About 4 miles before Beaufort, I crossed a very large waterway called the Broad River. Although it's called a river, it's more an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, flowing with the tides. The Broad and Coosaw River to the north combine to create the large, five-island area. Crossing the river brought me onto Port Royal Island, and the town of Beaufort.
My reasons for riding here were both as an objective for a day's ride and for a more personal goal. My father, a lifelong New Yorker, is buried in Beaufort National Cemetery. After residing in the Empire State for 62 years, how he got to find his rest in a laid-back South Carolina town is a story best left for another day, but whenever I'm close by I stop for a visit. A right turn on SR21 brought me to the cemetery, and after paying respects to Dad, I headed for a short tour along Boundary Street over the Sea Island Parkway into Port Royal Island, stopping for photos along the way.
And there are so many places to stop-anywhere you look, in fact. Subject matter, as well as backdrops for photos of the bike, can be anything from groups of boats anchored offshore to antebellum houses and historical buildings to graceful bridges and open waterways. At a random stop in the Port Royal Landing area, I got my favorite photo of the day: a shot of the spoked front wheel of my motorcycle contrasted against a wood spoked wheel of a horse-drawn carriage, courtesy of Southern Rose Buggy Tours.
While there were plenty of places in the area left to visit, including a ride through St. Helena Island to Hunting Island State Park, or the long way around on SR21 to Edisto Island and Edisto Beach, it was now approaching mid-afternoon, and I wanted to be back at the beach house by sunset. Finding my way back to Boundary Street, I headed west across 170 to my base on Hilton Head.
I spent the rest of the next day enjoying the summer-like weather. The family had rented the house until Monday, but I had planned to head back to Atlanta on Sunday to avoid the rain that was forecast for Monday afternoon. Alas, Sunday came and went and I was still in Hilton Head. With my family's plans to spend Sunday at Sea Pines (a gorgeous area at the southern end of the island), and another day of dazzling sun, blue sky and ocean, it was simply too beautiful to miss. The panoramic pictures of the marina and top of a lighthouse also added a few great shots to my weekend portfolio.
I wouldn't call the decision a mistake, but it was one that definitely allowed for a full range of riding experiences over the weekend. On Monday I got an early start, but it was already gray, overcast and much cooler, and stops for photographs in the early part of the day slowed my forward progress. A note about stopping for photographs-it is difficult for a person with a background in photography (such as myself) to pass up an opportunity to record a place or event, even when it might increase the complexity of the journey. It becomes an even more complicated on a motorcycle. In a car, it is fairly simple to pull over, jump out, take a photo, jump back in and continue on without a significant loss of time. On a motorcycle, you must find a suitable place to pull off (avoiding gravel, etc.), remove your gear, get camera equipment from the bags, take photographs, repack, put your gear on, get back on the bike and go. Any stop for photos takes up significant time.
At the entrance to the Savannah River Nuclear Plant the rain began. I put on my rainsuit at a gas stop south of Augusta, but by the time I reached I-20 (the fastest way back to Atlanta), the drizzle had become a downpour. I was only about 150 miles from home but the strong rain, along with dropping temperatures pounded me for the next four hours. And rain had been forecast to fall for the next several days, so there was nothing to do but knuckle down and ride it out. It was probably one of the most miserable days I have ever spent on a motorcycle.
I arrived home shortly before 5 PM, wet and cold but none the worse for the experience, with a mostly a great weekend behind me. You win some, you lose some. All in all, I had three days of glorious weather and only one bad, so I'll call it one for the 'win' column. Besides, having the occasional bad weather experience helps me hone my skills for future less-than-perfect riding situations.
A two-wheeled tour through Hilton Head and the South Carolina Low Country is a great way to experience a singularly unique area. The roads are uncrowded, the towns picturesque, and the laid-back Low Country landscape is unlike any other in the southeastern U.S. Just don't forget to pack the rainsuit.