PALMETTO DUNES

Palmetto Dunes Resort is ranked as one of the world's finest luxury resorts.  There are 3 miles of pristine beachfront along the Atlantic ocean and has a unique 11-mile saltwater lagoon system.  This premier resort has full & part time residents as well as tourists who enjoy the beach, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and biking.  There are premier golf courses, dining & tennis in this private gated community. 

  This gem of a property is located mid-island in Palmetto Dunes, in the premier residency of Leamington.  Close to beach, this stellar property offers an opportunity to paddle a canoe or kayak just footsteps away from the back entrance of this designer decorated home.  Golf & tennis are also within this luxurious community.  Invite your friends and family to enjoy a cookout on a spacious back deck facing the lagoon.

If you would like to see a sneak peek at this properties interior.  You can view at 

http://www.lowcountryonvideo.com/web/tour/show/video/branded/2263

For serious inquires, you may contact the agent Jacque Johnson

http://www.jacquejohnson.com/

 

 WINDMILL HARBOUR

170 acres border the Intracoastal Waterway and the Calibogue Sound.   Its most prominent feature is a manmade 15-acre inland harbour with an extremely advanced lock system, one of the community’s main attractions.  Windmill Harbour is the location of the South Carolina Yacht Club.

 Some activities where you can meet your neighbors is at the  Harbour Stroll where property owners and the Yacht Club work together to decorate and celebrate the holidays, a Yard "Sail" in spring and our 4th of July Parade. See what's going on now in  Harbour Happenings

MARINA

Boat slips are available for ownership or rental. Residents can have their boat steps from their home...a boater's dream come true. 

SECURITY

Full-time security staff the 24-hour gatehouse.

This home is for active people  and families that enjoy boating and socializing since this home offers   spectacular views of the Intracoastal Waterway.  Boaters pass by and  are in awe at this stately home.  There are both formal and informal living spaces, a wine cellar,  elevator, gourmet kitchen, and a formal dining room, a catwalk over the lap pool with seating area to watch the boats coming in and out of the harbor.

 For a sneak peak of the great features of this stunning property, you can check out this video.
 http://www.lowcountryonvideo.com/web/tour/show/video/branded/2362/1 .  
For serious inquires only, you may contact Catherine Donaldson @ Sotheby's International Realty
http://celiadunnsir.com/agents/catherine-donaldson/




Credits:
Hilton Head Real Estate.com
Catherine Donaldson at (Sotheby's International Realty)
Photography & Video (Low Country on Video)

For photography or Real Estate Video, you can contact info@lowcountryonvideo.com

"STORY BOOK ISLAND"

AN ISLAND CALLED DAUFUSKIE

 “Story book” location are two words that describe Daufuskie Island according to script writer, “Bruce Turner. 

This remote island is a mere stones throw away from the world-renowned Hilton Head Island.  Peace meets serenity where water meets land.

This place is Daufuskie Island where the only way to get there is by boat. Here you can smell the natural scents of pine and hear the footprints of the wildlife. It is here where the islands breathtaking beauty captivates you. Once a schoolteacher on Daufuskie, Pat Conroy embellished his creativity and wrote, “The Water is Wide” and became a famous author.  His book was based on his true experience living on this gem of an island.

This is an island that is a best kept secret and a jewel for real estate investors or anyone secking seclusion and tranquility.  This island now is residential and has a population of around 300.  Golf carts are the primary mode of transportation other than getting here by boat. 

The lifestyle is what you make of it and you can be socially active or you can enjoy quality time alone or with family with a pitcher of good old fashioned pitcher of sweet tea, a game of monopoly, casting a net or biking to discover the natural wonders of nature.

One of the private residential communities is Haig Point and offers a championship Rees Jones golf course, a traditional game of croquet, championship tennis as well as horseback riding.

To really get a sense of the quality of lifestyle, you can see a dream home that I had a pleasure to showcase along with Jon Sanders thanks to Tom Jackson. Broker in Charge of Gateway Realty.  He has over 20 years experience where he has specialized in real estate on Daufuskie Island.  This property listed below signifies quality in homebuilding design, craftsmanship and structure.

http://www.lowcountryonvideo.com/web/tour/show/video/branded/2214/1 

If you would like any information on Daufuskie Island you can contact Tom Jackson, at

http://www.tomcjackson.com/prop_daufuskie.htm 

If you are a realtor and would like a home featured for Beaufort country area of South Carolina you can e-mail info@lowcountryonvideo.com

Many thanks to those who participated in this video showcase of such a premier property!  Thank you Tom Jackson, Bruce Turner, Jon Sanders to make this all happen!

Credits:
Jon Sanders - Video
I did the photography of this shoot and you can view the website at www.lowcountryonvideo.com

LOW COUNTRY LIVING

 

One of the best-kept secrets of the Low County is off the private gates off Hwy 46 in Bluffton, SC.  As you drive in the moss-draped road, you are surrounded by tranquil forest and once you arrive into the Village of Palmetto Bluff you will note its breathtaking beauty.  You feel like you have found the rarest pearl in an oyster shell.

 

Preservation and integrity for the guests and homeowners are managed by Cresent Resources, LLC for the pristine land in Palmetto Bluff.  They have a Design Review Board for every homeowner to help ensure the standards and character and help protect every homeowner and their property investment.

This is only one of the best kept secrets of Low Country living! There is an exiting new innovation in the Real Estate market that I am personally committed to and will be showcasing more properties soon in Low Country featuring Video tour marketing.

 This site will be featuring Luxury, Homes for Sale, Rental and Vacation properties.

http://www.lowcountryonvideo.com/

For more information, you can e-mail me at bestkeptsecretofthelowcountry@gmail.com

GULLAH CELEBRATION

February is a month of celebrating tradition and history here in the Lowcountry.  Every February, the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina in Hilton Head helps bring back time and share some great culture that exemplifies the heritage with a Gullah Fest located at 14 Shelter Cove Lane in Hilton Head,  "A Taste of Gullah" from Noon-until 4:00 p.m.   This is a great festival to indulge in some "original island gumbo", ribs, and chicken. 
For more contact information, you may contact (843) 255-7303 or www.gullahcelebration.com

The Gullah are the descendants of slaves who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands.
Historically, the Gullah region extended from the Cape Fear area on the coast of North Carolina south to the vicinity of Jacksonville on the coast of Florida; but today the Gullah area is confined to the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. The Gullah people and their language are also called Geechee, which some scholars speculate is related to the Ogeechee River near Savannah, Georgia. The term "Geechee" is an emic term used by speakers (and can have a derogatory connotation depending on usage). "Gullah" is a term that was originally used to designate the language spoken by Gullah and Geechee people, but over time it has become a way for speakers to formally identify both their language and themselves as a distinctive group of people. The Georgia communities further identify themselves as either "Saltwater Geechee" or "Freshwater Geechee" depending on their proximity to the coast.
The Gullah have preserved much of their African linguistic and cultural heritage. They speak an English-based creole language containing many African loanwords and significant influences from African languages in grammar and sentence structure. Properly referred to as "Sea Island Creole," the Gullah language is related to Jamaican Creole, Barbadian Dialect, Bahamian Dialect, and the Krio language of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Gullah storytelling, cuisine, music, folk beliefs, crafts, farming and fishing traditions, all exhibit strong influences from West and Central African cultures.

Celebrating Gullah culture

Over the years, the Gullahs have attracted many historians, linguists, folklorists, and anthropologists interested in their rich cultural heritage. Many academic books on that subject have been published. The Gullah have also become a symbol of cultural pride for blacks throughout the United States and a subject of general interest in the media. This has given rise to countless newspaper and magazine articles, documentary films, and children's books on Gullah culture, and to a number of popular novels set in the Gullah region.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah

 

 

THANKSGIVING MADE EASY

Life seems to be so hectic and not everyone has time after working a full day to come home and prepare for a traditional dinner.  Family is spread out all over the globe and families spend time either in their home base or travel elsewhere to see family and friends.  The LowCountry is known for good old Southern comfort food that warms the spirit and the soul.  If you are traveling to this area for the holidays and want to have some sort of tradition, but don't want to cook, here are some shortcuts to enjoy both traditonal and non traditional ideas!

“The more grateful we become, the more we experience grace in life.”
Eric Handler
November is a month known for its gratitude. It is the beginning of a season that makes us more aware of the blessings, people, and opportunities that surround us.
I am grateful for this chance to live in an age where it is possible to find so many amazing projects, ideas, and movements with just a few clicks of the mouse. We’ve never had the ability to be so connected to innovation before, so I feel like it’s only right to share the goodness I’ve come across.

Bluffton Oyster Company is not exactly a traditional dinner of turkey and pumpkin pie, but one thing that is tradition here in the South is a good old fashioned Oyster Roast, LowCountry boil or barbeque. 

BLUFFTON

The History of The Bluffton Oyster Company

A Family Run Operation Since 1899

The Bluffton Oyster Company actually sits on reclaimed land, built up by more than a hundred years of discarded shells from previous shucking operations. The oyster business thrived in early Bluffton and throughout the 1920’s, with five different oyster operations in the area. Now the Bluffton Oyster Company remains the last hand-shucking house in the state of South Carolina.

We specialize in fresh local seafood; oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish filets, soft shell crabs and live blue crabs. All oysters are harvested & shucked by hand. We employ 15 Oyster pickers and up to 12 oysters shuckers daily.  Come on in today! 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday, 63 Wharf St. 843-757-4010.
www.blufftonoyster.com

About BBQ Xpress

Known to many locals as the best BBQ in South Carolina, Choo Choo BBQ’s little red caboose has been a part of Bluffton, and the Lowcountry, for nearly 20 years.
Owned and operated by the Blankenship family, Choo Choo BBQ serves-up fine quality southern cuisine, cheerfully prepared by folks who understand hospitality.
Offering traditional oak wood smoked, slow-cooked and hand-pulled pork, chicken and baby back ribs, Choo Choo BBQ’s specialty sauce is served on the side for those who take their BBQ experience seriously.
Choo Choo BBQ also prepares several savory, home-cooked side dishes to compliment your meal.
Located at 129 Burnt Church Rd., just south of Hwy. 278, the gateway to Hilton Head Island, Choo Choo BBQ has long maintained its reputation as being one of the best purveyors of traditional BBQ anywhere!

If you would like the Blankenship family to smoke a turkey for the holidays, they will have 12 - 14 lb turkey available for pre-orders only. Call for detail!

(843) 815-7675

Hours: Tue. through Sat. 11am. - 7:30pm Closed on Sunday and Monday.

 http://choochoobbq.net/

The Cottage

The Cottage Café is located in the historic district of Old Town
Bluffton, South Carolina, on Calhoun Street. It exemplifies both old
world charm and the warm hospitality of the South.

  They have a great variety of specialty breads as well as  gluten-free loaves, upon request
  Pie, Tarts, Cookies, Bread Pudding, Pound Cakes,
Whoopie Pies, Cheesecake,
Dessert Bars, Coffee Cake, Cupcakes, Corn Bread, Granola,
World Famous Scones, Muffins, Brownies, Shortbread, and
of course, Cake, Cake, Cake!
Everything baked fresh, from scratch, by hand. 
For special orders, we kindly request a minimum of 48 hours
(843) 757-0508
http://www.thecottagebluffton.com

HILTON HEAD

SIGNE'S HEAVEN BOUND BAKERY & CAFE

A trip to Hilton Head is not complete unless you have sampled a slice of Heaven low country style.  Signe's has made it easy for your family to dine in your convenience of your home, villa, vacation rental or for employees who are working and want to share a bit of tradition, in the workplace.

Signe's  has the whole bird as well as the fixin's as well as Brunches, Suppers, family style veggies, bisquits, cake, cookies and her scrumptious pies on the island as well as Royal Holiday Cakes.

Thanksgiving pick-up is Wednesday 21 and will reopen on Friday

Call (843) 785-9118

http://www.signesbakery.com/

SAVANNAH

  A line gathers each morning at
107 West Jones Street. At 11
o'clock, the doors of 107 open
and the lunch crowd finds seats
at one of the large tables-for-ten
shared by strangers. Tabletops
are crowded with platters of
fried chicken and cornbread
dressing, sweet potato souffle,
black-eyed peas, okra gumbo,
corn muffins and biscuits. The
menu changes daily so regulars
can have something different
every day. Stop by and enjoy the
special pleasure of a meal shared
with neighbors and strangers.
There is nothing more welcoming than to sit down to a table filled with home-cooked food, with family, friends or strangers (you won't be strangers for long). - "Pass the chicken!"

The table, set for us before we sat down.

Mrs. Wilkes' is pure and simple. 

• Line up before they open (um... the line gets LONG, so skip breakfast and get in line)
• Sit down at a table (tables of 10).
• Wait for the blessing, especially the first seating, no matter what you believe... you will want to THANK someone for this food.
• Now, PASS THE CHICKEN!!! And then pass EVERYTHING else.  I think we were passing food for a solid 10 minutes before we gave up.
• Enjoy!!!  Talk to the people about the food, figure out who those strangers are, pace yourself!

  Inside Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room, four generations of the Wilkes family platters of Mrs. Wilkes' legendary fried chicken, beef stew and biscuits. Friends, family and fellow diners pass bowls brimming with her butter beans, collard greens, mashed sweet have worked the ground-floor, keeping the restaurant's tables laden with potatoes and banana pudding.
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining room will be open the day before 
Thanksgiving, so if you want to experience a true Southern family style dining expereience, then I would recommend.
107 West Jones St
Savannah, GA
(912) 232-5997
http://www.mrswilkes.com

BEAUFORT

  BARBARA JEAN'S RESTAURANT 

What’s for Thanksgiving?

BY DON VARNADOE

There are many stories about what could have been the first Thanksgiving and where it happened and what foods were used in those celebrations. To give us direction, the United States Congress in 1941 established Thanksgiving to occur annually on the fourth Thursday of November.

Usually, we think of the celebration that the Pilgrims and Indians had as the first Thanksgiving and we think of turkey as part of the food. Historians indicate that turkey, as we know it, was not a part of that celebration. However, traditionally we seem to think of turkey as the leading meat for the annual feast of thanks.

If you are looking for a change, Barbara Barta of Barbara Jean’s Restaurants has some suggestions and they are all great! How about crab cakes or pork loin and some She Crab soup? Well, your next thought should be, where do I get these items or how do I make them? The answer is easy.

So that you can enjoy the day, Barbara, her husband, Jim, and their Southern-trained staff will help you. Their restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. to serve you, or you can call in for a “pick up,” or some items can be ordered online at www.barbarajeans.com and be prepared at home. Barbara is so dedicated to her customers that she has turned her family Thanksgiving over to her daughter, Lisa. To go along with her big meal, Lisa makes cranberry-orange sauce and bakes cranberry nut bread.

The Thanksgiving menu at Barbara Jean’s will offer roasted turkey breast and pork loin roast with a special apple-rosemary sauce to go with the cornbread dressing and fresh vegetables. Dessert will be peach cobbler- Yum Yum!! Now if you are still looking for something different and passed on the crab cakes and She Crab soup, how about the coconut fried shrimp and some chocolate stuff? As always, there will be freshly baked pumpkin bread, homemade wheat rolls, and sweet jalapeño corn bread.

www.barbarajeans.com

Credits to:

Bluffton Oyster Factory

Choo Choo BBQ Express

The Cottage

Signe's Heven Bound Bakery

Mrs. Wilkes

Barbara Jeans Restaurant

 

DAUNTING ADVENTURES IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Savannah is home to an abundance of history, art, charm and culture, but yet has been recognized as the most haunted city in the United States. October is the time of year to experience daunting tales of the city that speaks at night with ghost tales in a variety of different ways.  The tours listed below are unique and have had the highest ratings from various credible sources such as "Southern Living Magazine" and "Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures". So if you dare to proceed.....listed below are some unique approaches for some paranormal phenomena activity to engage in whether you are a local or tourist to the Savannah, Georgia area.

Walking Ghost Tours in Historic Savannah, Georgia

Don’t miss out on our haunted tour of Savannah’s spooky Moon River Brewing Company. Built in 1821, the Moon River Brewing Company is notoriously haunted, with strange accounts of angry ghosts attacking its staff and patrons widely circulating. This unusual building is spooky enough to have caught the attention of television’s most renowned paranormal experts. In fact, on the 2005 Halloween special, our friends, the Syfy’s Channel’s Ghost Hunters, visited Savannah’s most famous ghostly hotspot. In 2009, the stars of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures chose the brewery as the sight of their “lockin” and had quite a fright! On our award-winning ghost tour, we will also take a quick stop into 17Hundred90 Inn, featured on A&E’s My Ghost Story in 2011.

“My friend and I did the Boos & Brews Tour with Chad and it was AMAZING. He was captivating, but SO knowledgeable. I have never been on a tour where the guide has known so much about the city. I learned more about Savannah during that 2 hour tour than I learned after 2 years of living an hour away.”
As if these thrills and chills weren’t enough, on Tara’s BOOS AND BREWS haunted tour you can also enjoy adult beverages available for purchase on-site. “To Go” cups will be provided so you can keep your drink with you all evening long.

Nightly Tour Time 8pm
Tour is 2 hrs. long
Tour price $20
Monday-Saturday (Closed Sunday)
This tour is for ADULTS ONLY.
Gratuities appreciated   For larger parties, consider signing up for our GROUP TOUR.

Tara’s BOOS AND BREWS ghost tour departs nightly at 8:00PM from:
McDonough’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
21 E. McDonough Street
Located next to the famous Savannah Theater and  a half a block from Colonial Park Cemetery

http://www.taratourssavannah.com/boos-and-brews/

‘Ghost-Hunters‘ and ’Most Terrifying Places in America‘.

Top 10: “Creepy Places in America“

Top 10: “Most Haunted Attractions“

Are you ready for the Ghost Tour that takes you Inside the Most Haunted home in Savannah?

What will You experience on the Paranormal Tour of the Sorrel-Weed house?

Spend about 90-minutes Inside the Mansion and Carriage-House…

Hear the tales of Conflict and Death in and around the home.

See and Hear what TAPS recorded during their very first Halloween Special!

Savannah Ghost Tours:

_____________________________________

‘Ghost Hunting Paranormal Tour’

Tour lasts about 90-minutes taking you through the Sorrel-Weed Mansion & Carriage House.

Tour Times may vary (starting after 6:00pm)

Please call for Reservations: 912-257-2223

Adults age 13-Up: $25  | Children age 7-12: $10

_____________________________________

2012 Halloween Special:

Savannah Halloween Ghost Tours:

Halloween 2012 in Savannah… Which Ghost Tour are You going to be on?

If you are looking for True Paranormal Experiences and Your chance to capture Evidence from the other side…

Then the Ghost Hunting Special at the Sorrel-Weed House may be Exactly what you are looking for.

The True Ghost Hunting Experience, using the same Equipment as Professional Ghost Hunters.

This will be a very interactive guided experience. Learn how to properly use the equipment and how to draw out Activity (if you dare). We will evaluate some of the recordings & images during the investigation, so you will know if you captured anything Paranormal.

Already experienced in Ghost Hunting? Great, bring all of your own equipment as well. We will divide up into smaller groups and investigate different areas of the house, then switch around through-out the night.

Group size will be Limited.  ( Maximum of 15 )

Dates available:

October 19th thru October 31st

Starts at 11:30pm ][ (Lasts about 3-4 hours.)

Ages 12-Up only.

Price is $47/each ][ (Pre-Purchase Required)

For Reservations & Questions, please call us at:

912.226.3373

You can also contact us by email at:

http://savannahtours.net/savannah-halloween-ghost-tours/
http://youtu.be/AIVlLn3g8dw

_______________________________________

BLUE ORB GHOST TOURS

Winner

Certificate of Excellence

2011

Blue Orb Ghost Tours

• Welcome to Savannah: named by the American Institute of Parapsychology as America’s Most Haunted City.
• Blue Orb Tours uses classic story telling and compelling current research to show you why.
• Our tours run 7 nights a week with convenient start times at  9pm and for those seeking late night fun- 11pm.
• We have several types of tours to choose from and all start locations are located in the beautiful historic district.
• Our tours are usually 90 minutes in length, leisurely paced with stops, seating and photo ops along the way.
• Most tours are conducted by Tobias McGriff- founder of Blue Orb, Savannah Paranormal and a twenty-year consultant to investigative groups.

The Zombies Tour is truly a premium adult Savannah pleasure.

Tobias conducts all of the Zombie Tours and is Blue Orbs Founder and host of “Savannah Paranormal” on WTKS 1290. With over eight hours of material to offer on this route it’s never the same experience twice. Reservations are necessary as this tour is often booked to capacity.

The Zombies Tour is an 18 and older tour that gives adults the opportunity to tour with other adults and was named “Best Savannah Ghost Tour 2011” by The Destination Guide. The stories are edgy and uncensored, more in depth and definitely creepier. Stops on the tour vary and are at the discretion of the guide and group.

Blue Orbs most popular tour and has been ranked as the #1 Singles/Nightlife attraction on multiple local websites. Savannah’s open container law lets guests on the tour “get one to go” before beginning the tour. Restroom access is available before and after the tour at Gallery Espresso, McDonough’s Pub or Parker’s Market.

The tours success is attributed to guests knowing they will always tour with Tobias, will be able to tour with other adults only, hear the material uncensored and have access to a late night option with alcohol available, minus the bar scene.

http://blueorbtours.com/

http://youtu.be/_OqAT0CQXhY 

 

 

Credits to:

Blue Orb Tours

Ghost Hunters @ Sorrel Weed House

Tara Tours of Savannah
Southern Living Magazine