Situated about halfway between Charleston and Savannah, Beaufort was the perfect stop for me to explore more of the Lowcountry.  Founded in 1711, Beaufort is the second oldest city in the state after Charleston, and the whole downtown area has been designated a historic district.  

Beaufort’s main street is a block off the riverfront and runs for a few blocks. Most of the buildings are reimagined historic buildings that now house small retail shops of art, clothing, home goods, jewelry, food and touristy goods. If I had more money to spend, I can imagine finding some really nice pieces to take home.  

Just outside of Beaufort center is the historic Old Point neighborhood. I wandered the narrow streets to see large antebellum mansions framed by live oaks. 

One of the historic homes in the neighborhood belonged to Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls was born into slavery. He freed not only himself, but also his crew and their families by commandeering a ship and bringing the ship into Union territory in the midst of the Civil War. There he provided valuable intel to the Union army, which gave them the ability to conquer Coles Island north of Beaufort soon after. He then joined the Union army and was promoted to the rank of captain. After the war, Smalls returned to Beaufort and bought his former master’s house. Later, he was elected to the U.S House of Representatives where he served from 1875-1887. 

A block away from Smalls house is the First African Baptist Church, which was founded in 1865 as a praise house and became both a church and school for African Americans during the Reconstruction Era. 

I was impressed that the town has made an effort to provide the public with access to scenic viewpoints through this neighborhood and town. Viewpoints in the Old Point neighborhood gave glimpses of Broomfield creek beyond, but one of the best ways to see expansive water views is along the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Not only can you walk along the water, but you can also swing away the afternoon on bench swings that are positioned for relaxing and taking in the breeze  

And, a little outside of the downtown area, there is a single swing at the bottom of the hill for a more isolated and childlike swing experience.  Both sets of swings made me smile and gave me a break for a little while. 

To continue reminiscing about childhood, I made a quick stop at the Kazoo Museum & Factory.  Located in an industrial neighborhood, the average person would never know that this fun little space is here.  The building has a small museum that showcases the inventions and musical range of the kazoo.  They offer hourly tours and host birthday parties. I also was able to make my own kazoo – it wasn’t a complicated task, but it was fun to pick out the colors and say that I made a kazoo.

I came across a sign for the Spanish Moss Trail, a rails to trails greenway promoting outdoor recreation in the area. Currently there are ten miles of paved path for biking, walking, fishing along the river, and they are working to expand this network. If I had more time and a bike, I would’ve loved to explore this whole trail system.