Monday, March 19, 2007
St. Patrick's Day in Beaufort, SC
Saturday, March 17. This beautiful day was perfect for exploring Beaufort. Shopping opportunities were calling Janet’s and my names, while the Bobs sought out a great chocolate shop. Because it was a bit cool and windy for long walks, we took a guided tour of the city in a van. Each of the antebellum homes had its own story, reminding us of Huntsville’s Twickenham district. The entire historic district was lined with sprawling live oak trees covered with Spanish moss. Flowers were in bloom (and pollen was flowing freely).
Many filmmakers have realized that Beaufort’s antebellum homes and pretty streets would make good movie settings. Numerous films such as The Big Chill, Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, and scenes from Forrest Gump were shot here. Pat Conroy, one of my favorite southern authors, is a native son of Beaufort, and we saw the home where he raised his family.
Many filmmakers have realized that Beaufort’s antebellum homes and pretty streets would make good movie settings. Numerous films such as The Big Chill, Prince of Tides, The Great Santini, and scenes from Forrest Gump were shot here. Pat Conroy, one of my favorite southern authors, is a native son of Beaufort, and we saw the home where he raised his family. We took a van tour of Beaufort's lovely antebellum homes, set among gracious live oaks and flowers. Many of the homes were built with large porches for enjoying summer breezes and raised basements in the event of flooding. After the tour Bob went with me to a shop that had wonderful wood-carved furniture and crafts from Bali. Shock – he loved what he saw and actually said he’d like to drive back and select some pieces. The Staggs and Upchurches enjoyed dinner at nearby Saltus Restaurant. I’d say this was a pretty successful day. 
We didn’t realize that Beaufort has a National Cemetery, but the tour guide showed us the rows of known and unknown soldiers from all the U.S. wars.
