Yet there's nothing quite like seeing this graceful ante-bellum town firsthand. A trip to the Visitors Center next to the City Marina can help you to get your bearings.
Located 30 miles north of Hilton Head, Beaufort is the second-oldest town in the state (Charleston is first). In its Old Point historic district, lavish homes built during the 18th and 19th centuries hold thrall. Many of the private houses are only open to the public twice a year, during fall and spring tours. A few have been converted to museums. Among those are the George Eliot House Museum, built in 1840 and furnished with Victorian antiques. It served as a Union hospital during the Civil War. The John Mark Verdier House Museum, built in 1790, is where the Union army made its headquarters. It's been restored to circa-1825 Federal style. Exhibits at the Gothic-style Beaufort Museum range from pre-historic finds to Civil War memorabilia.
Experience real Southern hospitality at lunch, dinner or an overnight stay in the antique-filled Rhett House Inn.
Outdoor attractions include Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, which has a seawall promenade, crafts market, gardens, and a marina on its seven landscaped acres. Mid-July, the Beaufort Water Festival takes place here. Hunting Island State Park boasts three miles of public beach and one of the East Coast's longest fishing piers. Its 140-foot-tall Lighthouse provides sweeping views of the area.
Nine miles southeast, there's St. Helena's Island, home to Penn Center, where the South's first school for freed slaves was established. Parris Island, 10 miles south, allows visitors to view U.S. Marine Corps recruit training. At the Parris Island Museum, uniforms, military ephemera, and scale models of ships, aircraft, and amphibious landing craft are on display.
Nearby Fripp Island-the most seaward of the South Carolina islands-is a serenely beautiful resort destination. Visitors awake to spectacular sunrises and fill their days with golf, tennis, swimming, walks along the Audubon trail, fishing or shelling excursions, and the good life.
Q: What ingredients will you find in Frogmore Stew?
A: Shrimp, hot sausage, potatoes, and corn.
