Sarayu Sails- The Adventures of Proud Lady Motor Trawler: Castles, wars and movies and mysteries

Do you know why the ceilings of the porches are blue, or black?

Were there folks buried alive?

What movies were made in Beaufort South Carolina?

Do modern day castles still exist ?

Are we in the north or south? Union or Confederate?

This porch ceiling is beautiful wood looking stain.

This one is haint blue. Haint blue is popular light and airy it also is said that it keeps birds and bugs off and gives the feel of the great outdoors.

Then there were a few ceilings with black. Tragedy or death in murder or suicide has happened in this house. At least that's what I heard the guide say.

Ok! here's our story.

April 9, 2013

Bill and I had anchored out in a bay near downtown Beaufort South Carolina.

We dinghied into the day dock at the city marina.

Booked a ticket for the one o'clock tour on the horse and buggy.

We walked to the big boats to visit with fellow Loopers, Wayne and Rhonda on "Help me Rhonda"

Then, walked up town to explore.

Bill and I had lunch at a cute little place at the soda bar.

We enjoyed the tuscan turkey sandwich and an ice cream soda.

We walked back to the port to go for our historical homes tour in a horse and buggy.

Our ride for the tour of downtown Beaufort S.C. The horse name is Rocky he's a belgian amish workhorse 15 years old. He moves pretty slow...thats his reputation in Beaufort.

Beautiful steeple of St. Helena's Episcopal Church est. 1712 it has lots of history. During the Civil war the town was occupied by the Union. This church was used as a surgical hospital they took the grave stones from the grave and used them as a table then replaced them when finished with surgery. The Union army tried not to do harm to this church building even saving the pews.

This is the cemetery where is was told there were some buried alive because of a sleeping sickness that put the folk in a coma and thought to be dead. One person was even buried with a meal and pick axe and candle just in case he was not dead.

A view of the church through the trees.

The Castle

Built 1850 Originally owen and build by a very wealth Dr. Joseph Johnson.

In the Civil was this home was used as a hospital and morgue.

This is a view from the water as we passed on April 10th.

Its beautiful and impressive the huge oak trees are over 300 years old with massive trunks.

MOVIES

There were more than a dozen movies made in Beaufort, S.C. I will just name a few.

Forest Gump, Conrack, The Great Santini, The Big Chill, Glory, The Prince of Tides.

That is just a few there are many more.

One of Bill and my favorite is White Squall with Jeff Bridges.

HOW EXCITING!

Another question I asked in the opening of this blog, IS?- Beaufort, South Carolina, Union or Confederate were they for the North or South?

These 3 pictures above are of the "Arsenal" it was built by the British 1711, It now houses the museum.

Patriots housed here in the American Revolution 1775.

Then, it as used by confederates in the Civil War but they did not stay they skedaddled.

Interesting old trees.

The tree above is called an angel tree. See how the branches reach out and bow down?

This one has a low clearance sign on it.

South Carolina was the first to secede from the Union in 1860.

Succession house built 1813

Before the Civil war Beaufort, SC was one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, but after the war the homes were abandoned. When it was occupied by the federal troops and served as Union army headquarters and hospital zone, these northern folks stayed. Beaufort is still beautiful, "beautiful Beaufort by the sea". It is still home to many military bases which also have long histories in this area. The area is made up of many sea islands and is rich in history of "Freed Black slaves", who were given 40 acres and a mule and the "Gullah" art and history abounds in their sweet grass baskets and old recipes. I love it here.

Frogmore stew, from St Helens Island

2 gallon water

4 Tablespoons Old Bay spice

1 medium onion chopped

2 pounds smoked sausage chopped to 2 inch lengths

5 ears corn halved

3 pounds shrimp

Add all (except the corn and shrimp it will go in last so it is not overcooked) and bring to boil

in the last 15 min add corn then add the shrimp (Do not overcook shrimp it only takes about 8 to 10 min.) Drain and serve with butter or cocktail sauce on a sheet of newspaper or brown paper. I have also added chicken chunks which I brown in a skillet before adding to the stew early in the cooking. Eat this meal with your fingers. AKA Low country boil.

It is delicious and FUN!