11/28/20: Hello McClellanville

We made the short, 30-mile run from Georgetown to McClellanville in the rain. Once at the dock the skies cleared long enough for a walk around this appealing little fishing village of 400 residents.

McClellanville is first and foremost a waterman's town. Well-used oyster dredges, shrimp and crab boats crowd the shores of Jeremy Creek. Carolina Seafood Company down the street is about as real as it gets. The briney scent of seafood overpowers you when you enter, even when wearing a mask. Their crab dip is well known and we can attest -- it is mighty good. A quart of local oysters came back to the boat with us as well.

But the most obvious and striking feature of McClellanville is the tangle of live oaks that line every  residential street and byway, their huge twisty branches criss-crossing the sky. The town's pride and joy is the Deerhead Oak, estimated to be 1,000 years old. I can't vouch for the tree's age, but I can say that it is one massive tree. 

One of many grand live oaks populating McClellanville, SC.

Deerhead Oak. Estimated to be 1,000 years old and the pride and joy of McClellanville.

Jeremy Creek, lined with vessels more working man than recreational. The photo is deceiving with its soft serene prettiness. This is a gritty, real-world waterfront. They make room for a couple of us visitors, but here the focus is on making a living from the water.

Mother Nature provides the reflective frame of clouds and water. 

Awesome crab dip from Carolina Seafood Company. More crab than dip -- the way it should be. 

Doesn't that tire swing just call to you?

Another glamour shot of the Deerhead Oak.

The avenues of live oaks march on. Old trees, and plenty of young ones, too, as the locals continue to plant oaks for future generations. We walked past several youngsters, carefully staked.

Our cross-dock neighbor in McClellanville. Oyster dredge, well used.

Oysters heading back under the cover of tidal waters.

Our view for most of the cruise from Georgetown to McClellanville. Even in the gray and rain the area shows off its quiet beauty. I would love to see it under blue skies. 









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jamestown Revisited

Image
We revisited one of our favorite historic haunts -- Jamestown -- and found it as fascinating as ever. Jamestown was established more than 400 years ago as the first permanent English settlement in the New World. But it's only been in the past 25 years that its secrets and treasures have come to light. Archaeologists began actively digging in the mid-90s to determine the location of the original fort that housed those first intrepid newcomers. Prior to that the assumption was the York River had swallowed all remains of the fabled site. That assumption would prove wrong. A handful of determined archaeologists discovered the outline of the wooden palisade by the presence of "stained" soil, indicating the location of post holes. That crude, high wooden fence surrounded the fort and today is reproduced so you can see just how small this first settlement was. Rustic buildings such as a barracks, a communal storeroom, the first of several church buildings and a graveyard were sn
Read more

Doors of Williamsburg

Image
I've always enjoyed the late fall and Christmas season in Williamsburg's historic district. The streets and byways are quieter. The houses and other buildings take on almost a sculptural quality as the trees lose their dense leaf cover and views stretch further than during any other season. But mostly I like the doors. Well, not the door itself (although I do appreciate those old latches, hinges and door knockers). It's the beautiful, organic holiday decor that catches my eye. Every year a fresh batch of gorgeous wreaths are created from real materials -- fir boughs, magnolia leaves and pods, dried flowers, wheat, cotton, shells, pine cones and fresh fruit including apples, lemons, oranges and cranberries. No plastic and polyester here. Even these natural-based wreaths are far more decorative than an 18th century local would have seen. But in our twinkle light and tinsel-encrusted world, they are a lovely change of pace.
Read more

Changing Course

Image
While sitting in Jacksonville this past winter we started to discuss whether we wanted to return to land -- at least for part of the year. We decided we did.  You may ask -- and others already have -- why the shift?  We thoroughly enjoy the liveaboard lifestyle. But winter is a challenging season. Heading south on the ICW to escape the worst of the cold is a great adventure that we have experienced twice. We enjoyed those extended cruises but it doesn't call us every year.  One year we stayed on the boat until Super Bowl Sunday early in February (brrrr!), then spent two months-plus traveling Florida and bordering states by car. In 2020, just as the pandemic was taking hold, we rented a rowhouse in Baltimore for the chilliest months. All were good options. But at our root we are homeowners. The boat is one home, but it doesn't suit year round. So we decided it was time to have a land option. On the return trip to Baltimore in late April we docked at York River Yacht Haven, a pre
Read more