By the way another exceedingly lovely and historic weekend get-away is the exquisite coastal town of Beaufort, South Carolina’s second oldest city after Charleston (not to be confused with Buford, Georgia). We recently had a quick but memorable stop there and even visited the rainforest mazelike and pristine Hunting Island State Park beach, fourteen miles across the bridge out of town.
Depicted in the books of hometown hero the late Pat Conroy, author of the moving and powerful Prince of Tides novel, made into a multiple Academy Award nominated movie, Beaufort is jaw-droppingly beautiful and host to many festivals (the International Film Festival was in town when we were there) and special events throughout the year. Set against its watery background dappled with sailboats on Port Royal Island, the town has the rare honor of having the entire downtown designated a historic district by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
We were lucky enough to go on a delightful golf cart movie, history and architecture city tour, perched on the back, arranged by Peach Morrison of SC Low Country and led by the fascinating raconteur of her panoply of colorful movie backstories* and tales tour guide Karen Neumeister of Beaufort Tours LLC. This terrific tour company is owned by the “really wonderful” Bill Reynolds.
*Beaufort based on its imitable photogenic allure and appeal has an impressive assortment of movies shot here including Forest Gump, The Big Chill, G.I. Jane, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Something to Talk About, Forces of Nature, The Great Santini, and many more.
Cathy Burroughs is a noted travel writer and blogger who travels throughout the historic South, nationally and all over Europe. She is published widely including The New York Times international supplement.
