As I mentioned yesterday, Bruce and I had waited… and waited… and waited for the weather to clear, so we could enjoy the carriage tour under sunny blue skies. We finally scored a beautiful day on Wednesday and hopped on a ride with Southurn Rose Buggy Tours with Ki as our guide and Jim pulling the buggy.

Big Jim weighs in at 2200 pounds and is a Spotted Draft Horse, which is a mix between a Paint Stallion and a Percheron mare. He also has a taste for Spanish moss– neither Spanish or a moss. Actually, it’s a bromeliad in the pineapple family, and evidently tastes sweet like pineapple, because Jim stopped right in the middle of the street to grab some off a low-hanging branch. At the end of our tour, Jim, a gentle giant, snacked on carrots right from Ki’s hand.

Listening to the history of Beaufort was interesting, and Ki’s stories were humorous. What a delightful way to learn about such a charming, quaint, and friendly town.

Following our tour, Bruce and I returned to “The Point” on foot to get another look at the antebellum homes, and then finished our walk along the waterfront park.

Today, after my morning swim, we returned to the historic district to explore more of the area. Thunderstorms are expected tomorrow (yeah, more rain… just what South Carolina needs), so we enjoyed a last look around under what was left of the sunny skies before the clouds started rolling in. Tomorrow, we’ll dodge the raindrops and stop over at the Methodist church for their fall festival; however, we figure that will be just about it before we pack up for our trip home on Sunday.

Join me on my photo tour of the historic district of Beaufort as well as a few more scenes from previous days during our stay.

Scientists estimate the oldest Grand Oaks in Beaufort are as much as 600 years old!

The Old Church Cemetary surrounds The Parish Churcyh of St. Helena.  Established in 1712 as a colonial parish of the Church of England, St. Helena’s is one of the oldest churches in America.  The original church was built on the present site in 1724 and appears today as it did in 1842 following its final enlargement.

Among the most historical burial grounds in America, St. Helena’s Old Churchyard has graves of nearly 100 veterans of every major conflict since 1711.  These are marked with the flag under which they fought.  Sixty of these veterans served in the Army or Navy of the Confederate States of America.

A cute little chapel on St. Helena

The marsh at Fripp Inlet