Historic Georgetown, SC

We had a great day exploring some of the historic sites in Georgetown which is about 50 miles south of Myrtle Beach. It was a perfect day to sightsee - the sun was bright and it wasn't too hot, around 70 degrees.

Georgetown is full of history as it is the third oldest city in South Carolina. It sits on the Sambit River and there's a short harbor walk along the river. It's not prettiest view because of the iron factory, but it was still nice. There are lots of historic homes as well as churches within a five block radius of the town square - some from the 1700s. The houses were not very distinctive like we saw in San Antonio, but I did get a couple of pictures of the old churches. They were neat.

We went even further south of town and found a couple of plantation houses. The first one we went to is Hampton Plantation. This was a rice growing plantation. I didn't know that rice was grown in the south back in the late 1600s, early 1700s! I always thought it was just a tobacco and cotton industry. Anyway, that's what was grown at Hampton. Lots and lots of rice fields, and although it is no longer being grown, the rice fields can be seen and are now full of reeds.

One of the cool facts is that there is a HUGE oak tree right in front of the main house and it is told that the plantation owner's wife didn't like the tree because it obscured the view of the house and was going to remove it. However, George Washington was visiting during this time and he liked the tree and asked her not to take it down. So, she didn't! This tree is so huge that there is a pole propping up one of its branches.

The second plantation we visited is Hopsewee Plantation. Its claim to fame is that the original owner, Thomas Lynch, Jr., was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The plantation sits right on the North Santee River. The house is still lived in and the owners allow tours. We just walked around the grounds.

I have read many books by authors Pat Conroy and Dorothea Benton Frank. They both write about this area, especially the Santee River. It was kinda neat finally seeing it as well as some other areas mentioned in their books; makes the books come alive.

Really nice day. It is a little humbling to walk the grounds of these plantations, knowing what a tough life the workers/slaves had. Looking around, it is amazing to me what the owners and their slaves were able to accomplish with the technology (or lack thereof) they had. We should have no complaints about the amenities and ease of life we enjoy!!

Just a few more days and we'll be on our way home! So looking forward to seeing the kids and the rest of the family. Hope all is well in your world. Take a look at the rest of the pictures from today on our Webshots website. Until the next time . . . take care of one another!