Winter Escape! Day 29: From Shore to Mountains

Thursday, February 27, 2014:  This morning at the beach was the most beautiful I've ever seen anywhere! The deep blue-green ocean was shimmering from the sunlight.  The air was so clear that I saw three big ships, like shadows, on the distant horizon.  Not a bit of fog today.  The seagulls are mostly standing around, not flying around in flocks. The sea is lazy, even the waves are barely lifting and hardly reaching shore, very quiet when breaking.

Sea and shore at Hilton Head Island, 2/27/14.

Due to the 45 degrees outside temperature at 10 a.m., I dressed warmly and put on my goggles to protect my eyes from the cool wind.  I was overdressed for the sunshine; the wind was barely blowing so I took off the goggles.  There were plenty of folks walking and biking but the beach is so wide, it was in no way crowded.

I found three small starfish, about 4 inches wide on the wet sand!  They looked alive, so I threw them back into the sea.  This was a very exciting find.  Peggy said she had never before seen a starfish on the shore.

Starfish!  A rare find on Hilton Head Island, 2/27/14.

The south side of the island, which I have dubbed, "Itty Bitty Diamond Head," was not shrouded in fog.  I wished I would have time today to walk all the way there!  Even the nearby islands off the coast were more visible than I've ever seen.

South end of Hilton Head Island, "Itty Bitty Diamond Head," 2/27/14.

The seashore is always interesting, always filled with surprises.  Today there was a particularly large piece of driftwood.

Look what floated onto the beach today!

Alas, I only was drawn to the beach this morning to have one last wistful look on this visit.  I found myself almost overwhelmed with the beauty of the clear, bright, warm day.  I thought, "I must find a way to live here!"

Good-bye to the plank walkway leading to the beach!

Good-bye to the palm trees and shore shrubs!

My goal today was to drive halfway home, leaving Peggy's condo before noon: I made it!  The car needed gas before leaving Hilton Head; the price was $3.11.  It was higher elsewhere in South Carolina along my route, but much, much lower than the prices in Georgia, Florida, and Kentucky.

It takes a drive on two-lane roads through the Low Country to reach the Interstates.  It was quite pleasant with broad marshes on both sides of the road.

FYI:  Many Southern people LOVE home fireworks!  There were signs touting "Hobo Joe's Discount Fireworks."

By the time I reached Columbia, South Carolina, the roads were very hilly. I saw the blue peaks of the distant Blue Ridge Mountains peeping over the pine tree forests, a welcome sight.  Although it was summer in southern Florida, spring has come to Columbia.  The blooming pink trees were quite beautiful!