At low tide I took my camera up the beach for some pictures. This is such a cool beach Where wildlife manages to survive among humans.
We then took a bike ride on Magnolia Trail and Lagoon Trail, then back on Maritime Trail. I went for a swim in the ocean to cool off after that. It was just the right temperature to cool me off. A father and his teenage kids were having fun surfing the waves.
Monday, May 7, 2018
It’s always fun arriving at a new place, anxious to explore and see what is here. We walked out the long boardwalk into a huge marsh. It was low tide and they haven’t had rain for 12 days, so the only water was in the creeks. I was disappointed not to find birds, but it gave us an opportunity to see all the animals that provide food. One inch crabs were everywhere. They live in little holes with mounds of dirt making hills from their tunneling. There were abundant Periwinkle snails and mussels. A raccoon was feasting through the grass, barely looking up to see if we were a threat.
Then we visited the little nature center where two volunteers gave us some great lessons about the park and where Martha could kayak. We headed over to the lighthouse for the 187 steps to the top. It wasn’t bad, and it provided a beautiful view of the park.
Tuesday
We photographed lots of birds gathered in a small pond beside the road. We would stop at the next pond north the following day, only to get caught by a very nice park ranger. I noticed the sign said not to approach the birds because they were nesting. Especially the wood storks can be scared off and never return to the nest. In an odd quirk of nature, the birds like this pond because it has alligators. Lots of animals like to eat bird eggs, particularly raccoons, but alligators like to eat raccoons.
After walking out the concrete drive from Atalaya Castle, viewing the wildlife, we hiked the trail to the north end of the beach, then walked back in the surf. We saw our nice neighbors, Jim and Karen, at a wildlife overlook. They come to Huntington Beach State Park often, and always had great recommendations of things to see and places to go.
After a little rest, we drove over to Brookgreen Gardens not knowing anything about it. You get a 5-day pass, and it would take five days to see it.
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookgreen_Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The 9,100-acre (37 km2) property includes several themed gardens with American figurative sculptures placed in them, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on the property. It was founded by Archer Milton Huntington, stepson of railroad magnate Collis Potter Huntington, and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington to feature sculptures by Anna and her sister Harriet Randolph Hyatt Mayor along with other American sculptors. Brookgreen Gardens was opened in 1932, and is built on four former rice plantations, taking its name from the former Brookgreen Plantation.[3]
Originally, what is now Brookgreen Gardens was four rice plantations. The plantations from south to north were The Oaks, Brookgreen, Springfield, and Laurel Hill. The current gardens and surrounding facilities lie completely on the former Brookgreen Plantation, which was owned by Joshua John Ward
The Huntingtons[edit]
It is the creation of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington of Connecticut, who purchased four plantations to open the garden to showcase her sculptures. Situated on Waccamaw Neck in Georgetown County, South Carolina, between the Waccamaw River and the Atlantic coast, it is the country’s first public sculpture garden and has the largest collection of figurative sculpture by American artists in an outdoor setting in the world. It is also a nature and historical preserve with a small zoo and a nature exhibition center.
Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington first visited the property in 1929. Because they were captivated by the beauty of it, they purchased nearly 9,100 acres (37 km2) of forest, swamp, rice fields and beachfront. They intended to establish a winter home on the coast, but Anna saw the potential of the property and they quickly began to develop her vision of making it the showcase for her sculptures. Archer, son of philanthropists Arabella Worsham Huntington and stepson of Collis Huntington, and Anna have donated property and contributed much to U.S. arts and culture in a number of states. Her sculpture of Joan of Arc is a feature of New York City‘s Riverside Park.
Sculpture gardens[edit]
About 1445 works of American figurative sculpture are displayed at the Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington Sculpture Garden. Many of the works are creations of sculptress Hyatt Huntington, but other artists are also featured. Walkways and garden paths link the sculptures in their distinctive garden, fountain, or landscape settings, with vistas of the scenery surrounding them.
Brookgreen Gardens Sculpture38
A 1,600-acre (650 ha) area of Brookgreen Gardens was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1] The sculpture garden portion, 551 acres (223 ha), of Brookgreen Gardens was included in the designation of Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens as a National Historic Landmark in 1984.[5][6] Atalaya Castle is just across U.S. 17 which cuts through the former combined Huntington property.
The sculpture gardens includes works by:
[7]
Martha fixed a nice dinner of Vermillion Snapper, potatoes and beets.
May 5, 2018
We walked down to the beach with a nice lady from Chapel Hill, exchanged good ideas for travel. She said we would love Hunting Island. Her father was a Navy pilot for 20 years, but Jimmy Keith’s name didn’t ring a bell. We walked this beautiful beach for 40 minutes.
Met Jim to my left cutting firewood. What a nice guy. Said it just kills him to buy firewood, so he drove up the road and found plenty.
From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntington_Beach_State_Park
The park, originally property of Anna Hyatt Huntington and Archer M. Huntington, was leased after his death and takes its name from him The 2500 acre (10 km2) tract was leased to the state in 1960 for use as a state park. Mrs. Huntington died in 1973. Atalaya was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and was included in the designation of Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens as a National Historic Landmark in 1984.
He and his wife’s winter home, Atalaya Castle, is located in the park. Built during the Great Depression by only local workers, the residence was designed to withstand hurricanes.
The studio of his wife, the noted 20th-century American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, was part of the compound. Many of her significant sculptures are in nearby Brookgreen Gardens, an extension of the former Huntington estate, now a public sculpture garden.
