Monday, January 16, 2012

Botany Bay

I hope everyone had a great weekend,I know I did. We just returned from a lovely weekend camping at Edisto Beach. While we were there we visited Botany Bay Plantation. an ocean front plantation that is now a Heritage Preserve/ Wildlife Preserve. This once private paradise, is a diamond in the rough, that has been open to the public since 2008.We can all enjoy it's beauty..

Upon entering the plantation there are gorgeous Live Oaks strewn with Spanish moss that just seem envelope you. These trees are among the most photographed and recognizable in Edisto.



There is a driving tour that gives you the history of the plantation and the relics of a few of the buildings that stood during the rise and fall of the cotton growing industry in the south. Interesting, but our main reason for going to the plantations was to see the 2 miles of undeveloped marshland and beach.

 It is a 1/2 mile walk to the beach. While we were walking we saw several coastal birds feeding.


 Upon entering the  the beach there was this sign. Before reading it, I thought aww, what a cute name for an island.... I was unaware that a Hammock Island is an island less 1,000 acres and is a bit inland from  barrier islands. South Carolina has 3500  Hammock Islands.




                                                      This is the entrance to the beach.
.

 Volunteers sit  at the entrance to the beach to answer questions and to  make sure NO ONE removes anything from the beach. Ok are you ready to see it?????



The "bone yard" as it is nick named is filled with.... thousands of these...

                    and these...

and these...
                
Visitors decorate standing or fallen trees with the shells, since they can't be removed. People will also bring anything unusual that they find to a volunteer, to put on display  for others to see.


Then there is this!

 A beautiful piece of huge driftwood


 
 

The abundance of beautiful sun bleached  driftwood  was unbelievable!

  We  had to get a few shots in this!

If you get out to Botany Bay Beach  at sunrise or sunset you might be able to capture a photo like this!


Via

I hope you enjoyed this post.  If you are ever in the area of the spectacular plantation, be sure to pack a lunch, bring your camera  and a bike and spend the day. It is a magical place! For more information on the plantation go here.http://www.scwildlife.com/pubs/septoct2009/edisto.html

7 comments:

beachcomber said...

what a gorgeous place! love all the driftwood and shells. great photos!
x

Seawashed said...

OMGoodness! It's a treasure island. It would hard for me not to sneak a shell and driftwood in my pocket! Lucky lucky you to spend the day there.

Coastal Health and Home said...

Thank you for sharing, Linda.
Looks like your kind of "candy
store".

Enjoy your new shells!
I know you must have picked some up while your were there.

The enchanted home said...

What gorgeous pictures..nothing like the beach in winter. The driftwood is soo pretty!

michelle said...

What a beautiful place and all that driftwood! ah!!! I am so glad that you had a wonderful time, it looks warm there. :)
xoxo

Leo said...

Beautiful photos. Love the driftwood on the beach.

Dave Allen said...

Hi there, just wanted to write and ask if you could correct the credit for the image at the bottom of this article? I am the copyright owner of the image used and would appreciate it if it were attributed to me instead of FAA: http://www.daveallenphotography.com/boneyard_sunrise.php

Thank you :)
Dave Allen