On the road to Hilton Head Island, S.C.

We left Ottawa early in the morning, reaching the U.S. border just as the sun was coming up. With only two cars in the line ahead of us, we were quickly through customs and into New York State.
Our morning drive was lovely.......with the sun shining, the trees were showing off their Fall colours as we drove southwards through the rolling hills of New York State.
With the Jeep full of gas + our “tanks” full of coffee we were in Pennsylvania by noon and the temperature was a balmy 70F.
The scenery became more rugged as we travelled through this state - the gentle hills giving way to a landscape of jagged rocks, some with a high, sheer “face” where the path for a highway has been blasted through. At this time of year the the rocks have a bare, barren look - a dull, dark grey in colour......although.....we’ve frequently travelled this way in the winter when these rocks are covered with layers of snow and the solid “rivers” of ice that are wedged into their thick crevices appear to be a permanent feature.
Continuing through to the more southern part of Pennsylvania we climbed higher, through some forested areas, that enabled us to view picturesque valleys below, full of the vibrant colours of Autumn. We travelled past some well known places....Hershey (it has a Hall of Fame, famous for chocolate) + towns with a strong historical significance......one of which - Gettysburg - we visited a few years ago and would recommend to anyone who is in this part of the U.S. Although we did find the town itself a bit “touristy,” we visited the National cemetery on a very hot August morning, when all was quiet. We experienced “goosebumps” while viewing the final resting place of 3500 Union soldiers killed in the battle of Gettysburg. This is where Lincoln, who a few months later at the cemetery’s dedication was scheduled to “say a few words,” went on to give a speech that was to become known as The Gettysburg Address.
We travelled quickly through small areas of Maryland and West Virginia before crossing the Shenandoah river and into Virginia. With the Blue Ridge Mountains in full view this is the place for a hike through the many trails in the Shenandoah National Park. It’s also possible to take the scenic “Skyline Drive,” which runs north and south for 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains.......we’ve promised ourselves to do it one day.....but with no stops for sightseeing on this journey, we continued onwards - content to just admire the passing scenery!
With the temperature hovering around 77F, we did however, leave the highway we were on - to enjoy, for almost 2 hours, a drive along slower roads. This route crosses some lovely countryside before joining up with the main north/south highway that runs down the Eastern side of the U.S. The roads wind through a scenic area that skirts around Washington, D.C. it’s a place where wooded areas, large lush fields and paddocks are home to “gentleman” horse-farms. Many of these “farms” have their own lake and are actually mansions that are built to blend in with the surrounding countryside. Just south of this area, we ended our first day of travel.
Our second day of driving saw us, once again, on the road before the sun was up.....but pretty quickly the sky was turning pink and mist was hanging over the tobacco fields - a sure sign, along with the fields of cotton, that we were in the south.
We passed by Richmond, a lovely historic city - something that cannot be seen from the highway. Apart from the city itself, there are many places of interest in the Richmond area that we have also visited and would recommend......head eastwards out of the city to the historic triangle of Williamsburg (a picture-perfect Colonial town), Jamestown (site of the first permanent settlement & still the site of an archaeological dig) and Yorktown with its numerous buildings from the pre-Revolutionary era. A little more than an hour west of Richmond is Monticello - the plantation and home of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the U.S. Designed and built by Jefferson it is now, along with the surrounding grounds, a UNESCO world heritage site......one tip.....if going - book ahead of time.....tours and access to the house and grounds are limited.....and it’s popular!
All of these areas are surrounded by the gorgeous Virginia countryside - which we left behind as we entered North Carolina and a 200 mile stretch of road that is boring! With dense areas of trees lining the sides of the highway there are very limited views of the surrounding area. Exits for gas and food come & go + now and again the tunnel of trees open up to catch glimpses of the surrounding creeks & rivers. As we continued into South Carolina the trees become less dense (although there are still many miles of them), and we started to see road signs leading to many of the popular Atlantic coastal towns.
By noon we entered the area known as the “Low Country” - an area of barrier islands and coastal marshes. Once known for its slave-based agricultural wealth - with crops such as rice that flourished in the subtropical climate - it’s now an area known for its historic sites, cultural heritage and tourism. Last year we spent the month of November on Seabrook Island - one of the quieter barriers Islands close to Charleston.....we can attest to the beauty and charm of the area. The tidal marshes here are great places for kayaking, fishing and watching the surrounding wildlife. With long stretches of beach and miles of bike-paths these islands and coastal areas are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. There’s also the added bonus of nearby Charleston. This lovely city, founded in 1670 is certainly worth visiting......with a large waterfront promenade, cobbled streets & pastel coloured antebellum houses it’s full of charm and history. It also has great shops, art galleries and restaurants.
On this journey, we continued southwards for 2 more hours before we left the highway and made our way towards Hilton Head Island. This last 1/2 hour took us along a “manicured” road with flowers and palm trees lining the way, and across a bridge which crosses the intra-coastal waterway and onto the Island itself. After a short-detour - we got on, off and then on again to the cross-island’s toll road - we arrived at our destination.
The afternoon temperature was 80F & the sun was shining - a great welcome to our home-base for the next 3 weeks.