January is always a tough month to find travel-worthy races with weather that is survivable.  We did our typical digging and found a trail run put on by Rough Runners on a tiny island off the southern coast of South Carolina.   Located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, it is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina.    It is 5 miles long by 2.5 miles wide, and surrounded by the water of Calibogue Sound, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.  Accessible only by ferry or barge, and with a full-time population of just over 300, Daufuskie Island encompasses a rich cultural experience, with environmental preserves, private communities, resorts, Gullah houses, diverse art galleries and history that goes back thousands of years.   All of that, coupled with a flat, beautiful course around the island with views of the Atlantic Ocean and we pushed go.

For a variety of reasons, Melodie and I were the only ones able to travel for this particular state run.  As we chatted, we realized the last time it was just the two of us was Nov 2009 when we ran the Rock ‘N Roll in San Antonio, TX.   We knew we’d miss our sisters, daughters, nieces and the occasional brother, but the two of us can make a party all by ourselves.  For these east coast runs, early is the name of the game.  We boarded flights in our respective home towns long before most people were up, and met in Chicago.   From there we boarded a flight for Charleston, SC and picked up our rental car, a trusty little (plain Jane) Toyota Corolla.   Although Google told us it was only 108 miles to our destination, it was a long, slow drive encompassing both crowded freeways and winding country roads.   It was well after 9:00 pm by the time we drove into Hilton Head and started looking for a place to eat.    Our host gave us a couple recommendations, but between unlit, dark roads and unreliable Google driving instructions, we ended up stopping at Carrabarra’s, an Italian chain restaurant close to our Airbnb condo.

My beautiful sis, the brains behind our states run journey.

Because January is off-season for beach towns, everything was very quiet and many places were closed.   At this particular restaurant, there were literally only 2 tables being utilized, and the gal that bussed tables had been repurposed to be our waitress.   She was very sweet, but struggled to take our order and get it right.  My meal came without the entree, but the gal was so profusely apologetic it was hard to be irritated.  The food was marginal but we were hungry enough that it didn’t matter.   After finishing dinner, we made a quick stop at a local grocer to pick up breakfast food and then gratefully headed to our condo to call it a day.

Lodging on Daufuskie Island was limited and extremely expensive, so we opted to stay in Hilton Island and take the ferry on race morning.    Arriving at our Airbnb condo, we were charmed and amazed.    We have stayed in many different places over the years – some great, some unique, and some downright awful – but this little beach condo was in a class of its own.   Decorated like a model home and sparkling clean, it invited you to settle in and be at home.   After a long travel day, it was balm to our bodies and souls.  And best of all, the bed was just right, even for a princess.

The only negative thing you could say about this condo is that it was tiny – really, really tiny.   It was advertised as being able to accommodate 6 people, but they would have to be super small, agile people who were ok with being on top of each other.  Melodie climbed in to check out the bunk bed, but declined spending the night there :).

The weather was definitely in our favor for this trip.   High’s in the 60’s and lows in the 40’s for Friday and Saturday.   There was a storm in the forecast, but it would hit after the race was finished.   After Tulsa, OK, we felt very blessed and fortunate.    We got up Friday morning, had a little breakfast in our cozy condo, and headed out to start our sight-seeing day.

First stop was 10 Haig Point Courthouse to pick up our packets and check out the ferry situation.   The Daufuskie Island Half, Marathon, and Ultra was a very small race with only 180 registered runners so arrangements were laid-back and friendly.

After determining that we knew what we needed to do on race morning, we consulted our brochures and decided to visit Sea Pines Resort.  The resort was developed by Charles Fraser in 1956 into the first private plantation community on Hilton Head, spanning 5,200 acres.   This unique plantation resort includes a 605-acre natural forest preserve, access to 5 miles of Atlantic beaches, residential homes and villas, the world-recognized Harbour Town Marina and its legendary Harbour Lighthouse, four championship golf courses, as well as shops, dining venues and various other sporting and tourist attractions.   Although the smell of affluence was everywhere, every effort has been made to make this resort into a prime family vacation destination.

Many of the trees on the island had what appeared to be moss dripping from all the branches. We were told it was not part of the tree itself, but a separate plant that was hosted by the tree.

Lunch time at QuarterDeck

Walking the pier

Someone forgot her sunglasses

Boat used for dolphin-sighting and adventure cruises

Bird watching. Pelicans everywhere.

Next stop, Harbour Town Lighthouse.   Although the climb to the top included 114 steps, we were so busy reading all the plaques detailing its colorful history that we never even thought about the climb.   Standing at 90 feet with alternating red and white bands, the lighthouse is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Hilton Head Island.

Harbour Town Lighthouse

View of Calibogue Sound from the top

Yacht Basin

Harbour Town Golf Links

Selfie

Overlooking one of the most recognizable finishing holes in golf.

We drove around the island a bit more that afternoon, marveling at how green everything was, and taken by the fact that bikes appeared to be the primary mode of transportation.

No trip to a beach town is complete without a beach walk.   The Atlantic Ocean was literally 200 feet from our condo.   We headed down to the beach late that afternoon and just strolled for a while, drinking in the beauty, tranquility and timelessness of the ocean.

Atlantic Ocean Beach Walk

Beach homes

By the time we headed back, it was dark and we somehow managed to get a bit disoriented.   Even our trusty iPhones were no help.   We did finally manage to find the resort clubhouse and get back to our condo from there, but we did a fair amount of wandering before that happened.   In this case, all who wandered were definitely lost.

Race morning started early, no surprise there.   We needed to be up at 5:00 am in order to eat breakfast and catch the 6:30 am ferry.    The biggest bonus of getting up at that hour was a spectacular sunrise.  It made you glad just to be alive and experiencing the moment.

Finding a parking spot in the dark

Melodie heading down the ramp to the ferry.

They called it a ferry, but by Washington standards, it was a water taxi.

Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day!

Capturing the moment

Everyone made the runners feel welcome. The local people were so friendly and helpful.

Sunrise on Daufuskie

We arrived on Daufuskie Island at 7:00 am with an hour to spare before the race started.   The island was just as beautiful as the race organizers claimed it would be.  What an idyllic spot!   It was a truly a place to disconnect and absorb your surroundings.  The only fly in the ointment was, in fact, the bugs.

The sun was just starting to rise when we got to Haig Point.

Strachan Mansion – a historic building owned by the club. Runners were welcomed to hang out here.

The grounds were meticulously groomed.

Haig Point on Daufuskie Island

Remnants of an old structure made with crushed shells

Some of these trees are believed to be over 300 years old.

And then it was race time.

Pre-Race Selfie

Starting Line

Off we went, happy that it was warm enough for shorts and a tank top.

About 1/3 of the course was loose dirt. Nice on the feet, but hard to run on.

Running by the Atlantic Ocean

Rounding the corner to the finish line

Finished. Where’s the water and the salt?

Tired, but happy campers.  State #33 completed.

Finishers photo. One of a very large collection.

We hung out for a while after the race and considered renting a golf cart and touring the island, but our need for a hot shower, dry clothes, and a good meal won out.   We headed back to the water taxi and Hilton Head.

Later that afternoon, we drove around Hilton Head in pursuit of the perfect restaurant.  We finally landed on Black Marlin Grill, a restaurant with great reviews and a view of the Intercoastal Waterway.  The food was delicious and the wait staff extremely attentive.   At one point, we were the only people in the restaurant so we had a lot of people looking out for us.   It was a nice, relaxed meal and a great way to end our day.

As we headed back to the condo, the wind started to pick up, as predicted.   It soon became too windy to make even beach walking enjoyable and it reminded us how lucky we had been with the weather.   Sometimes, you just catch a break.

Sunday was another long travel day.   We packed up and checked out of the condo at 11:00 with the idea that we might do a little sight-seeing on the way back to Charleston, but it was so windy that even stepping out of the car was unpleasant.   The drive through the countryside in the daytime, however, was much more enjoyable and we were able to see a nice bit of South Carolina’s Low Country.   We arrived in Charleston without incident, returned our rental car, and boarded the plane for the first leg home.    We said our good-byes in Chicago, and reached our beds late that night.

At this point in our 50 states journey, we realize the end is actually in sight.   33 completed, 17 to go, and all are planned and on the calendar.  Melodie is already busy making plans for our next big audacious goal.  I expect it will have hiking in it, and perhaps some overseas travel.   But a few things remain certain – we appreciate each and every day we have to enjoy our world, the people we love, and the opportunity to pursue new adventures.   There’s more than a little frost on the pumpkin these days, the wrinkles are harder to conceal, and we may have slowed down a bit, but we are just as excited to pursue each new adventure.

Up next, Raccoon Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.    And we’re ordering more of the same weather, thank you.