April 2009 Archives

Beaufort, SC is a charming slow-paced city located on South Carolina's Beaufort River at Port Royal Sound. This low country coastal city is filled with wonders from days gone by, with its collection of antebellum mansions, live oaks draped with Spanish moss, and quaint palm-lined streets. Horse drawn carriages still delight the tourists who visit this beautiful location where time seemingly stands still. The Southern charm and appeal of Beaufort's historic architecture reached all the way to Hollywood when it was featured in the hit movie Forrest Gump in the mid-1990s.

The history of the city dates back almost 500 years. First discovered by Spanish explorers in 1514, Beaufort has been home to several military forts used during the Colonial Wars, Spanish Wars, and the Civil War between the North and the South. Several area museums have retained artifacts from these eras and are displayed most notably in the Beaufort Museum, the Parris Island Museum, and the Heyward House Historic Center. Each of these museums are open to the public year round and provide an excellent account of both military and everyday life within the region.

The area also hosts a number of historical churches. The Tabernacle Baptist Church on Craven St. was built in the 1800s and was later purchased by its 500 black members. The churchyard is the resting place of Robert Smalls, the first black Congressman from SC and a former slave. During the Civil War, St. Helena's Episcopal Church on Newcastle St. was used as a hospital for the Union Army. The founder of Beaufort Town, Col. John "Tuscarora Jack" Bamwell is buried beneath the church's dome vault. After the Civil War, The Brick Baptist Church on Land's End Rd., was used as a community center, school and church during the Reconstruction period, for both Northern abolitionists and slaves that had been freed. The church has now been designated as part of the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District.

The annual Spring Tour of Homes, which allows locals and visitors alike to stroll through the area's magnificent plantation homes and gardens. The event has been hosted by the St. Helena's Women of the Parish group since 1956, and features a candlelight tour, gospel singers, and other local entertainment. Tickets for the accompanying boat tour of the area often sell out weeks prior to the actual event. Throughout the year, additional events are held which spotlight the region's most talented artists and craftsmen, many of whom have created crafts and wares that are indicative of both the Southern culture and the historical aspects of the area.

Beaufort has been repeatedly awarded for its charm, art, culture, and vacation spot appeal. The town has been included in the list for "Best Small Southern Town by Southern Living magazine, and National Geographic's "Top 50 Adventure Towns"; have enjoyed the prestige of being a finalist in the "Top 25 Small City Arts Destinations", and even landed a spot on the sport fishing enthusiasts magazine Field & Streams' "Top 20 Fishing Towns".

Here at Dataw Island, we're excited about the launch of our newly redesigned Web site, www.dataw.com. My name is Silvia Lalinde, director of marketing and membership here at Dataw Island.

As one of the premier, private Beaufort-area communities, Dataw Island prides itself on being the South Carolina lowcountry's best kept secret.

With our new site, both current and prospective residents can learn more about Dataw Island, the numerous activities that take place on Dataw and the Island's Cotton Dike Golf Course and Morgan River Golf Course.

The redesign also includes: a community blog; a news and information section; a list of Dataw organizations and clubs; Dataw Community Center classes and times; Dataw Island Club menus; a Dataw staff directory; an Island photo gallery and available Dataw real estate properties. There's also a plethora of information regarding other activities here in our quiet Beaufort community.

Until next time, feel free to explore the site and let me know your thoughts on what's happening on Dataw.

Best,
Silvia

Beaufort, South Carolina is a gorgeous place to own real estate. There are lots of private and gated communities offering an allusive and very secure feel. A lot of the communities are oceanfront and historic. Beaufort is still a small town with historic mansions, gorgeous shimmering bay, large oak trees and lots of waterways.

Beaufort offers a healthy lifestyle with lots of outdoor pursuits including biking, boating, fishing, hiking and kayaking. One can pursue the sport of fishing year-round here. Usually the fisherman's dilemma is not when to fish but what to fish because of the vast array of options. There are trout, flounder, sheephead and red-fish to name a few. Hiking is a wonderful option at the Hunting Island State Park. There are water sports available there as well as other activities such as crabbing, shelling, swimming and picnicking.

The city is famous for its gorgeous and impressive harbor and for the historic marks and architecture. It is also known for its military establishments. It is also known for having a very southern style of living. It is only one hour away from Charleston. At Beaufort you can enjoy fishing lakes, boat ramp and waterfront lodges. Owning property here would be very enjoyable because it is so easy to relax in a place like this. In August there is the Beaufort Water Festival that lasts for about 6 weeks. It's a great time to visit the city.

The islands offer a beautiful Beaufort private community just along Battery Creek. It is enclosed by greenery, marshes and water and is a great exclusive place to live. You can flee urban congestion there and really be around nature. These private communities offer a chance for anyone to enjoy the true sense of community. It's a place where children can enjoy the afternoon out in the neighborhood and where fishing, crabbing and shrimping are regular activities. Relaxation is a common theme in Beaufort. Many of the properties even have their own private dock.

Once you visit you may recognize Beaufort from "Forrest Gump." Many movies make this city the tranquil background for their movies. But the city does offer the thrill-seeker many options. One can go to the restaurants, shops or to the fun festivals. There are also the water sports such as wake boarding, jet skiing and water-tubing that are fast and adventurous.

Beaufort has all of the charm one would expect from a private community type of lifestyle. The people are friendly and comfortable and always willing to give advice. The many rivers and the Atlantic Ocean are always giving thrills and fun to all that enjoy the water. There is a closeness of family and friends that you just don't find too often these days. The water offers many activities too. The climate and environment are very attractive to people as well. If you enjoy the warm weather, waking up to the scent of the sea breeze, and being close to other Southern cities then Beaufort is for you.

The Morgan River Golf Course at Dataw Island Club offers a great golfing experience at a unique location. Dataw Island Club is located in Beaufort, South Carolina providing a beautiful landscape for this lustrous golf course. The Morgan River Golf Course is the more challenging of the two courses you will find at Dataw Island Club, however, the challenge of this course is met by dramatic beauty. What you will find when you golf at the Morgan River Golf Course is a great atmosphere, a private and serene location and an incredible golfing experience.

The two courses of Dataw Island are Cotton Dike and Morgan River. Cotton Dike was created first out of the two and was designed by Tom Fazzio. It gets its name from the way in which land was developed here. To develop more land for growing cotton, a series of dikes were created that now make up the terrain of Cotton Dike Golf Course. This course follows the marshes and Jenkins Creek on one side of the island while the Morgan River Golf Course follows the other side.

The Morgan River Golf Course was the second of the two designed for Dataw Island Country Club. It was designed by Arthur Hills and offers 18 challenging holes of golf that follow the Morgan River. As mentioned earlier, the Morgan River course is the more challenging of the two. This is mainly due to the narrow fairways that were incorporated in its design. This narrowness calls for skilled and precision shots while rewarding the player with a beautiful landscape overlooking the savannas and the river itself. It is one of 64 incredible islands to be found in Beaufort County.

This island is surrounded by the Morgan River in the north and Jenkins Creek in the east, south and west. It is also located 6 miles from Beaufort, South Carolina where Beaufort County Airport is a great way to travel to and from Dataw Island. The average yearly temperature at Dataw Island is 65 degrees and the temperature matched with the beautiful Savannahs, waterways, and oaks make for a great environment for golfing. Dataw Island Club also provides a great atmosphere for golfing. Along with a clubhouse, this club features a community fitness center, eight tennis courts and a marina.

There is so much to do at Dataw Island Club that the golf enthusiasts can take a vacation for themselves while providing a great vacation experience for the rest of their family. The green fees are reasonably priced for this great golfing atmosphere. Overall, the Morgan River Golf Course is one golfing experience every golfing enthusiast should take the opportunity to have. The serene landscape and privacy of Dataw Island provide an environment second to none while the great detail in design of the course itself provides a challenging and rewarding golfing experience. Whether you are a family vacationer or a private traveler, Morgan River Golf Course makes for a great trip all around.

I have been looking for a new place to vacation lately and I received a great tip from one of my friends that I should check out Beaufort, South Carolina because it offers something for everyone. I'm sure glad I did because I feel I stumbled on a real gem, and I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time in such a great beach town that has so much history and character.

Beaufort was founded in 1711 and is the second oldest city in South Carolina after Charleston. This beautiful town is located on the Hilton Head Island and has been featured in the New York Times newspaper, and was called one of the top 20 fishing towns in the U.S by field and stream magazine. It is a small town with only 12,950 population inside the city itself and is known for it's impressive harbor and retaining its historic character featuring the antebellum style of architecture.

The history of Beaufort is fascinating. It seems that Europeans had explored the Lowland area for some time and a few settlements were attempted, but failed before Beaufort was established in 1711. At first the settlement faced difficulties from attacks by Native Americans and Spanish invasions made the town grow slowly. Later the town flourished as a center for ship builders. Then during the antebellum period it became a center for the aristocrats of the Low land plantation economy up until the civil war. During the war Beaufort was taken by the Union in the Battle of Port Royal and became a major center for the emancipation of slaves in south.

After the war it became a mining town because an abundance of phosphate was found and again the city flourished, until a fire in 1907 destroyed part of the city caused economic turmoil for almost fifty years. Beaufort has made an amazing recovery over the last fifty years due to the increasing military presence and booming tourist industry. The original town of Beaufort can be found in the historic district located downtown.

Downtown is considered to be anything that is found on the peninsula that sticks out into the Beaufort River, east of Ribaut Road. Other areas of the town are Spanish point, Mossy oaks, and Lady's island which has been annexed by the city. There is also the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort which became part of the city during the 90's expanding the city limits close the nearby Seabrook community. Beaufort is a popular and romantic getaway town for those looking to experience a little history, beautiful surroundings and festivals. The shrimp festival is quite famous and was noted by Southeast Tourism Society's top 20 events and celebrates one of the local industries. You might even spot one of Beaufort's more famous residents like actor Tom Berenger or Hip hop artist Jazzy Jay.

You never know who you will run into on the historic streets here. Beaufort is a small town that is popular with tourists because of its natural beauty, interesting history and well preserved antebellum architecture. I hope everyone can experience the beauty and have a nice time in Beaufort South Carolina.

The American South is full of interesting places to visit and activities that will engage both the mind and soul. One of the often overlooked features is the Intracoastal Waterway which begins in Virginia and leads boat owners and sightseers through a series of man-made canals, natural rivers, and salt-water estuaries all the way to Florida (technically, the waterway extends into New Jersey to the north and Texas to the southwest, but the portion outside the Southern U.S. is more commercial and less scenic).
The Intracoastal is perhaps the most idyllic within the state of South Carolina. If you are a people watcher, autumn is a great time to sit on a grassy bank along the canal and watch the "snowbirds" drift along as they move their sailboats and motor yachts to their winter homes in Florida. A great place to begin your Intracoastal adventure is in the City of Beaufort. Beaufort personifies the history and grace of the old South. A slow walk through the National Historic District is a must. See the opulent homes built during the pre-Civil War era when cotton was king.
Also, don't miss the Gullah Festival in late May. The festival honors the unique culture that developed on the islands of the area by former slaves and freedmen. Listen to jazz, blues, and storytellers. Watch dancers, view artist create new work - but most of all enjoy the delicious food!

Croquet first became widely popular in Britain in the 1860s, and while it was eclipsed in popularity by tennis in the late 1870s, it remains a well-known pastime for people of varied ages and skill levels. It has many variations, including several related sets of internationally agreed-upon rules, as well as more extreme versions, such as bicycle crochet.
For the six-wicket variation as played in the United States, croquet is played in two teams, a "hot" team for the red and yellow balls, and a "cool" team for the blue and black balls. The teams play in the order of the colors on the stake. To begin your turn, place the ball about three feet from the first "wicket," which is the name for the small goals. Try to hit your ball through the wicket with your mallet. If you manage to hit it through, you may take a bonus stroke; else, your turn is over. You earn a "roquet", which is two bonus strokes, if your ball comes to rest in contact with another player's ball. This allows you to hit your ball once to cause both yours and your opponent's to move to a less desirable position, and then to hit your ball again to put it back on the path to the next wicket.
There are limits on bonus shots. After a roquet, bonus shots may only be earned on the final (second) shot, so scoring a wicket on the first shot does not earn the normal extra shot. In addition, there is a limit of two bonus shots earned at a time, so scoring a wicket and a roquet on the same shot only counts for two bonus shots rather than three. The wickets must be passed in the correct order, and the first team to hit the final stake with both balls wins the game. For the purposes of this article, the balls are numbered as follows: southwest = 1, northwest = 2, northeast = 3, southeast = 4, south central = 5, north central = 6. The wickets should be passed in the following order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5. Once your ball has passed through the wickets in the correct order but has not struck the final stake, your ball is dubbed a "rover" and may be used to roquet other balls. After a roquet, the rover ball must pass through a wicket (any wicket will do) before roqueting another ball, and it must not roquet the same ball twice in a row. You must strike the final stake with your rover before you and your partner may win the game, and once it has struck the stake, the rover is removed from play. Be careful, however, because if your opponents manage to strike the final stake while your ball is still a rover, you will lose the game!
There are several other variations on the rules, including an equally common nine-wicket variation as well as other sets of international rules, but the six-wicket variety described here is very common.

Dataw Island Marina is located on Dataw Island, South Carolina. The physical address is 100 Marina Drive, Dataw Island, South Carolina 29920. The telephone number is 843-838-8410. Directions to the marina can be found on the marina's website at www.datawmarina.com. There is also information about the area available on the website.
This marina is a state-of-the-art facility, which offers services for seasoned mariners as well as families and novices. The marina is located a convenient three miles from the Intracoastal Waterway. Information for docking approach can be obtained by calling 888-838-8410 or by using channel 16 or 68 on a marine radio. This information is available on the Internet site www.discoverdataw.com. Also located on the Discover Dataw website is information convening the island's fascinating history.
The first inhabitants were wandering Indians who are believed to have been on the island as early as 2,500 B.C. They kept returning to the island because of the bountiful supply of game and shellfish. The nest occupants of the island were Spanish Europeans who arrived in early 1500. Captain Pedro de Salazar discovered the area in 1514 and this established Beaufort County, which is the county in which Dataw Island Marina is located, as the second new world landing. Ponce de Leon's arrival in St. Augustine, Florida occurred one year earlier.
There is much more information on the history of this fascinating low-country South Carolina area available on this same website. There are also links on the Discover Dataw site that provide information on vacation rentals, real estate for sale in gated communities as well as other real estate in the area. There is also information on golf, tennis and croquet available. Easily accessible from Dataw Island Marina are marshland waterways and inlets. These are perfect areas from which to bird watch for shore birds and other types of wildlife found in the marshland area. On the Discover Dataw site information is also available on nearby golf facilities and on real estate that is available in the area. Dataw Island is located near Beaufort, South Carolina, which is a city rich in history, offering beautiful homes and many nice restaurants. According to Boat US, Dataw Island Marina is a quiet and pleasant location for the boater who wants a well-designed and well-maintained facility. Concrete floating docks are available with concrete pilings. There is a restaurant at the marina and also a bar. Other amenities include showers and laundry, cable television and courtesy bicycles for the use of guests. There is 24-hour security at this marina and the staff is very competent and accommodating.
The location of Dataw Island Marina is 50 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina; 14 miles from Beaufort, South Carolina and 35 miles from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Hours of operation during the in-season are Monday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Off-season hours are Monday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This information can be found on Boat US's website at ww2.boatus.com. A search on the internet for Dataw Island Marina will result in many sites that can answer your questions about the island and the surrounding area.