Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2019

76 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.ReadMPM.com feature garlic pepper jelly is the jam — pun intended, but true. WHATTODO Are you a shopper or an adventurer? Or a little bit of both? Official Beaufort Area Visitor Center. Located inside an old fort, this is a perfect place to start if you’re a Beaufort first-timer. There are countless other great places to stay, eat and explore than what we had room for on our list, and you’ll find information about them here. Bay St Treasures. You never know what treasure you’ll discover at this eclectically charming spot on the ground floor of the historic Elliott House. They specialize in vintage and nearly new furniture and home décor. Beaufort Tours. Avid readers will delight in Pat Conroy’s Beaufort Tour. Afterward, visit the Pat Conroy Literacy Center to learn even more. Not a big reader? Beaufort Tours offers plenty of other van and walking tours about history, movies and more. Hitch a Historic Carriage Ride. A nostalgic way to get a history lesson while trotting around the most beautiful areas of town. Get on a Boat or Kayak. You’d be doing it wrong if you didn’t get out on the water while you are there, so take a tour, rent a ‘yak through Beaufort Kayak Tours or hire an inshore fishing charter to hit the best fishing spots. The Chocolate Tree. This place is a wonderland of treats made in-house, and was the creator of the famous “box of chocolates” in “Forrest Gump.” OFFTHE BEATEN PATH If you want to venture outside of the city, the surrounding Sea Islands have a lot to offer. The Legends at Parris Island. This par-72 course sits on the site of Santa Elena — the 1500s-era capital of Spanish Florida. See some of the artifacts while you play at this public course, ranked one of the top military courses in the world. Kazoobie Kazoo Factory and Museum. Fun for kids and kids-at-heart, it’s just a 12-minute drive from historic Beaufort to take a tour, learn about this American instrument and even make one for yourself. Explore Hunting Island State Park. Spend a day exploring this beautiful island where the Vietnam scenes of “Forrest Gump” were filmed. Climb South Carolina’s only publicly accessible lighthouse and walk the beaches. Make sure to bring cash for lunch at the Shrimp Shack, rumored to have inspired Bubba’s laundry list of shrimp dishes in the movie. Dempsey Farms. Pick fresh produce on your way to or from Hunting Island. May and June yield strawberries, squash, green beans, cucumbers, sweet corn, okra, cantaloupe, peppers, tomatoes and watermelons. Old Sheldon Church Ruins. On your way home from your getaway, make one last stop in Yemassee to see what remains of this beautiful Civil War-era church. It is a quiet and moving place and a favorite for photographers.