Church of
the Palms. Its Sunday, and where should
we go? Too cold for the beach, too warm
to ski. Church of the Palms, UMC, Okatie,
South Carolina!
Only 30
minutes north of Port Wentworth AND… they’re having a congregational potluck
lunch after! Yum!
It was so
good to surprise Pastor Pete, John and Carol, Al and Eileen, the Bills,
Mike, and ALL the others we had gotten
to know several weeks ago when we were their guests.
It was good
that we did not have FROG and TOAD taking up 8 of their parking spaces today,
though. We arrived just before the 10:30
start time and had to sit in the FRONT row, but TOAD had to park in the forest. No room INN the lot.
Where to
after lunch? Parris Island, the Marine
Recruit Training Center, otherwise known as Hell, was just 20 minutes north and
there were FORTS at the golf course!
Parris
Island is known the world over with a reputation for tough military
training. Their motto is WE MAKE
MARINES. But security is almost
non-existent. Show your driver’s license
and anyone can get almost a full run of the base. We were told that’s because there are no
secrets at Parris. Just tough men and
women, so BEWARE if your intentions are bad.
Our
destination was the golf course, so we did not appear too dangerous. On the
water side of the course, at the southern tip of Parris Island, named for the
family that owned it through the latter end of the 18th and much of
the 19th centuries, lie one of the most historic areas of the entire
United States, and Europe. 
It is here
that the Spanish founded their first fort, and capital city of La Florida, which stretched north from
the Keys to Virginia. Later the French placed their fort as well, the first
French structure on the continent, then the Scots, then the English and
Americans.
And before
the Spanish, a large Indian village existed on this point of land for perhaps
1,000 years.
It was here
that a large southern plantation was built with hundreds of slaves. Their quarters were built over the foundations
of those Spanish homes. It was here that
the slaves and their masters watched the Union Fleet destroy Confederate Fort Beauregard
on St. Helena Island and Fort Walker on Hilton Head island to open up to Union
use the most wonderful harbor south of Hampton Roads, VA., Port Royal Sound.
It was here
that the freed slaves formed their own Gullah community until WW1 when the US
Navy bought the island for Marine training.
And it is
here that several of our good friends, including Ryan Best, were recently made
Marines and now, we pray, will not be among those being called back to Iraq to
fight the spiritual children of Osama Bin Laden.
But we were
here today to take the beautiful history/nature walk along this historic south
shore to learn of the Spanish town of at one time over 400 men women and
children, St. Elena, which gave its name to the easterly St. Helena Island. We
were here to learn how the French and Scots and English fought with the Indians
till the Indians were finally driven west.
We were here to see the remains of the Parris Island lighthouse and Live
Oak trees almost as amazingly large and beautiful as the Angel, up near Charleston.
Oh if these trees could talk.
As we left
the base golf course Mona commented on the fact that we had seen no marines
anywhere other than the main gate guard and some base police. So we went looking. And we found them.
Drilling
their tails off, men and women, mostly on the
parade deck (field to army and
air force folk).
And several
being drilled a new orifice by their DI’s.
Like we’d been told: no secrets here.
Then a visit
to the very well laid out marine Museum where we saw more evidence of the
Indians, Spanish, French and how this quiet island became the Parris Island of legend.
When dumping my pockets back at home I found an artifact I had picked up in the St. Elena town site earlier in the afternoon. Mona told me to keep my
ball on my side of the bed. She has no sense of history! :
We arrived
home to find our new neighbors, the owners of a beautiful 40 foot Phaeton
TIFFEN Coach out to dinner so we placed a calling card in their door latch and
a half hour later had a knock at our door.
John and
Debi have their own travel blog, ( Roughing
it Smoothly ) though they travel only most of each year (the last two
states of all of North America will be visited next year) and have their
permanent home in Calabash, North Carolina.
They had
just departed for a winter in Florida when their engine developed noises no
coach driver wants to hear. And here
they are, with broken something that needs to be repaired till they can go
farther.
We hope to
learn today how much longer we may be here at Cummins Power South. Meanwhile laundry needs done, the tanks need emptied,
and there are more forts to visit!
OK,
Mona. Libraries too!
-Ken
Photos, as always, on my Facebook Page. Ken DeWalt is all you need to seek to see all our photo albums for the past
5 months.
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