Goodbye Georgia, Hello South Carolina

     A little less than 15 miles after leaving of the Isle of Hope, we cruised into the Savannah River which marks the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina.  I honestly can't say I noticed much difference.  The "Low Country," as this area of the southeast is known, looks pretty much the same (in a very beautiful way) wherever you go--marshes, saw grass, pines in the distance, wide waterways and very little signs of human presence.  It really is quite mesmerizing to just float along and enjoy it.
     Just south of our next destination, Port Royal Marina near Beaufort, S.C., is Port Royal Sound, said to be the deepest natural harbor south of Chesapeake Bay.  Our crossing was in good weather and fair winds--just lots of water everywhere, as you can see:

     Here we are (in the photo below) approaching the marina a short while later (notice I have my lines out ready for docking all you boating friends--fenders still up, though):

     Port Royal is also a town, separated from Beaufort only by the width of a signpost at a Burger King on Ribault Road, which runs through both towns.  But Beaufort gets the attention, and for good reason.  It is another historic area with beautiful restored homes, but it also has a lot of modern-day claims to fame.  It has a naval hospital and Marine Corps Air Station that is home to seven F/A-18 Hornet squadrons (wadda ya' think, Jeff?).  It is even more well known for the movies that have been filmed here:  Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, Prince of Tides and The Great Santini (the last 2 were written by local author Pat Conroy--a factiod for Karen and all my Barnes & Noble friends).
     Once we were docked, we went for our usual walk to the Piggly Wiggly (yeah folks, there really is a grocery chain by that name in the South).  We also stopped at a seafood stand at the side of the road and bought shrimp, flounder and freshly boiled peanuts from a local fisherman.  We had the flounder for dinner and it was like nothing I ever cooked before.  Here is a photo of Art, hauling his half of the groceries, as we walked back to the boat through a beautiful neighborhood right by the marina:

     This last photo is of our marina at low tide--amazing how much water disappears when the tide here goes out.  We just don't see these kinds of tides on the West coast.

     Our next stop is Charleston, a city I am really excited about visiting.  We will spend a few days there enjoying the sights and the food, so that will be my next post.