleyball courts, playground and fitness center were all busy. A few folks were fishing at the seven-acre Palmetto Lake. The misty, caramel-colored sandy beach was dotted with beach chairs and a few fellows fishing there too. That narrowing moss-lined roadway, is where we would be the next day. we arrived on our barrier island, Before dinner, I reviewed an IsSeabrook Island, on a sunny 75-de- land publication that, in addition to gree day in March. After unpacking detailing the guidelines and amenithe car and settling in a bit, we ties for house owners and renters, drove around the island passing provided some historical insight tropical palmetto trees, Spanish about the lovely island. Of course, moss-laden oak trees, pine trees, Seabrook Island history parallels SC tulip trees, magnolia trees, pink history. Coastal Indians inhabited and white azaleas, daffodils and the island as early as 1400 BC. Tribes hyacinths in full bloom. Neigh- included the Kiawah (the island next bors were out and about, walking, to Seabrook is named Kiawah after biking, kayaking and lounging by the tribe as is the river that separates the community pools. The shops, them), Stono and Bohicket.

Lowcountry William Seabrook bought the island and named it after himself.

English explorers claimed the During the Civil War, Robert E. land for the King in 1695. You know Lee ordered Seabrook and adjacent how that aff ected Native Americans, islands evacuated because he could enslavement and disease, another not defend them. So, the Seabrook story. family left the island and later sold

Various island owners planted the it. Even so, some Civil War fi ghting land and shipped goods between the took place on the Island. Subsequent islands and England. In the 1700s, owners raised livestock but refused slaves brought from Africa sup- to log the island’s many trees, which ported expanding plantation life. is why many old, lovely trees envelop Factually, Charleston was one of our the island in shade today. country’s major slave ports. The last individual owner sold the

The island was invaded by the property in 1970 to the Seabrook British in 1779, during the American Island Development Corporation, Revolution. Occupation lasted until which developed the island. More 1782, when Charleston was liberated. improvements and features were Plantation life then resumed, with added later in the 1980s and 1990s, cotton being the main crop. In 1816, when the Seabrook Island Prop-

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erty Owners Association bought the remaining vacant properties and amenity features that we enjoyed on our visit. The serene and secluded private gated community includes residential and resort living, single homes, townhome villas, recreational sites, preserved natural settings, beaches, walking trails and even an Audubon sanctuary.

Seabrook Island is now a town with a mayor. The island claims to have one of the longest, widest and most dynamic expanses of beach shoreline in the coastal Carolinas. The 3½ miles of soft sand beach is backed by rolling sand dunes held in place by sea oats and wax myrtle grasses. The water is calmed by barrier islands farther east in the Atlantic ~ no high surfing waves there.

Nature is in abundance on the Island with its preserved groves of old trees along with wetlands, marshes, lakes and waterways. On the waterway behind our vacation home, we spotted an alligator and a turtle sunbathing side by side on the water’s edge. We observed more alligators and turtles lounging on the bases of tall, man-made bird nest structures when we walked around Palmetto Lake.

Deer and squirrels played in our backyard under the trees, which also

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Lowcountry lights of the Lowcountry were easily found in nearby dining spots on Seabrook Island or in the Charleston area, a thirty-minute drive away. We enjoyed fried oysters, pulled BBQ pork sandwiches and shrimp and grits while listening to a steel drum band at the Salty Dog Café at Bohicket Marina. Oysters are a popular dish in South Carolina. They are frequently seen growing on oyster bars and pilings around the shorehosted songbirds and woodpeckers. line, and thus are a featured item on We spotted egret rookeries here and many menus in the area. there, and brown pelicans frequently flew in formation over the beach and strutted about on the piers of the nearby marina. Playful dolphins also entertained us on our beach days.

Such wonders of nature were a joy to behold.

When it comes to food, the de-

Easter Brunch at Salty Dog included pancakes, fried eggs, biscuits with butter and jam, waffles and wings smothered in syrup, crispy bacon and grilled sausage. The staff hid multicolored plastic Easter eggs, stuffed with treats, which our grand-

daughter, Bella, and other children easily found, in flowers and shrubs around the café.

Another favorite dining spot was Nigel’s Good Food in North Charleston. Popular with tourists and locals alike, the bustling restaurant was filled with the aromas and tastes of Lowcountry dishes: smoky, salty, savory and sweet. We feasted on fried green tomatoes on grits, falling-offthe-bone smoked ribs, barbecued turkey breast and other meats, fried oysters and fried fish, grilled shrimp, black-eyed peas, collard greens, yams, red rice, cornbread, hush puppies, biscuits, bread pudding and pecan pie. We rolled rather than walked out of the restaurant, arms filled with boxed leftovers.

Lowcountry cuisine generally includes a wealth of seafood from the

coastal estuaries, including shrimp, fish, crabs and oysters. Rice was a major grain in the marshlands of the South Carolina coast. Enhanced with a red sauce and spices, the red rice dish is a main staple. Bountiful produce in the area adds the peas, greens, corn and yam dishes to the table. Stews, macaroni and cheese, and pork ribs smothered in a mustard barbecue sauce are also standards.

The origins of the dishes are recipes passed down from one generation to the next for over 350 years. The cuisine is a blend of the GullahGeechee culture that evolved from descendants of slaves arriving from Central and West Africa, along with influences from European settlers. The Lowcountry cuisine reflects the use of what was available locally, the bounties of the sea and land with recipes and spices from the areas that the new occupants originally called home. After several days of beach and pool lounging and too much sun, we decided to explore Charleston and its environs. A beautifully preserved treasure steeped in the history of our country, Charleston attracts millions of visitors each year. Having visited a few years back we knew that the Charleston Visitors Center is a good place to start a new exploration. There we collected brochures, guides and maps and talked to the helpful staff to better plan our touring.

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