The drive was an hour out of my way, but it was worth every minute. Views alternated between low hanging Spanish moss trees and vast expanses of marshland known as the Toogoodoo Creek. An eerily quiet area, each home seemed miles away from the next with a worn down, shabby look the common theme. In the creek, tides were low exposing the muddy sediment between the high rising tufts of grasses and rushes.
The drive was stunning, and so when I spotted a small docking area beside the Dawhoo River I decided to stop and enjoy the quiet view. A rare car drove by on the freeway, momentarily disrupting the peaceful environment surrounding me. Later, a boat passed by briefly sending ripples to the bank of the Dawhoo River, and I walked the shore heavily laden with Oyster shells. I must have been there for a good fifteen minutes before I saw the gator about 2 meters away from me.
I didn’t know whether to be scared or not. How fast do alligators run? Are they aggressive? How close can I get to take a picture before losing my leg? Those were the questions running through my head as I watched the gator chilling out in the sun, partially submerged in the river. I backed away carefully, pleased at my sighting.
Edisto Beach
Storm clouds were rolling in by the time I arrived at Edisto beach, parking was easy to find along the residential roads adjacent to the beach front. The gaps in the cloud allowing the sun’s rays through told me I still had a bit of time to relax on the beach before it rained, so it was bikini and book for me as I found a spot on the shore to get comfortable.
Far from crowded was this stunning white sand beach, and cute white-washed beach houses with pastel roofs hid the main road from sight. I looked at one home, it’s roof a pale mint green, and thought, “this, right here, is my dream home.” Well those dreamy times were short lived as the rain decided to show up; I ran for shelter.
Actually, it was a good opportunity to have lunch, that is, if I could find a restaurant nearby. And I did, thanks to google maps on my cheap AT&T android. The only problem is that what I ordered (which happened to be a very popular choice) was disgusting! I ordered a starter of French fries with bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce. What I got was French fries completely soaked in barbecue flavoured sugar sauce with very greasy bacon and a load of cheese… seriously I felt like I could have a heart attack just tasting it. It was SO sweet, I had to drink the pint of coke to negate the sweetness.
I salvaged a chip or two with some bacon and realised I could not stomach the rest, the waitress kindly brought me some very salty boiled peanuts nodding knowingly when I described the sickly sweet taste. “Yeah it is very sweet, but lots of people like it.” she told me. And we wonder why America has an obesity problem…
Anyway, the drive back was just as pleasant with more trees covered in Spanish moss lining either side of the road creating a tunnel effect.
I drove past a quintessential old-style American country church with an open graveyard leading up to the road, and even spotted a makeshift 99cent store before joining the main highway that would take me on to my next stop; Savannah.