Beaufort, South Carolina - Day 2

Another day of perfect weather.  We used the courtesy car to visit the National Cemetery and  then took Garmin to the dog park.  We enjoyed taking in the scenery from the area.  Then back to the boat for me to get the smoker rolling. I smoked a spiral ham, baby back ribs, sausage, and salsa to freeze for upcoming busy travel days.  Beaufort is a very picturesque town.  It's no wonder a large part of the movie  Forrest Gump was filmed here!

Beaufort National Cemetery

Garmin enjoyed the dark park!

Courtesy Car today was a lovely Ford Focus Station Wagon!

This guy docked next to  us and ruined our view from port side.

Plane 2 Sea docked at port. View from Bay Street.

Sunset

Who knew?!

South Carolina has the largest area of undisturbed marshes on the Atlantic coast and half of the state’s salt marshes are located in Beaufort County.

Beaufort County is comprised of over 50% water and wetlands.

Beaufort County has some of the highest tidal fluctuations on the east coast due to its geographical location, which allows for the constant flushing of the marshes, helping to create an extensive pristine environment.

The large fish and animal populations supported by Beaufort County’s aquatic habitats are an important part of the local economy and culture.  These habitats support not only important seafood species, but also large numbers of boaters and kayakers.  As for beaches, Hunting Island is the most visited South Carolina State Park with over a million visitors per year.

Over 400 bird species can be seen in South Carolina; and Beaufort County has over 182 species that are permanent residents, seasonal visitors, or passing through along the Atlantic Coastal Flyway, which brings large numbers of migrating birds to the area.  Beaufort County also has a number of endangered species breeding populations, such as the Least Tern and Wilson’s Plover, as well as dozens of species that are on the United States Watch List.

There are over 1,400 small marsh islands in Beaufort County known as “hammocks”, which provide critical habitat for birds and animals, and serve as stopover points for migrating birds.