Beach Walk, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

Pre-dawn on the last day of Autumn.  

Dawn.

There were not many folks out as the overcast deepened this morning.

But the gulls are ever-present.

For a million bucks and up, you can probably buy a house like this on the beach.

Young people engaging in a physical activity not involving an electronic device!

Worth more than all the mansions on the island, this little child stood transfixed for at least the half hour it took me to walk by a ways, turn around, and walk back - never leaving his/her position.What does his/her little mind think when staring out, listening to, and feeling the sea roll past his/her little ankles?  Kudos to the parents for letting him/her just be.

Dennis the Kiteboarder, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

Today was one of those days when life brings an unexpected surprise. Walking the beach I met a friendly young man, Dennis, who was setting up and preparing his kiteboard for flying.  Having an affinity for anything that has flying involved I stopped to talk with him.  He was very wiling to share info about what he was doing and how he was doing it.  As a former hang glider pilot in my youth, I know what a pain tourists can be asking the same questions for the thousandth time - I appreciated his candor and willingness to talk about his sport.  Looks like quite a kick! There is a video link at the end of this post about the sport.

Dennis the kiteboarder.

Kite.

Board.

Readying to launch.

Launching.

And away he goes...............

Click the link for a way-cool  video of other folks kiteboarding elsewhere. 

Beach Walk, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

Although most beach access is through private property or gated communities, the town does maintain public beach access points - and they are pretty nice.

Here's one.......

And here's another - the island is very particular about removing native growth so they worked around this live oak tree rather than take it out.

This public beach access offers showers, changing rooms, restrooms, swings, benches, foot showers, and WiFi! 

The beaches at low tide are wide, flat, and hard packed for walking or.......

bicycling.....

......and more bicycling.

 Fleeing with his breakfast still in hand, this osprey did not like being disturbed from atop a beached catamaran mast .

Fish Haul Creek Salt Marsh, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

The "land between the tides" is a salt marsh which serves as a vital food source for many bird species. The Fish Haul Creek Salt Marsh is Hilton Head's most productive wildlife habitat.

A private mansion overlooks both the ocean and the adjacent salt marsh.

Sunset nearing, pelicans and other shorebirds find a roost for a while or for the night.

A white ibis feeds along the edge of the marsh until...

... he bursts into the air and moves off to roost or feed elsewhere.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

Today was what some call a "chamber of commerce day" - sunny, cool/warm but not too hot/cold, light wind, beautiful sunset.

Not sure but it looks like this guy is using his smartphone. I guess he hasn't quite settled into vacation mode yet.

The beach features perfect hard packed sand for bicycle riding almost anytime after high tides.

Dogs never care if they get their feet wet (or any other body parts) at the beach - I like that about dogs.

And no - I did not Photoshop that gull into the picture.

Jogging into the sunset.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

Hilton Head Island is, by some folk's reckoning, the largest barrier island on the East Coast of the United States (some say that Long Island in New York is first).  Although populated by native societies throughout history, it's current life as a resort destination began in the 1950's with the Sea Pines development.  Hilton Head has since served as an example of compatible development due to strict environmental goals, rules, and oversight. (By the way, the island is named for English sea captain William Hilton who identified the headland in 1663 - not for hotel magnate Conrad Hilton).

 

Arrival late in the day made for long shadows at the beach.

I think gulls know what a loaf of bread looks like - they swarmed this couple in seconds in anticipation.......

A beautiful beach in the fading light.  

Road Trip, Plymouth, Massachusetts to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

It's unusual for us to take a long automobile road trip - but there we were, driving the 1100 miles from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Here are some random sights along the way.......

Massachusetts - this is what I got when I hand-held the camera on the dashboard of the moving car.

New York - the Tappan Zee bridge over the Hudson River.

New Jersey - random dog enjoying the cool air.

Delaware - I didn't know you could run 18-wheelers on weed......?

Maryland - so they only enforce it where the signs are posted?

North Carolina - the arrow straight road and flat land of the coastal plain.

South Carolina - you can still pump your own gas with the little thingy that locks the handle in place!!

 

South Carolina - what trip south on highway I-95 would be complete without a stop at this iconic, garish, and kitschy location.

South Carolina - whatever reason this chihuahua was sitting in the driver's seat of a parked car in the South of the Border parking lot was too apropos to ignore. This was taken during the milli-second when he wasn't barking/yapping at anything in sight that moved.........

Goodbye Plymouth , Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Sunny, cold, and windy - there will be a lot of that in Plymouth over the next three months.......along with probably 40-60 inches of snow.

A fishing boat maneuvering to dock at Plymouth Town Wharf.

Fuel dock and skiff dock.

Plenty of cold metal seats ready for warm bottoms in Spring on this popular charter boat for fishing or whale watching.

Curves, lines, shadows, light, wind, and waves along the waterfront at Nelson Beach.

One of the few houses on the narrow Long Beach, awaiting the annual winter battering.

Goodbye to Plymouth until we return next Spring! - we are heading south to escape the cold. Next week's posts will come from South Carolina, USA.

Pine Needle Carpet, Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

When was the last time you walked on a supple but squishy carpet of pine needles?  It feels and smells a whole lot better than the cushion insoles made of plastic and gel on sale at the shoe store.

A natural park reminds me of my connection to the earth - I am reminded that my food comes from it - through the thoughtful effort of tilling, planting, watering, nurturing, growing, harvesting, and then repeating the cycle again.  WARNING: please stop reading now or you will be exposed to another vegan rant.

 I don't believe our place in the natural order is the systematic and organized raising and killing of literally billions of sentient animals annually for food.  Refraining from consuming or using animal products still leaves a bounty of great food to eat - fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds are quite enough to make wonderful meals (and beer, wine, and dark chocolate are usually vegan, too).  There - I feel better.

National Monument to the Forefathers, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The National Monument to the Forefathers commemorates the Pilgrims and honors their ideals. It is considered a companion memorial to Plymouth Rock, also located in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The cornerstone was laid in 1859 and the monument was completed in 1888.

On the main pedestal stands Faith and the seated figures recognize the principles on  which the Pilgrims based the Commonwealth: Freedom, Morality, Law and Education.

The light and shadow on this brisk, late Fall day, shows off the beauty of the granite sculptures.

 

The sculptors were: Hammatt Billings, a Boston architect, illustrator and sculptor, who originally conceived the monument as a structure comparable to the Colossus of Rhodes. When he died in 1874, the project was then passed to his brother Joseph who, along with other sculptors including Alexander Doyle, Carl Conrads, and James Mahoney, reworked the design, although the basic components remained.

Imagine this - being given a huge block of granite and asked to carve something beautiful and compelling.  Think about that - a HUGE BLOCK of GRANITE! What a talent those folks have that can do this art. Not many can. Imagine carving granite a hundred plus years ago - no fancy electric tools or Home Depots around.