Hunting Island State Park, Hunting Island, South Carolina

Spring was at hand and Poncho and Lefty were ready for a weekend getaway. The pair loaded up the Freestyle and headed for the coast for what was the first of many trips to South Carolina’s Hunting Island State Park.

Hunting Island is one of the state’s southern barrier islands. Travelers to the island will pass through historic Beaufort and cross over the numerous rivers and tidal creeks that create inland islands like Lady’s Island and St. Helena Island. The drive through the low-country from Beaufort to the campground takes about 25 minutes.

The park, one of the states largest, offers campsites directly off the beach and others under the maritime forest. Tall pines, palmettos and a reconstructed beach offer plenty of natural environment to enjoy. A nature center on the island’s southern tip delves into the animals, fish, and plants that inhabit the area. Miles of beaches mean that you’re never too close to the nearest beach neighbor. Poncho must say that the waves at Hunting Island are impressive and make for excellent boogie boarding!

Campsites are available for tents, campers, and RVs. Sites offer electricity and water with adequate (but not to be bragged about) bath houses. There is a well-stocked camp store to purchase anything that may have been forgotten or even a souvenir. Reservations for prime sites nearest the beach can be hard to come by during peak season. For the best spots, the park begins taking reservations eleven months in advance.

For this reason, Poncho and Lefty have enjoyed visiting the park during the off-season. The weather is less predictable – but at least there are no hurricanes to worry over after you’ve had your spot reserved for almost a year!

There is plenty at the park to keep you busy off the beach. (Lefty can only take so much direct sunlight!) A must see is the Hunting Island Light House. You can climb the spiral staircase to the top of the light for a spectacular view of the island. Interpretive displays depict life on this remote barrier island for the light keeper and his family.

Here is Poncho and Lefty’s list of things that are not to be missed on a trip to Hunting Island:

• Srgt. White’s Diner in Beaufort
  
• Sunrise on the beach
  
• The unique art galleries, shops, and Gullah culture of St. Helena Island
  
• Crab Cakes and Chocolate Stuff at Barbara Jean’s on Lady’s Island
  
• Look for the Ghost Light on Fripp Island (Poncho has been too chicken to actually do this, but she’s read all about it!)

Poncho and Lefty hope you'll enjoy discovering Hunting Island State Park as much as they have!

Hunting Island State Park can be found at:

2555 Sea Island Pkwy.

Hunting Island, SC 29920

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1019.aspx

(843) 838-2011

You can also find the Friends of the park at:

Friends of Hunting Island

Leiper's Fork, Tennessee, Historic District

Poncho and Lefty love the backroads, and it was on some very backroads that the pair found themselves arriving in Leiper’s Fork, TN. Leiper’s Fork is outside of Franklin, which is outside of Nashville, and Poncho and Lefty felt like they were way outside of anywhere by the time they saw the Leiper’s Fork historic district sign at the edge of town.

The drive to Leiper’s Fork took Poncho and Lefty through picturesque Tennessee countryside. There were hay fields, stone fences, rolling hills and plenty of beauty to be seen along the way.

Leiper’s Fork may be off the beaten path, but it is certainly not undiscovered. A newspaper clipping in the window of one of the stores recorded a visit to the small town from England’s Prince William. Still, despite a well-known reputation, the town seems small, quiet, and even forgotten – just the sort of place that Poncho and Lefty enjoy.

There are several unique shops worth poking your heads into. One offered an extensive collection of architectural antiques: mantels, doors, windows, and hardware all looking for a new home in an old home. This was right up Poncho’s historic preservation alley, although she did find herself a bit saddened by the thought of the loss of the wonderful homes that these treasures must have originated from.

There are also art galleries, furniture shops, and a grocery store to be explored.

One highlight of the town was the Lawn Chair Theatre. Poncho and Lefty were not lucky enough to catch a show at the open air stage at the foot of a grassy green lawn. Still after looking over the unique line-up of regional entertainment (many with a flare of the local heritage) they plan to fit the Lawn Chair Theatre into their travel schedule the next time around.

http://www.leipersforkvillage.com/

(615) 972-2708

Galveston Island State Park, Galveston, Texas

As Poncho and Lefty drove along the coast from Louisiana to Texas, they planned to drive to Galveston Island to visit the state park. Their drive was delayed due to the fact that Hurricane Katrina removed many of the ferries from the area. By the time they made it to Galveston, it was late and the town was beginning to close down. There were no staff available at the park, so they filled out the late check in form and took their pick of the few empty spots. They where unable to get a visual on the park, as it was late and most of the other camping residents had retired for the night.

They used the lights of the Freestyle to brighten their spot long enough to set up their tent and settle in for the evening. Their only visitor this evening was a calico cat that they seemed to have disturbed from her evening rest. Once their site was set up, Lefty cooked a few camp fire pizzas while Poncho situated their sleeping space. The winds from the gulf were so strong they actually had to set up a tarp to shelter the cooking area to keep the stove lit. After supper they immediately turned in for the night.

The next morning the sun warmed their tent and the breeze from the ocean was strong and refreshing. It was not until they stepped from the womb of the tent that they were able to actually appreciate the park. There were hardly any trees in sight, though each site had a concrete structure to provide shelter for its picnic table. The Gulf of Mexico was less than a 100 yards from any of the camp sites. Poncho and Lefty made their way to the beach and were greeted with many smiles from their new neighbors. A few stopped wanting to share stories of their travels.

Needless to say Poncho and Lefty had a wonderful yet short stay at the park. The visitors center with is unique architecture was nice and the staff were all very helpful. Poncho and Lefty highly recommend this state park for an overnight stay. The bath houses were clean and tidy. Though watch your toes in the shower stalls, Lefty did see a fiddler crab escaping as he was freshening up.

Galveston Island State Park can be found at:

14901 FM 3005 Rd

Galveston, TX 77554

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/galveston

409-737-1222