 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
On Location: Myrtle Beach
|
|
Soft adventuring in South Carolina’s Lowcountry
|
|
BY MELISSA BIGNER
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Palms throw shadows across the courtyard at Atalaya Castle; sculptures peek out at every corner in Brookgreen Gardens.
|
|
|
|
South of the bright lights and boardwalks of Myrtle Beach, and the fishing villages of the Grand Strand, a quiet, quirky trio of attractions awaits.
When I was growing up in the suburbs of Durham, NC, I craved city glamour as only a teenager can. I never envisioned electing to tune in and drop out in a (deeper) Southern town, where only colonial church spires scrape the sky. So it still surprises me that today I call Charleston my happily-ever-after home.
Even after eight years here, I’m enchanted by the landscapes of the coastal Lowcountry, which stretches from Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head. This is where maritime woods, marshes, dunes and ocean meet. A year ago, as part of my plan to check out its undiscovered corners, I launched my “Soft Adventure Sunday” program. The rules were that the destinations had to be within an hour-and-a-half drive of Charleston, not too pricey and OK for a single gal to visit on her own. The following three attractions, all tied to a singular local family, made the must-see list and have become my all-time Lowcountry favorites.
GET YOUR CASTLE ON
North of Charleston, just south of Murrells Inlet, sits Atalaya Castle, in Huntington Beach State Park. Back in the 1930s, eccentric millionaires Archer and Anna Huntington bought a swath of remote beachfront and woodland. There they built a 30-room Moorish castle with a water-tower turret, animal quarters (they traveled with a small zoo that might include horses, bears, monkeys, leopards, birds, dogs and more) and an immense shower room for Mr. Huntington, who measured 6-foot-plus and weighed 250 pounds. The site had no electricity, so food was chilled by bringing in 300 pounds of ice daily—and one room was reserved just for oyster-shucking. The bedrooms were cooled by sea breezes that blew in through open windows, whose iron grillwork was designed by Mrs. Huntington, a renowned sculptor. You can visit the castle by self-guided tour from 9 to 5 daily (huntingtonbeachsc.org; admission to the park and castle, $5).
SANDY INTERLUDE
After I wander this quirky relic, Huntington Beach State Park always calls me to the water. In an area frequently overpopulated by visitors, this beach is a deserted sandy paradise. Pelicans and gulls tend to outnumber humans. A walk along its quiet three-mile stretch is the perfect palate cleanser before heading inland again.
ART AL FRESCO
Just across Highway 17 is Brookgreen Gardens, founded by the Huntingtons in 1931. Anna Huntington’s phenomenal bronze sculptures are displayed here in 9,200 acres of botanical gardens, along with works by 350 other artists. Towering palms and 250-year-old live oaks draped with eerie Spanish moss stud the grounds, a deserted plantation. Once you’ve visited, you’ll see that the menagerie at Atalaya makes more sense—Mrs. Huntington used the animals as models for her work.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
|
|
|
|
Published: February 1, 2010
|
|
Photos: Myrtle Beach CVB; Brookgreen Gardens
|
|
|