Where Daufuskie Bob & Mel?

Part 2 of Hilton Head trip November/December 2023. Ferry ride worth the cost, no charge for museums on the island. Part 1 if you want to start from there. Mostly handicapped accessible.

The Rootless Ramblers went way off the beaten path...happily lost, and surprised that we came back to home base.

Ok, we came back for the kids, they would have had a heck of a time finding us.

How we ended up deciding to go to Daufuskie is complicated, but so glad that we did. Yes, the Hilton Head area is pretty quiet this time of year, and wandering off with strangers to unknown places can be a little scary. So we took a bonafide tour boat instead of hitching a ride.

There are lots of ways to get there if you are creative enough but we felt in good hands with Island Head ferry service.

We didn't know what to expect when we arrived at the port to catch the ferry over to the island, very few people around...which can be relaxing and a little worrisome. But don't worry! The guys with Island Head were very nice and went above and beyond to make us comfortable. The pier to the boat (don't let the word ferry confuse you...it is a small boat) was very long and I was unable to walk it. No worries, just called them and a guy showed up with a golf cart to get me closer to the boat. Not fully handicapped accessible, you would need to be carried onto the boat. Just be prepared for that.

Anyway, I took a photo of William our captain just in case he was the last person to see us alive. At the last minute, another couple showed up to go with us. William seems to love captaining and has lots of knowledge about the island life along the coast that he shared. So tip him, he needs some lunch and he sits on the island all day waiting to take us back.

The rides over in the morning and back in the evening are chilly so dress for that. We did not.

I am going to put these two island maps right here for future reference. While they were super helpful they were also not super helpful. We spent the day pleasantly lost.

Photo dump of the island. I could go through every photo with you, but it will never mean as much as being there. Let me know if you want to know more about a photo.

Let's wrap up Daufuskie with a video of our first road away from the pier and a few more tidbits that would be helpful for other's visits. If you come during in season, the island will be packed and boat parking will be impossible to find. Bring as much water as you can in case you get lost like we did. Bring cash to use at the bars and ice cream stops. And if you drink, go find the rum signs and you will be satisfied. And hit the Daufuskie Island Historical Foundation ASAP for the map of historical interest. You can also stay over and some areas are privately owned so look out for the no trespassing signs. Lastly check out the ladies at Island Indigo as they work on-site making all their beautiful goodies for sale.

Now for a couple of last-minute spots on our trip!

Stoney Baynard Ruins & Sea Pines Forest Preserve at Sea Pines $9 to get into the private community and $6.25 to go up the lighthouse. The preserve is handicapped accessible for the most part, the ruins and Harbour Town are not.

We spent a very brief time here, after hitting the Harbour Town and realizing very quickly that I could not get around on my mobility scooter and that this was not our kind of fun. We finally got a map, so digital maps are available here if you want to plan your day better than we did.

We were happy to see the ruins and the preserve. The shell ring was the highlight of the preserve and needs a little more study time on our part. If you want to study up, they do have some informative video links on the trail...but here they are for us now.

Oh Beaufort, we need to spend more time together!

Beaufort, SC: The Reconstruction Era NHP and Forrest Gump filming locations free except for parking (we used a meter for $1 an hour), handicapped accessible. Beaufort has an amazing website to help plan your visit; you choose where you want to go and it builds a link for you to use with your family for planning your days.

We certainly need to come back and spend a few days just exploring Beaufort.

One of us wasn't feeling well therefore we just ran up to see The Reconstruction Era NHP so we could get our National Park Passport Stamp.

During our quick wander around the blocks, we saw several Forrest Gump locations and the infamous locations of the Murdaugh Murders. This is the Woods Memorial Bridge that Forrest ran over.