Tuesday 11/14 - Georgetown SC

We got up early since we had a full schedule of things to do before returning to the Marina.  First was a drive up and down the three or four blocks that parallel the waterfront, looking at old homes.  Georgetown is the third oldest town in South Carolina (behind Charleston and Beaufort).  Many of the houses date back to the 1700s.  It was sunny but pretty cool out so we decided to drive vs. walk.  Then, at 10am, we went on a one our drive around guided tour that provided lots of the town's history.  Then we toured the county historical society museum.  And last, but not least, the Rice Museum.  It was surprising to me that rice was such an important crop in the area.  What made it do so well was the 5 fresh water rivers that flow into the flatlands near the mouth of the Winyah River.  What made it so profitable was that 90 percent of the people in the area were slaves that were first used to clear the land, build the fields with systems of dikes, and then farm the land.  When the slaves were freed, the industry in the area died. 

We left Georgetown around 1pm and drove about 20 miles north to the Brookstone Gardens.  This is a sculpture garden with hundreds of stone and bronze sculptures - all by American artists.  We went on a guided tour and then walked around a lot on our own.  This place is huge - about the size of Longwood Gardens near home.  It was definitely worth the time and the entrance fee.  There are not many flower gardens but many many shrubs and beautiful live oak and other trees. 

We returned to the marina around 6pm and then went out for my final grocery shopping.