Today's adventure was a trip to Hilton Head Island primarily to visit Doreen's aunt Willi Schwandt, with a bonus of visiting another lighthouse called Harbour Town Lighthouse, just a block from where aunt Willi lives. The drive was a little over an hour up I-95 then east to Hilton Head. Traffic was buy with a little construction mixed in for good measure.
Hilton Head has a bit of a money grab going in with an "admission fee". You either purchase a pass or you pay per visit based on the number of axles you have. Ugh.
We made our way through Hilton Head with the help of Gamin and arrived at a bakery with a huge gravel parking lot adjacent, perfect for a one ton RAM dually. Aunt Willi lives just a block from there but we were early so we headed to the lighthouse which had just opened for the day.
A look down the street as we walked to the lighthouse. A beautiful area..
This is one of most unique lighthouses I've seen. It was built from 1960-1970. Yes, that is 1969 not 1869! This privately funded lighthouse was the brain-child of Charles F Frasier, an entrepreneur and founder of Sea Pines Plantation and several other destination resort communities. There were apparently many nay-sayers when he suggested the idea and it became known as Frasier's Folly, but turned out to be a "stroke of genius" in the long run. It is a functional light at the entrance to the yacht club but also an iconic television scene looking down the 18th fairway during the Heritage Golf Classic.
Unique also is it's gift shop at the base of the lighthouse where you pay a nominal charge to climb it's 114 steps to the top where you will find the "Top of the Lighthouse Shoppe". On the way up we enjoyed viewing historic artifacts of the "Lowcountry area", a great Coast Guard exhibit, including a 16-foot long scale model of the "Eagle", a 295 ft Coast Guard Cutter that serves a a seagoing classroom for Coast Guard cadets.
Most lighthouses we climb are a circular staircase, but this one is multiple sets of wooden steps going right up the middle. At each level there are displays to view.
A look up the stairs
We arrived at the top and enjoyed the breeze coming off the river. The view was great, even though this lighthouse is fairly short compared to others.
The light inside the top of the lighthouse
A view up from the platform. You really cannot see the top.
Entrance to the harbor.
Many yachts in the harbor
A look down the beach
We descended the lighthouse and made our way to Aunt Willi's condo. Willi and her husband Gene lived here for over 30 years. They originally lived in upstate New York near Seneca Falls. Gene worked for Gould Pump Company and Willi was a travel agent. Gene is deceased and now Willi has a personal assistant that is with her every day and then another person (or team) takes care of the night shift.
Entrance to Willi's condo. It is on the end facing the water
A look past her entrance with the river in the background
A closer view of the river.
Willi turned 93 in May and she is really doing well. She is very sharp with a good memory, all considered. Doreen had a good conversation with her and we stayed for about an hour. Her assistant, Kim, was a sweet young lady and helped facilitate our visit.
Aunt Willi looking great!
Doreen and Willi
It was time to go so they said their farewells and we headed back to Savannah. Some guy tried his best to swap paint with me on the way back, but the big ol' brown truck can divert pretty quickly when needed. Dip stick tried to change lanes into me. He would have lost that contest, but I got out of the way...luckily!
Turning off I-95 Doreen captured a couple pictures of a place that must be owned by one of my long lost relatives. Our last name is actually pronounced like this by some of the clan in NE Iowa. Suppose they give family discounts?
That's about it for today. I'll close with a picture from tonight and video from last night. The picture is across the lake showing the lakeside restaurant/bar. Great place. The video does not do it justice. The noise level at the campsite it unbelievable, and has nothing to do with our camping neighbors. There are frogs or critters of some sort that harmonize at night and it is deafening, almost freaky! It is hard to describe, so turn up your speakers!
Across the lake tonight
The restaurant and patio all lit up
Our campsite and beautiful Alliance coach with our flags flying proudly.
Not much to see here at the lake in the dead of the night, but listen to this with your speakers turned up.
Tomorrow we take Liberty across the street to the groomer at the "Day Spa" and then we hop the shuttle to downtown Savannah. We will be on foot down there all morning and the forecast is rain. If I don't see anything else I want to see where the infamous scene was filmed with Forrest Gump on the park bench!
No comments:
Post a Comment