They treated us so well that I asked them if they would adopt us. We’re still awaiting their decision.
Finally, A Beautiful And Clean Airbnb
We were relieved to arrive at our Airbnb and find that the reality matched the photos and description. It was clean, comfortable, and beautifully decorated.
We were happy to find a sweet carriage house in Bluffton in a great location
Wandering Around Bluffton
Our Airbnb was conveniently located just a block from old town Bluffton. It’s an appealing, walkable town that radiates Southern charm.
The beautiful May River waterfront in Bluffton
One of many historic homes in Bluffton
A Grand Tour Of The Area
Ed and Diana treated us to a grand tour of the South Carolina Lowcountry. In addition to Bluffton, we explored Hunting Island State Park, Hilton Head, Beaufort, and Port Royal. (We’re returning in January, and I’ll tell you more then about the Lowcountry and the rich history there. This trip, all we wanted to do was relax.)
Hunting Island State Park
Nesting Birds At Port Royal
Visiting the Cypress Wetlands Rookery at nearby Port Royal was one of our favorite activities. The last time we had up-close views of a rookery was when we visited High Island in Texas. There’s something mesmerizing and soul-soothing about watching the herons and egrets preen, put on fancy breeding plumage displays, and care for their young. The babies are crazy looking, like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.
We had so much fun, we went twice to the rookery. I could have spent all day.
Great Egret in breeding plumage
Great Blue Heron
Our Own Private Gourmet Restaurant
We enjoyed fabulous dinners with Ed and Diana (and their sweet kitty Latte) at their beautiful lakefront home. From a Lowcountry Boil made with fresh South Carolina shrimp to a festive Cinco de Mayo dinner, we dined well. We wrapped up our week with brunch at The Farm, an excellent little farm-to-table restaurant in old town Bluffton.
Click on photos for a larger image
It is incredibly comforting and restorative to relax in the company of good friends, especially in the midst of big life changes. Our week in Bluffton was a welcome respite from our many months of packing, moving, downsizing, and stink-bug infested Airbnbs. How fortunate we are to have such generous friends in this life. Thank you, dear ones.
May is magnolia-blooming-time in the South
Is there an application process to be adopted by Ed and Diana? We are sharpening our pencils and fine-tuning our resumes to be considered. What a gorgeous place!
😂😂😂 Okay, this made my morning!! I will put in a good word for you, Spreckles. Along with the rest of your crazy family.
P.S. For those of you who read the comments, I once (okay, maybe three times) called Tessa and Philip’s dog “Spreckles” instead of “Sprinkles” by mistake, and she won’t let me live it down. You need to read their blog. She’s hilarious.
Looks like you found a really nice location.
Love historic homes and buildings and especially
lakes.
Bob, we loved Bluffton and will definitely be visiting regularly. It’s only a couple hundred miles from where we are in Flat Rock, so it’s the perfect distance for a few days at the coast (and visiting good friends)!
Please come and enjoy Paradise! You have friends here!
Ed and Diana Sull
Sullmates@gmail.com
Haha, you better open an Airbnb! OX
Hurray on the airbnb! We just made reservations for Hunting Island State Park for next March. Got the last site for our time there. Boy, things book up early. Your pictures are awesome.
Hi Deb, how great that you got into Hunting Island SP! Maybe we’ll be in Bluffton next year when you are and can finally meet up in person. We’re planning to be there in March on our way home from Florida. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos!
Laurel, thanks for sharing your week in Bluffton. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy life.
It really is a charming area, isn’t it? I know you like Bluffton a lot, Suzanne. I can see why you said that you could live there!
Boy, did you whet my appetite for a visit to South Carolina! Bluffton looks like a wonderful community to explore, and your friends appear to be fabulous hosts. The meals look marvelous!
Love the photos of the herons. Those babies are so goofy-looking, though.
I love old churches and Church of the Cross reminds me of some of the Episcopal churches I grew up in. I see it’s an Anglican church, which is probably why it looks familiar.
I’m glad the Airbnb situation has improved. That’s a darling carriage house!
Lesley, you would love Bluffton! It’s the quintessential Southern coastal town, and there’s a lot to explore in the area. The Church of the Cross has a very interesting history…it survived the Civil War, which is pretty amazing.
I hope you and Rod will make your way to the East Coast for a trip. And then you can come to see us, too. :-))
Great to hear from you!!!! We are on our way to our last Birding Festival at MacGregor Prov. Park. Huron Birding!!!! Bird until you drop seems to be our mode lately!!!! Boy are we tired!!!! A few days of R&R before Thursday!!!!
Hi Julie, it sounds like you two are having fun! Enjoy and rest up for your next adventure!
Hunting Island is absolutely my very favorite South Carolina State Park. We spent several Thanksgiving dinners there on our way to Florida in the past. Love your rookery pictures. Fabulous. As is the great angle on the historic house with the Spanish moss hanging down. Sounds like a great time.
Sherry, I can understand why Hunting Beach SP is your favorite in South Carolina. This was our first visit to the area, but it won’t be our last. I know you would absolutely love that boardwalk in Port Royal and the nesting herons and egrets. It was mesmerizing.
Too many unanswered questions! Why back to Lowcountry in January? Did Latte and Maggie get to cavort together? (I’m guessing no or there would be pics of it.) Why *didn’t* you spend all day at the rookery? What are those things in the bowls in the Cinco de Mayo picture that look like giant…Hershey’s kisses?
Glad you had a beautiful Air BnB this time and a relaxing, well-fed respite :)
Decor (the giant Hershey kisses) Figs……….. Everyone was warned not to bite into them :)
Diana
Next time, I want real figs!! LOL
I love your questions, Joodie! We’re returning to the Lowcountry in early January on our way to Florida, and then again in late March on our way home. We love the coast and there’s a lot to explore in the area, so we want to return. Plus, we get to visit Ed and Diana!
Latte and Magnolia did not meet. We talked about it, but cats are weird, as you know. Magnolia is very affectionate and playful with us, but we have no idea how she would be with another cat and we don’t want to unleash her inner demon, haha.
Those giant things were fake figs, strictly for decoration. I was mad because I love figs and I was ready to cut into one. 😂
Love hearing about all of your adventures .
Your photography is awesome; great rookery & nature shots.
Thank you for your continuing to share your life with us.
Thank you so much, Kathryn. You are such a wonderful photographer, I know you would love visiting that rookery!
What’s the point of a week that doesn’t include going to Goodwill?? Well, I guess there are several: relaxation, exploration, enjoyment, and deepening treasured friendships. Just think how many more weeks like this you guys can enjoy once your house build is done. This visit sounds like a much-needed break from deep-cleaning rental properties and a reminder of why you both love to travel. Those pics of baby birds from the rookery are priceless. They are a great illustration of the fact that parents love their offspring even if they look funny. Hormones are pretty powerful.
Hahaha…I am so done with trips to Goodwill! It was fabulous to have an entire week that had nothing to do with downsizing, or cleaning, or thinking about and planning our home build. I know you understand all about the vortex of home construction projects, Shannon. And this is a tiny house, not the complicated home design and build that you and Ken took on!
Those baby birds are hilarious, aren’t they? They are so ridiculous looking, and they were relentlessly begging for food. Bird parents have a really tough job. I guess all parents do, LOL.
Laurel, that gorgeous carriage house was your reward for putting up with the other, shall we say, “less than stellar” AirB&B properties – and no dog-related pillows to annoy Magnolia! Comfy accommodations + good friends + a beautiful location = a well-deserved reward for our weary travelers. The May River waterfront would have proven irresistible to me. It seems like the perfect place to enjoy a peaceful start to the day and my morning coffee. Loving that photo of Sprinkles and Spreckles, the baby egrets. They definitely would have provided Dr. Seuss with inspiration for Things 3 and 4!
Mary,
We must be kindred souls. On Thursday mornings I drive from Sun City to Old downtown Bluffton on the May River. Bring my coffee and walk to the public dock and park to sit and enjoy life. Then, back to the park to an amazing Farmers Market….year round!
This place is our Paradise. Come visit, you have friends here.
Ed and Diana Sull
Sullmates@gmail.com
Kindred souls, indeed! It’s so peaceful at the water’s edge, especially early in the morning when fewer people are out and about. Alan and I can often be found at a park on “our” river with bagels and coffee in hand – such a restorative way to begin the day. Thank you so much for your sweet invitation – your kindness is truly heartwarming!
Mary, Magnolia was very relieved to find no dog-related theme pillows at that Airbnb, LOL. It was such a lovely space. If you guys do more road trips during the winter without your trailer, I highly recommend Bluffton and that carriage house. I loved walking down to the May River in the morning and at sunset. And I know Ed and Diana would happily show you their favorite birding spots! That boardwalk in Port Royal is magical.
Sprinkle and Spreckles, haha. You are as bad as Tessa!
No, Tessa’s worse!
What a perfect week of recovery! And what lovely friends you have! I’m glad your Airbnb was a nice one–it was time! Those bird babies are hilarious!
Diana and Ed are truly lovely friends, Janna. It was a relaxing, peaceful, fun week for us, and they made it really special. Visiting the rookery and seeing those hilarious baby birds was one of many highlights.
Well, what a lovely tale! Thank you for the kind words. All who have come to visit us, plan on coming back..A good thing. How could we not share such a paradise with all of our friends. :)
Diana and Ed
You two are so generous. As you know, we’ve already made our plans to return! OX
I had some of the same questions that Joodie had….I’ll wait for your reply to her. We love this area and can see why you’d want to come back for another visit, we always do. We haven’t been to Hunting Island for years, the last time being in the height of bitey bug season….ugh. Finally – a real sweet air bnb! Your “next up” tease has me waiting….patiently…..for a first glimpse. I know, I know, we’ll meet you there soon and can see for ourselves, but I’m into instant gratification.
Sue, see above for the answers to Joodie’s questions, LOL. We’ve been to Charleston a couple of times and to several places on the Georgia coast, but this was our first visit to the Bluffton area. We loved it! But you can be sure we will not visit during bitey bug season.
We’ve been in Flat Rock for two weeks and it’s starting to feel like we’re “home.” We can’t wait to see you two! We’ve been making a list of all of the things we want to share with you. :-)
What a great little southern town. Your visit looked like so much fun with wonderful friends. So very glad to hear you landed a perfect Airbnb…finally!! Lots of very quaint meals both home and out. Delightful! Congratulations on your ebikes!!! They look a lot like ours. They are wonderful, aren’t they. You definitely get exercise since they don’t go without peddling. We find we can use no battery lots of the time around here especially since we are either going up or down. But it sure made biking fun again with so many hills here. The entire Vegas Valley is made for biking with trails everywhere we want to go. Enjoy your new toys!!
Pam, we were so happy (and relieved) to finally get a great Airbnb! It was only one room, so wouldn’t have been ideal for a long stay. But for a week, it was wonderful, and the location was perfect.
We are loving our bikes! You’re right, it’s still good exercise. Most of the time, I don’t use the pedal assist at all. But it helps on steep hills that I’ve always hated, LOL (and even then, I use the lowest setting). Now Eric doesn’t have to listen to me complaining, and the pedal assist is really helping him when his knee starts to act up (he has a torn meniscus that he’s trying to heal). I know you guys love your bikes…you inspired us to get e-bikes!
Wow, what a beautiful town, and congratulations on finally finding an Air BnB that didn’t suck! I knew it would happen… eventually!! :)
I had seen pictures of Hunting Island before and we wanted to camp there, but I could never make it happen. Looks like we really missed out. Those beaches are a photographer’s paradise. Actually, that whole area is – from the wildlife you captured so well to the moss draped trees. One frame-worthy photo after another.
Oh, and the food – especially that paella… I’m thinkin I might want to file an adoption application too!
Laura, we love charming Southern coastal towns! And the birdlife (especially the wading birds) is just fantastic along the coast. As you know, after spending summers in the hot and humid south we are absolutely sure we don’t want to live there, but we like visiting in the cooler seasons.
We’re enjoying the farmers’ markets in full swing everywhere right now. Farmers’ markets with paella are the best! Is there a Portuguese version of paella? You know I always want to know about the food scene. :-))
Laurel,
I’m so glad you shared this. We’ve been to every town you mentioned above around Bluffton–except Bluffton, which looks fabulous. I’ve been wishing for a trip to Beaufort and Parris Island for months, but I’m thinking of Bluffton now. We will spend two weeks in Edisto Beach in November, which may give us an opportunity to do some exploring. Your pictures are great, and the Carriage House looks very inviting. Moving Day is getting closer! I know you’re excited! Joe
Joe, you and Helen would love Bluffton! We visited Beaufort for a day, but want to return to explore more in-depth. Edisto Beach is also on our list, but it’s about 100 miles from Bluffton, which is too far for us for a day trip. So many places still to explore!
We’re still probably two to three months away from being able to move into our tiny home, but the builders are making progress, and we’re busy making decisions (currently deep into investigating kitchen and bath sinks, haha).
Laurel,
When I built homes and asked buyers about sinks and plumbing fixtures, more often than not, they would say “You know, I don’t really care about plumbing fixtures until somebody asked me about them.” So true!
Joe, we have so many decisions to make! I like details, and it’s fun to think about all of the options. But wow, there are so many options, and sometimes things that seem like they’re going to be great turn out to be not so great. That giant farmhouse stainless sink we had in our Florida home, for example. That thing was a pain to keep clean!
Love the Dr. Seuss baby herons!!
Aren’t they crazy looking?! They grow up to be so beautiful, but they sure don’t start out that way! Hope all is well on Lopez, Gretchen.
Lovely B&B, finally!! Sounds like great food and a wonderful visit with friends. I particularly like the pictures of Hunting Island State Park, reminds me of Botany Bay just outside Edisto Beach. Hope you are having a grand time!
Thank you, Beverly! We had a wonderful time in Bluffton and are already planning a return trip. Edisto Beach is also on our list of places we want to go…we’ll definitely check out Botany Bay. I hope you’re doing well!