Gothic Ice House

Ice house at Botany Bay, Edisto, SC

I always detour for a visit to the sweet gothic style ice house when I visit Botany Bay. 

Seashells by the Seashore

Botany Bay Beach, Edisto, SC 

I picked the perfect day for a trip to Botany Bay beach. The sun was shining, dramatic skies, tide was low and there was a lovely breeze. I smile at the sign asking visitors not to take home sea shells because instead of taking them home they decorate with them and it has become a seashell wonderland! I love it.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Edisto Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church on Edisto, Edisto Island, SC   

There are beautiful historic churches on Edisto Island and the Presbyterian Church with it's tiny Praise Chapel is always worth a pause and visit. The historic cemetery comes with it's own ghost story. The congregation was founded in 1685 and the current church building was constructed in 1831.  The church sanctuary and manse (where pastors have lived since the 18th century) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

It is a beautiful but hot day in Charleston. I went by the Sunday Brunch Farmer's Market on Maybank Highway and now have a carrot cake in the oven and feel I should be able to laze around for the rest of the afternoon. Zzzzzzz. I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend. 

Seashell decorations

Seashell decorations at Botany Beach, Edisto, S.C.

Since you are asked not to take seashells from Botany Bay beach, people have been decorating with them for years. They are laid in designs in the sand, hanging from palmetto tree bark and hanging from the tips of smooth driftwood like holiday ornaments. Between the dangling shells, swooping flocks of pelicans and driftwood branches, there is something about it that delights me so much I don't know why I leave it so long between visits.

There are no t-shirt or ice cream vendors, no restaurants or bathroom facilities so this incredible beach is usually a peaceful treat. We took a snack and sat on giant driftwood logs for our picnic, counted off the loggerhead turtle nests and had a wonderful time before heading on to Edisto Beach for lunch. Day one of my three day weekend was a grand success. I hope yours was as well!

The Mattress Swing of Edisto

Edisto Mattress Swing, Edisto, S.C.

This is a very sad story. I didn't know the Mattress Swing on Edisto was gone until I read Charlotte's entry at Charleston Through an Artists Eye.

Frank Gadsden died this winter. The full mattress and box springs, the swinging hammock, the one that hung from the limbs of a grand live oak tree on the side of the road for at least a generation, is gone.

I certainly didn't want to sit on it, but I always liked that it was there. I originally took the picture for Robin at SCIWAY who told me about the mattress.