Before we went to Charleston, we made a small detour to Hunting Island. To get to the island, we first crossed the Woods Memorial Bridge. By the way, it got its name because of the residents' passion for hunting there in the 18th century. Very simple. Hunting Island itself consists of a maritime forest inland and a saltwater marsh on the west side. To enter the State Park, there is an admission fee of 8 dollars per person. By the way, almost all of the Vietnam scenes from Forrest Gump were filmed on Hunting Island.
Once we arrived at the State Park, we went straight to the Visitor Center, where we were 'greeted' by a turtle and an alligator, both of which are species found on Hunting Island. After getting a map, we started exploring the area. We also came across the lighthouse, which was first built in 1859. After it was destroyed by the Confederates during the American Civil War in 1862, it was rebuilt in 1873. It remained in operation until 1933. Away from mass tourism, we were able to take our time and enjoy everything on site.
Next, we went to the saltwater marsh landscape. Crossing the marsh on wooden paths, we were able to observe some animals in their natural habitat. A landscape like Hunting Island was completely new territory for both of us, but highly recommended nonetheless.
Then we went to Kiawah Island, about 40 km southwest of Charleston. Although there were mainly golf clubs there, we managed to find a beautiful beach area. There was a bit of construction noise, but otherwise it was a very quiet area. The construction of new hotel complexes seems to be progressing rapidly there. There were hardly any bathers on the huge beach. Spontaneously, we decided (yes, this time even Stefan, the old complainer) to put on our bathing suits. The water was bathtub temperature. Properly, we had packed our street clothes in two very modern... plastic bags... which we placed far away from the water. Or so we thought... We had been splashing around in the water for 1.5 hours when we saw someone from a distance taking our 'beach bags' and putting them somewhere else. Now we could finally see the complete scenario: while we were having a great time in the water, thanks to the tide, the wet element was getting closer and closer to our beach bags. However, an attentive beachgoer had understood the situation and was able to bring our things to safety in time. A big thank you to our unknown rescuer at this point! Still a little shocked, we put our street clothes back on and continued on to Charleston, where we arrived around 7 p.m. After a short stop at Scott's BBQ, we finally fell exhausted into bed.
Best regards,
Steffi and Stefan
