Piccolo Spoleto and Pirates May '09

  Bruce and I went to the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston today.   
This two week long festival of arts ( May 27 - June 19th . features a changing venue of local and national talent in music, dance and the visual arts.  Today we went to a local craft fair where CC bought a ceramic fish plate, Then we took in an out of doors fine art exhibit.  The artist there were every bit as good (if not better) than anything we had seen in Greenville. And finally we paid our first visit to Charleston’s Gibbes Museum of Art.   Hey had a particularly interesting exhibit on the history of the art of printmaking, along with examples of prints the print making process.

Of course, no visit to Charleston would be complete without a dining at one of its many fine restaurants.  This time decided to sample the Low Country fare at The Buccaneer.  is a locally-owned restaurant and tavern that  resides in an historic warehouse dating back to the late 1700s. It's located in what was Charleston's original wharf front district on cobble-stoned Faber Street. The entrance and the lobby areas best represent the original design of the structure.  It is dedicated to the authentic history of piracy along the Carolina coast. A collection of unique artifacts is displayed throughout the restaurant explores the golden age of piracy, 1690 - 1730. ( http://thebuccaneerrestaurant.com/about.html )

CC had a lobster mac. and cheese dish that was to die for.  Tiny lobster filled ravioli were baked in a three cheese sauce then served with a grilled slipper tail lobster.  Bruce’s shrimp and grits dish was equally delicious.

Bull Island, SC 5 ' 09

Bull Island  is  part of the 62,000-acre CAPE ROMAIN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.  The refuge in turn is adjoined on the west to the quarter million acre Frances Marion National forest which is also a premier federally wildlife protection zone. Together the two form one of the largest top tier wildlife protection areas in the United States. 
 And it is a true wilderness island.

Most visitors get to the island by meeting the passenger ferry at Garris Landing (between Awendaw and McClellanville) in the morning. 

Garris Landing with docked ferry

 During the thirty minute ride to the island, visitors are given a environmental overview of the island and the surrounding wetlands.    

Environmental Interpretor

On our ride over, we also got to watch birds

Brown Pelican

 and see a pod of dolphin playing in the inter-coastal waterway.

Bottle Nose Dolphin

When you arrive on Bull Island, one can follow several dirt roads which go off in different directions.   Unfortunately, much of the interior is mosquito infested during the warmer months, so most visitors, including us, head straight to the beach during the summer months. 

Main Road through the center of Bull Island

The main road leads directly from the ferry dock 

through the center of the island

 to the Atlantic Ocean and  Boneyard Beach

BJ at Boneyard Beach

Boneyard Beach is the most photographed location on Bulls Island

CC at Boneyard Beach

This is a three mile stretch of beach on the northeast corner of the island. Here, hundreds of oaks, cedars and pines can be found strewn along the beach; all the result of an ever-changing beach which is in constant battle with the in-coming surf. 

Boneyard Beach gets its name from all the downed trees which have been bleached by the sun and salt water ultimately resembling a graveyard of bones.  

 It is a photographers’ dream

 Another popular activity is collecting shells. (Bull Island is definitely the place for serious shell hunters)  Sand dollars are the most popular finds on Bull Island, however there are many seashells, starfish and seahorses also waiting to be picked up and carried home.  

BJ spent awhile shelling

The northern end the Boneyard near the marsh is an excellent location to find sand-dollars.  We saw literally hundreds of Atlantic whelk shell in this section that had been washed up after last week’s off-shore storm.

There is a lot more to see and do on Bull Island than just shelling.  It has an interesting history.  The Island was discovered on March 15, 1670 when early European explorers first landed on it.  Later it was a well-known hideout for pirates waiting to raid ships along the coast. The ruins of the Old Fort on Bull Island are believed to be what is left of a Martello tower that was built in the early 1700s, to help defend the area against these pirates.  During the Revolutionary War, British warships used the island as a restocking station. Union troops later destroyed the fort during the Civil War to prevent its use by the Confederates. During the Revolutionary War, British warships used the island as a restocking station.  And the scenery is spectacular.   We wished there were fewer mosquitoes so that we could have explored the interior more thoroughly.

 But the bird life is what Bulls Island is known for throughout the world. Over 275 species of birds have been recorded on the refuge with most being found on or near Bulls. Black ducks, pintails, mallards, canvasback and teal can be found in the many impoundments. 
Warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers and raptors abound in the lush forest of Bulls Island.  

American Avocet

 This photo  of an avocet 

American Woodstork

andthe photo above of a  pair of Woodstork were taken from the main road leading across the island.  
  

Oyster Catchers

 And these pictures of oyster  catchers 

Eastern peep

and  an Eastern Peep were taken on the Atlantic facing beach.

Pine, palm and magnolias are the dominant trees found on the island, while deer, alligators, otters, raccoons, black fox squirrels, reptiles and amphibians call Bulls Island home.

Visitors can look also look for trails created by the rare red wolf, which is bred on the island.  We saw dear track and fresh dog like paw prints on the main beach trail.  Dogs are not allowed on the island, so guess what we were probably seeing.  We will undoubtedly return again in the winter when we can explore the interior of the island more fully.   

BJ on ferry ride back to the mainland

The afternoon ferry brings visitors back refreshed from a true wilderness experience.

May '09 North West of Greenville

Table Rock Mt SP Hdqrt

Before we returned home from Greenville's  Art-sphere,  we decided to investigate the  the surrounding area  in  upstate  South Carolina to see if it warranted a  stand-alone return trip . 

'Ole Opry" in Pumpkinville

We found the area is filled with  picturesque  farms, and  quaint colorful small towns.  And there seems to be a historic road marker  posted  on every corner

State, County and local parks filled streams rivers, lakes ,and waterfalls were too abundant to count.

Clearly the answer is, "YES."   We do need to pay a return visit to this corner of South Carolina

Artsphere May '09

This weekend Bruce and I traveled to Greenville , South Carolina

Greenville is a lovely city in the Northwestern corner of the State.

It has a  lovely modern skyline with very contemporary architecture

but it has managed to retain the best of all worlds by 

keeping its  historic areas  alive and vibrant

Historic Main Street

The  tree lined Main street is filled with gourmet eateries 

and interesting shops which appeal to the college students who hang out there

 after leaving their nearby classes.

Main Street is also the site of many of the special events that the city sponsors on a regular basis including

Artsphere

which had brought us to town

It is one of the top 10 fine Art Craft Fairs in the Country 

featuring both regional and national exhibitors

Main street is blocked off to all vehicular traffic for four blocks  just before it  crosses the   River 

 Street performers

 Mimes

Acrobats

and live bands

entertain the crowds on the bridge

On lookers watching a street performance

A Gourd craftsman 

Booths are set up on either side of the Street beyond the bridge

with a wide  fine art and crafts including painting, jewelry, handmade clothing, woodwork, musical instruments, glass, and metal work.  CC was a little disappointed in the limited amount of painters, but one certainly could not complain about the quality of what was exhibited. It wall all top notch.

This artist makes Wooden Dolls

Bruce checking out some woodcuts prints

Even the area below the Bridge was utilized

Chalk artists rendered lovely but transient renditions of famous works of art

And the amphitheater at the River Park

Was filled with crowds watching  at a performance artist quickly creating a painting to music

In the evening we met up with several of CC's friends for dinner 

at one of the many fine restaurants in town

Litchfield Diner 5 '09

  The Litchfield Diner is the kind of arrogantly shabby establishment that locals love.

It advertises that it has the Best Breakfast in town....

 but look a bit more closely at what is just beyond their sign

Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it.