Touring the Georgetown Coast

On a previous trip to Georgetown, we picked up a brochure for a boat tour of the Georgetown coast by Rover Tours.  As with all brochures I pick up on our travels, as soon as I get back home I organize them, read about the place (brochure then online) and then decided what we can go see this year or what might need to wait.  This boat tour was a definite must (I mean a boat, naturalist tour guide, shelling, and a lighthouse...really, was there even a question that we would go?!)!  We purchased our tickets and then started the countdown on the calendar.  The day FINALLY arrived and we were both really excited, so off we went (along with my dinosaur bucket to collect shells)!

We arrived a little early so we stopped by the Georgetown Visitor Center to chat a few minutes with Susan.  (If you're in Georgetown, you should stop by the visitor center & talk with Susan, she's awesome!)  After leaving the visitor center, we checked it for our boat tour and then boarded the 40 ft. pontoon and were off to explore.  There were 23 people on our tour in addition to our tour guide and boat captain.  Everyone was extremely nice which always make the tour so much better.  We went about 12 miles before getting off the boat to go shelling on the island. 

 

 Bald eagle.

 The smoke stack of the Harvest Moon, a Union steamer that was hit (& went down) by Confederate torpedo in 1865.

 Georgetown Light (1811)  The top of the lighthouse was blown out by Confederate soldiers to keep Union soldiers from finding their way to the coast.  (The lighthouse was repaired in 1867.)

 

 

 Jellyfish.

 

Come to find out North Island, where we 'docked' the boat and went shelling, is the same island where Lafayette, coming to America from France (1777), 'docked' his boat.  I've stood in the same place as several historical figures but every single time I get the chills and this one was no different...seriously made my entire trip!  We were on the island shelling for a little over an hour which I was amazed at how fast it went by (the saying is definitely true that time flies when you're having fun).  After our time on the island, we boarded the boat and head back.  Our tour guide was a great wealth of knowledge in the history of the area, nature, and the ecosystem.. 

I would recommend this boat tour to anyone!  Rover Tours offers two tours:  (1) Shelling and Lighthouse Cruise and (2) Historic Hobcaw House Boat Tour.  While I've been to Hobcaw (it's amazing!), I'm planning to go on their Historic Hobcaw House Boat Tour as soon as possible.

Happy Travels,
Amber