The Smedshammer Saga

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Sea Pines...Anniversary Trip Part 3

One afternoon after classes, we headed to a nearby hotspot called the Sea Pines Plantation, a 6-mile stretch of land that borders Cabilouge Sound and extends into the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the original plantation has been preserved as a forest preserve, complete with the original wetlands. If you head all the way to the end of the peninsula, there is a little Harbour town with a lighthouse. That's where we headed first, and had a nice lunch overlooking the bay where 75-million dollar yachts were bobbing.

Our favorite thing...FOOD

Then we toured the Harbour Town Lighthouse

We climbed to the top, and along the way they had several interesting Civil War museum-like pieces

Fin liked hiking up, as long as he was carried!

When we got to the top, this was the view of Cabilouge Sound

...and the bay with the yachts

Mom and Finny at the top

Daddy and Fin enjoying the views

Then we took a stroll out on the dock extending into the ocean - there were bottlenosed dolphins frollicking in the ocean about 200 feet from where we were standing on the dock!

View of the lighthouse from the dock

Fin was a trooper - he loves being outside and exploring

Then we hiked into the forest preserve - it was dense & swampy, and we were really hoping to see an alligator, but we didn't

We hiked into an Native American monument called the Ring of Shells, where native tribes would hold meetings within a ring of crushed shells - the shells offered protection and good fortune - you can still see parts of the original ring of shells if you look closely at the ground

Standing in "the ring"

The trees were an odd mix of deciduous, palm, and swamp

Dru is getting anxious about meeting and alligator...he was a little jumpy! :)

The end of our hike...aw, just like the old days. Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Beach Time...Anniversary Trip Part 2

My classes ended every day around 1:00 so we had plenty of time to explore the resort and the surrounding areas. A few days after lunch, we hit the beach. It was Fin's first time on the beach and he loved it.

He loved eating lunch with us, too, sitting up in a high chair with us like a big boy.

At first, he was a little confused by all the different noises on the beach

But then he got down on the sand and decided this was alright

Then he went to play in the water and sand with Daddy

He liked playing with the twigs/sticks and eating sand

He was not too sure about the waves coming up around him

The water was very warm, but Finny didn't know if this was okay or not

Look, Daddy, another stick!

Silly bug

Trying out the sand again...no better the 12th time he tried it...

Then Mommy decided to take him into the ocean

Fin loved being dipped in and lifted back out

Aww, time to get out already??

A shot up the beach where we were...a lovely, warm water beach!

Anniversary Trip

To celebrate our anniversary this year, Dru, Fin and I took a trip to South Carolina. I had a medical conference there for a week, and Dru & Fin came along for fun.

As usual, Fin was a great traveler. We took a total of six planes and Fin did really well. He enjoyed being packed around by Daddy through the airports.

And he slept well in odd places - if it was naptime, he was asleep. :)

We arrived to our hotel late Saturday night, and Sunday morning we woke up to this outside our balcony. We had a lovely room with a dynamite ocean view.