Commercial Truck Insurance in Beaufort, SC

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

Easter is right around the corner, and while there have already been several holiday-themed events over the past two weekends, Easter weekend offers up family fun in Beaufort as well.

Easter is happening a little earlier than normal this year, with the holiday falling on Sunday, March 31 – but the big weekend for Easter fun happened on March 23 and 24.

Kicking off the festivities was Beaufort Academy’s Great Helicopter Easter Egg Drop on Lady’s Island where they dropped more than 17,500 plastic candy-filled eggs from a helicopter onto the Beaufort Academy’s Football Field.

Balloon artists, bounce houses, vendors, face painters, a petting zoo, music and many local food trucks made for a fun, family friendly event.

Calls for rain made the event planners move the date from Saturday to Sunday, but it did not seem to make much of a dent in the attendance.

Tidal Creek Fellowship also held their Easter Festival at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort on Sunday, March 24.

The free event featured inflatables, face painting, arts and crafts, snow cones, games, popcorn, giveaways, and prizes.

Highway 21 Drive In held their first Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday and scattered 10,000 eggs for kids to grab.

They also offered face painting, bounce houses and photos with Peter Cottontail.

While there have been several egg hunts and Easter-themed events over the past few weekends, there is still time to enjoy some holiday fun.

– On Saturday, March 30, a free Easter Eggstravaganza will be taking place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature egg hunts for kids, contests, puppet shows, face painting, bounce houses, a petting zoo, a picnic lunch and lots of candy.

The event will be held at Community Bible Church located at 638 Parris Island Gateway in Beaufort.

– Also on Saturday, St. Helena Baptist Church is hosting a free Breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A blood mobile will also be on site from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to give the gift of life, according to their Facebook event page.

The church is located at 1600 Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island.

– St. Helena’s Anglican Church will be holding their Easter Celebration and Egg Hunt on March 31 at 9:15 a.m. on the lawn at USC Beaufort. They suggest that people bring their own chairs for the service and Easter baskets for the egg hunt that will follow directly.

– The annual Community Easter Sunrise service, hosted by First African Baptist Church and First Scots Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 31, will be held from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.

Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.

Southern Living magazine fired off its readers’ poll list of Best Island in South Carolina this month, and, unsurprisingly, four of the ten spots on it are taken by islands here in Beaufort County. Two in the northern end of the county, and two in the southern end.

“With 34 barrier and tidal islands peppering its shoreline (more than any other state except for Florida), South Carolina spills over with natural wonders, beautiful beaches, and unique destinations to explore,” SL said. “In our 2024 South’s Best awards, readers voted on some of the very best of them. Here are the best islands in South Carolina, according to our readers.”

Hilton Head came in at #1 on the list, and it’s no big mystery that folks from all over love it there. #7 on the list was our amazing Hunting Island, and we’re quite surprised that it listed as low as #7, but we’re very proud of our local slice of exotic paradise nonetheless.

Daufuskie Island came in at #8, beating out Fripp Island that appeared at #9 on the list.

What Southern Living said:

“With 12 miles of public beaches, more than 24 championship golf courses, and around 250 restaurants, Hilton Head‘s numerical stats alone prove why it’s one of the state’s most beloved islands. But the real magic, of course, belongs to its community—a mix of transplants and born-and-breds who are sure to make you feel right at home, whether you’re sampling local oysters at Hudson’s on the Docks or watching the boats come in at Shelter Cove Marina.”

“Just a 25-minute drive from downtown Beaufort, explore the seaside charmer’s wilder side at Hunting Island State Park (South Carolina’s most popular state park). Here, five miles of unspoiled beaches unfurl along the Atlantic and sandy trails wind through dense maritime forest.”

“As the crow flies, the southernmost of South Carolina’s barrier islands is just miles from Savannah and Hilton Head, but it might as well be worlds away. Daufuskie is accessible only by boat, which is likely one of the reasons its 500 or so residents have been able to so carefully preserve its natural environment and its rich Gullah history. And while the island remains untouched in many ways, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see or do here: Tour the island with sixth-generation Daufuskie native Sallie Ann Robinson for an education in Gullah culture; go for a horseback ride on the beach; shop indigo-dyed goods at Daufuskie Blues; and cap off the day with a plate of deviled crab at Old Daufuskie Crab Company.”

“About 20 miles from Beaufort, Fripp Island is a 3,000-acre designated wildlife sanctuary, home to more than 175 species of birds, plus endangered loggerhead turtles who use its beach as a nesting ground. The private island is accessible only to homeowners and those staying in vacation rentals, but once you’re here, there’s plenty to do, from guided kayak eco-tours to pickleball and golf.”

The full list?

Having four of ten spots here in the Beaufort area is a pretty big deal. Look at it this way, out of all the islands that dot the Palmetto State’s coastline, 40% of Southern Living’s readers polled picked a spot right here in Beaufort County.

That’s definitely a big deal. The islands here in Beaufort are pretty amazing.

See what Southern Living said about them all here.

South Carolina is a treasure trove of Southern charm. While the obvious gems are cities like Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia, there are many small town jewels undiscovered by tourists and South Carolina city slickers. These communities stay hidden despite containing seminal Civil War sites, beautiful beaches, grandiose gardens, popular art festivals, historic museums, delicious restaurants, and filming locations for a beloved Tom Hanks movie. Look out for the following overlooked haunts on your next trip through South Carolina.

Abbeville

Many small communities in South Carolina are classified as cities. Abbeville, which has 4,874 residents as of the 2020 census, is one of them. Sharing the name of a French commune, Abbeville was settled by French Huguenots in the mid-18th century and incorporated as a municipality around 80 years later. Although Abbeville is not among the top Civil War historic sites, it is considered the birthplace and deathbed of the Confederacy. On November 22, 1860, a group of South Carolinians met in Abbeville to discuss the potential for secession. Less than a month later, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. On May 2, 1865, Confederate president Jefferson Davis consulted his cabinet in Abbeville and learned that the war was lost and the Confederacy was drawing its last breaths.

The site of the secession meeting is called Secession Hill and is marked by a monument, while the site of the resignation meeting is the nearly unchanged Burt-Stark Mansion. Those are far from the only Civil War-era wonders in this hidden cache of American history, which also contains fantastic shops, restaurants, and the 373-foot Prysmian Copper Wire Tower.

Pawleys Island

As summer vacationers pack Myrtle Beach and Folly Beach, another coastal SC community called Pawleys Island stays relatively untouched despite its beauty and history. This tiny town is located on a scenic sand-swept barrier island and refreshes tourists with ocean breezes and antebellum memories. The Cedar Grove Plantation Chapel looks mostly like it did in 1850 (although it is in a different location) while the Joseph Blyth Allston House was radically changed after Hurricane Hugo, but its mortise and tenon joints remain. Flanking the beach and historic district are several splendid golf courses and Lowcounty Zoo at Brookgreen Gardens.

Bishopville

Bishopville is not likely to come to mind as a South Carolina vacation destination - unless you know Pearl Fryar. In the 1980s, Fryar bought an acreage outside Bishopville and, without formal training, began sculpting shrubs and trees into unique shapes. Today, hundreds of arboreal oddities make up the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, which brings tons of tourists to this neglected neck of the South Carolina woods. Beyond Pearl's pearl, Bishopville attracts visitors with Lee State Park, the South Carolina Cotton Museum, and Harry & Harry Too, a restaurant right across the street from the garden.

Lake City

If you are looking for some more offbeat art, drive southeast of Bishopville to Lake City. Neither on a lake nor the size of a city, this 6,000ish-person community is home to ArtFields, a nonprofit organization revitalizing rural SC through Southern art. Each spring, ArtFields hosts a competition and festival with hundreds of artists and over a hundred thousand dollars in prizes. Lake City is also the birthplace of Ronald McNair, the second African American person in space and one of the victims of the Challenger explosion. The fallen astronaut is honored with a park, tomb, statue, school, boulevard, and the Ronald E. McNair Life History Center.

Beaufort

As a "mini Charleston with maximum appeal," being overlooked is part of Beaufort's campaign. "Let’s face it, Charleston gets all the hype when it comes to South Carolina cities," its tourism guide reads before getting into the myriad things that make it special. These include Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park; The Kazoobie Kazoo Factory, Museum, and Gift Shop; and Woods Memorial Bridge, one of many Beaufort locations used in Forrest Gump. Last but not least is Morgan Island, AKA Monkey Island, which is just northeast of town and contains an introduced colony of rhesus monkeys.

7 Must-See Historic Towns In South CarolinaFor those seeking an educational yet delightful trip, embark on this journey through "The Palmetto State," named after the palm trees that populate its coastal region.

Salem

Aside from Twice A Town Taproom and a few other businesses, there is not much to see in Salem. But it is not about what is in Salem as what is outside it. The micro-municipality is just several miles from Lake Jocasse, one of the most serene but least visited wonders in South Carolina. Deterring visitors because it is a manmade reservoir that lacks public access points, the 7,500-acre body of water is fed by Appalachian rivers and remains clean, remote, and downright ravishing. Despite its relative obscurity, Jocasse and surrounding Devils Fork State Park offer plenty of activities, such as kayaking, fishing, hiking, camping, scuba diving, and hunting the rare Oconee bell flower.

Georgetown

If you want the climate of Pawleys Island with a little more activity, check out Georgetown, a mere 15-minute drive from the aforementioned island. Georgetown has roughly 8,400 residents and, as the third-oldest city in the state, boasts historic attractions like Kaminski House Museum, South Carolina Maritime Museum, the Gullah Museum, and the Rice Museum. Modern Georgetown sites include River Room Restaurant and Big Tuna Raw Bar. However, the community may be best known for its mills, notably a paper mill that produces a unique stench. Perhaps Georgetown is overlooked because it is oversmelled.

Travelers Rest

Consistently voted one of the coolest small towns in America, Travelers Rest is not as overlooked as it once was. But despite its 70 percent growth in population from 2010 to 2020, the community has fewer than 10,000 residents - although it will likely eclipse that mark by 2030. That means you should cherish Travelers Rest before it becomes Travelers Congestion. You can start with breakfast at Tandem Creperie and Coffeehouse, then walk along Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail, then grab lunch at TruBroth Coffee & Vietnamese Cuisine, then tramp around the Blue Ridge Mountains before winding down at Swamp Rabbit Brewery and then crash at Swamp Rabbit Inn.

Abbeville, Pawleys Island, Bishopville, Lake City, Beaufort, Salem, Georgetown, and Travelers Rest are overlooked South Carolina communities that do not have to stay that way. Each of them has attractions worthy of traffic jams and inflated entry fees. Of course, it may be better if they remain somewhat lowkey to avoid the pitfalls of tourist trapdom - but a few more excited and respectful visitors can do wonders for these unheralded SC wonders.

The vacant Applebee’s Restaurant along Boundary Street in Beaufort will soon have a new tenant. Culver’s Restaurant will be going into the spot sometime in 2024.

A call to Culver’s corporate offices on Tuesday verified that a franchise agreement has been signed for the location at 2338 Boundary Street.

Culver’s has been around since its inception in 1984. The first location opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin, under the name “Culver’s Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers.”

Fast forward to today, and it operates primarily in the Midwestern United States, and has a total of 930 restaurants in 26 states as of October 2023, including 9 locations currently in South Carolina. Among these are Summerville, North Charleston and Ladson. Also, close to Beaufort, there are Culver’s Restaurant locations in Pooler and Savannah, Georgia.

Referring to itself as a “fast-casual restaurant”, Culver’s menu offers a variety of lunch and dinner items including its signature ButterBurgers, chicken sandwiches, seafood, salads and more.

It also offers sides incuding fries, onion rings, chili and its popular Wisconsin cheese curds that are provided exclusively to Culver’s by a dairy in Stanley, Wisconsin.

Its dessert menu is where it’s at, with shakes, sundaes, floats and malts offered using its own line of frozen custard.

According to a Culver’s corporate representative, there is no timeline for the location opening. The existing building must first be converted to corporate specs and we were told that “it could take some time for that,” but we can expect it to be completed and opened sometime in 2024.

After opening in 1994, the Beaufort Applebee’s location closed in 2017 during the Boundary Street construction project, with its owner citing a loss of revenue due to the project.

Since then, it was the very short-lived home of Los Gallos Mexican Restaurant, and still bears the Los Gallos signage today.

The news of Culver’s Restaurant in Beaufort comes on the heels of a new Cook Out restaurant also opening on Boundary Street, and also a new Asian Chicken & Boba spot going into Beaufort Town Center, which are both slated for early 2024 openings, as well as the enormous Beaufort Station shopping center project that is also expected to open in late 2024.

Boating and fishing in the Lowcountry is a way life and a series of recent county and state bureaucratic decisions may be jeopardizing the future of a popular spot to get a morning on the water started for boaters and kayakers.

Two local elected officials in Columbia are not happy about the changes and are now investigating what’s happening.

South Carolina State Parks says it will shut down a popular Hunting Island boat access called Russ Point Landing next month in a move that has both surprised residents and grabbed the attention of a state Sen. Tom Davis and state Rep. Shannon Erickson. For its part, the state says erosion is eating away the road and making it a public safety hazard.

Beaufort County once maintained the boat launch but gave it up two years ago after an review of all of its public boating facilities. Both moves — the county’s decision to give up control of treasured access to water and the state’s subsequent decision to close it — have residents scratching their heads and hoping the state will reverse course.

To some, it sounds like everyone is giving up too easily rather than trying to solve the threats to the road and saving the important public access to the water.

Sen. Davis joined the social media conversation on Monday afternoon, when he promised he would go to work “to figure what’s necessary to keep Russ Point Landing open.” “Hunting Island State Park generates millions of dollars annually for the state,” Davis said, “and if infrastructure improvements are needed at the landing — and they are — then these revenues should be tapped.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Erickson said she toured the site Monday with the Hunting Island State Park director. The most pressing issue, she said, is a “washout” of the road closest to the boat landing, which is a safety hazard. The erosion in that area is severe and will eventually breach the road and cut off the landing, she said. Erickson said she would be checking with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management on possible solutions.

“More specifically — what can legally be permitted and employed to keep access available and restore this road,” Erickson said.

Mike Sutton, a boater who grew up on Fripp Island who now serves on the Beaufort Historic District Review Board, also turned to social media to alert the public to the situation and urge people to contact the state.

“There’s been local fisherman who have been oystering off here for 50 years,” Sutton said.

A cardinal rule of living on an island, says Sutton, is never give away public access to the water. “Just come here and fix it,” he said of the road to the ramp, “because it’s not that bad.” It is his hope that the people in charge with the state and county will step forward and have a dialogue, “rather than just closing it.”

The Russ Point Landing boat launch has been a popular place to put in kayaks and fishing boats for decades and it’s used by thousands. Commercial fishermen use it, too, Sutton says. Located on the Fripp Inlet, the barrier island boat launch is the area’s closest to the ocean, providing an easy entry point between Fripp and Hunting islands and backside access to a chain of barrier islands — including Prichards, St. Phillips and Bay Point.

Recently, the state put up a sign informing the public that the boat landing would be closing April 1 because of deteriorating conditions of the road leading to the boat landing from Sea Island Parkway.

Sam Queen, a spokesperson for SC State Parks, says erosion is eating away the road, prompting the decision to close Russ Point Landing.

“It’s a barrier island that is continuing to change and that takes a lot of heat from the elements,” Queen said. “It’s unfortunate. This was a hard decision for us to come to.” It has gotten to the point, Queen added, where it no longer makes sense financially to “keep it open with Band-Aids.” The number of parking spaces has continued to shrink over time because of the erosion, she added.

The state’s most recent estimate for a temporary fix of the washed out portion of the road is $75,000, Queen said, but that would be a “very temporary fix.” That estimate, she added, came before additional damage was caused. And it does not include staff resources to keep the road clear of muck and debris after storms, fixes to combat erosion and day-to-day personnel hours to keep the ramp open.

“We’re fighting a losing battle with the tide and rising water levels,” Queen said.

Still, word of the closure is causing a firestorm among the local boating community.

“Russ Point, while being owned by the State, is used by all,” wrote Laura Morrow, who administers a Facebook Page called Island Dawgs focusing on the Fripp Island area. “Beaufort County would be the obvious best caretaker and manager; however, leadership is not taking the bull by the horns. Instead, they are allowing a valuable resource to close and disappear.”

Why, in a county with so much water and comprised of islands connected by bridges and where boats are a critical means of transportation, is this issue ignored?” Morrow asks. “More and better boat landings and transient dockage are needed.”

The land is located across Sea Island Parkway from Hunting Island State Park.

Beaufort County maintains 25 boat landings, in addition to 17 public-access points to water, bluffs and piers that don’t accommodate boats.

Russ Point Landing was one of those public access points. However, in 2022 then County Administrator Eric Greenway sent a letter to the state saying the county was relinquishing maintenance responsibility of Russ Point to the state because the state, not the county, in fact was the owner.

“It is the county’s desire to have Russ Point remain open and accessible to the citizens and visitors of the community to continue to be able to use the boat landing, but understand it is ultimately the State’s discretion as to how the property is used in the future,” Greenway wrote to South Carolina State Parks on June 16, 2002.

In that letter, the county asked the state to take over maintenance of Russ Point two weeks later on July 1, 2022.

The county’s decision to turn over the maintenance came after it conducted an ownership and title search for all county-maintained boat landings in 2021 for a Public Boat Landing Facilities Study, said Hannah Nichols, a county spokesperson.

As part of that process, it was discovered that while Beaufort County was maintaining the Russ Point Boat Landing, the property was owned by the state and no formal maintenance agreement was in place.

“After discussions with the state, it was agreed that the County would sign over maintenance of the landing to the state,” Nichols said in a statement. “Maintenance of the landing was signed over to the state of South Carolina mid-June in 2022.”

Sutton wrote on Facebook: “Why would they not support keeping public access?” adding, “Beaufort County’s leadership are out of their minds,”

But when County Council commissioners were debating the issue in May 2022, some commissioners, while acknowledge the importance of public access, also questioned the soundness of the county paying for maintenance of facilities it does not own.

A similar situation involving the Sands Beach boat ramp in Port Royal arose at the same time. In that case, agreements involving Safe Harbor Marinas, the town and Beaufort County were reached that ensured the boat ramp remained opened and maintained.

This story was originally published March 19, 2024, 9:00 AM.