Little River SC Waties Island 8/5/14

     The resort hi-rises of the Grand Strand end abruptly on the north end.

     There is a small tidal inlet named Hog Inlet, which once across we are on Waties Island SC.  About two thirds of this island belongs to Coastal Carolina University, who uses it for ecological experiments and marine science studies.

     Professor Ben Burroughs helped get us on this island today.  Ben is very knowledgeable on Horry County history, and was a big help when we visited Conway SC. 

 Professor Ben Burroughs

     Many ceramic artifacts from earlier American Indian cultures have been found on the island, and there are Indian mounds here.  The property was donated in 1995 by Anna T. Boyce, which now totals over 1100 acres/  50 acres were donated by the state of South Carolina, and the whole has been placed in a perpetual conservation easement.

     The other third of the island is privately owned, but can be visited.  For $100,  Inlet Point Plantation will take you on a 1 hour horse ride that includes a small stretch on the beach.  

     Just beyond Waties are the jetties that protect the inlet that leads to Little River.  It is a town centered on the marine life, containing several large marinas.

     By one of the marinas is a lighthouse, the northern-most one in the state.  This lighthouse was built with private funds in 1985 on Governor's Point and stands as a tribute to past and present governors of the state.     

     When I went to leave the Lighthouse Keepers Community this morning, I was first-hand evidence that in at least one instance the lighthouse failed to help someone with navigation.  About 500 yards from the point, neighbors awoke to find a car submerged in their water retention pond.

     Horry County Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene, and one of the fireman named Nick donned scuba gear to check the car out.  To the relief of everyone there were no bodies in the car.  After breaking out a couple of the windows, Nick hooked a large chain to the frame of the car.

     A local towing company then winched the car out.  Going over the rocks proved a bit difficult - at one point the chain let go with a grinding snap.

     The car was successfully removed and the floor mats and other trash that was floating about the pond retrieved.  Officers on the scene were pretty tight-lipped on details, but it turns out that someone who was "very disoriented" had been picked up in an adjoining neighborhood late last night.  I guess it was suspected or known that this individual was the car's owner.  It is a 25 mph zone and I can tell you that someone had to be moving pretty fast to make it clear into that pond.

     Up the road a bit in the old section of Little River, we find Pirates Treasure House.

     15 years ago, owners Dick and Linda Deegan were living in Boston Mass.  Dick was an electronics technician and Linda owned an educational toy store, but they craved a warmer climate and a change of pace. 

     Dick has been painting since childhood and had learned wood carving along the way.  So they had a small store and moved here to Little River.

     The place is reminiscent of Douglas Jones's Fish Art store that we visited on Tybee Island.  In the rear is Dick's shop and in the front is the retail store.

     When a portion of Little River's boardwalk was replaced, Dick was able to get a lot of the weather-beaten wood.  He also has been able to get some cypress trunks, and the result is a mixture of carving and painting in a number of unique ways.

     Outside are some totem poles and inside the store is packed with various keepsakes.

    A big seller is the Christmas themed carvings, but the best sellers overall are the whales.  The old wood yields a look that is pleasing to the eye.

     Numerous pained pieces of various shapes and sizes are available, and a large section is devoted to artwork from the Pacific Islands.

     Even crab trap buoys get in on the act.

     If you are visiting Little River, his shop is definitely worth stopping in.  

     I lost the photo of the boat we were out on yesterday, so here is a shot of it pulling out on a tour along with a couple more random shots from Little River.

     Today's parting shot was taken at Captain Juels Hurricane Restaurant -

    It reminds me a bit of the sign that says "Chocolate is a vegetable."

Have an awesome Wednesday !!
David

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Little River SC - river, history and restaurant

     Welcome to Little River South Carolina.  Although pirates were known to use this area to hide in the early 1700's and some permanent settlement existed in the late 1600's, the current settlement really didn't get its hold until the 1730's - around the time that the line dividing North and South Carolina was first established.  This river opening was always known as treacherous given the flow of water that comes with the tide change and the narrow neck that accesses it.  The town itself sits in the top center of the photograph - about three miles upstream from the Atlantic.

       The first proposal was to build jetties was at a cost of one million dollars in the 1940's, but the dispute on the border delayed the construction.  The middle of the inlet had always been considered the border, leaving each jetty in a different state.  Eventually a compromise was reached by drawing a straight line out from the river, and thus the entire mouth became South Carolina.  Work proceeded in 1983 at a cost of $25 million dollars.

     A lot of water moves through these jetties, but without them the currents are practically non-navigable for all but the smallest boats.  Further complicating the issue was the constant movement of the sand bars - sometimes a number of feet every day.  

But today large boats can safely move in and out of the river.  Looking back at the inlet, you can see Bird Island North Carolina on the left  but the tip of the island is now South Carolina.  At the right side of the photo a squadron of pelicans relaxes on the tip of Waties Island SC.  

      Our captain for the trip into Little River is Dick Chesney, operating a 65' long and 20' wide 141 passenger boat.  

Captain Dick Chesney

     Pictured below is the sister boat to the one we are on.  The boats take you out from Little River, through the inlet and well out into the ocean for an hour and a half long dolphin watching trip.  No dolphin sightings and you get a rain check for a free trip.  Some folks have been heard saying they hope the boat never sights dolphin - but they abound in this water, reaching a length of 10 feet and a maximum weight of 700 pounds.

     I had a bunch more photos of the boat and the trip, but my camera is slowly dying and I lost the data on half of the shots.  Hopefully we can nurse it through until I can get another one.

    Anyway, wildlife abounds.  Osprey and Eagles wheel overhead, and plenty of dolphin hunt in pods through these waters.  The big boat is smooth and surprisingly powerful with two big Detroit 

Diesel engines.

  

     Soon we are past the range finding markers and into the intra-coastal waterway.  This waterway has been a constant companion on our trip so far, and will continue to be for quite some time as it runs from Maine to the Florida Keys.

     Soon we are into the smaller waterway and heading into Little River.  

     Another group with Dick's company rents jet skis at the edge of the pier.

     A number of commercial fishing boats operate out of here, as well as several deep sea fishing charter boats.

     For a little historical background on this area, I was able to get a copy of a book recently written by one Hilda Barnes, who I am told is 82 years old yet still running strong.  Thanks to her efforts for the following historical photos.

     We have now moved fully out of the range of the Rice Plantation economy.  This area got its start with fur trading and piracy, but lumber and ship stores soon became a thriving business.  Ship stores include pitch, tar, turpentine and other products extracted from sap bled from pine trees.

     Here is an old small gauge railroad car hauling the timber out to the river.

     Tobacco was a staple crop.

     

     And cotton also contributed to the economy.

     But always there was the sea and its bounty.  Below is an old photo of a catch brought in by seine fishing off the beach.

     Little River looks like what you would expect an old coastal river town to look like.  There are the stacks of crab traps with their colorful marker buoys.

     

     But the place to visit is Captain Juels Hurricane Restaurant.  Continuously operated for 70 years, it is definitely the oldest restaurant in the northern half of the state - perhaps those of you following from Charleston, Beaufort, Hilton Head and other areas can let me know if you know of one open longer.

     And in 70 years it is only on its second owner.  Joe Robertson bought this place forty years ago.  Below he is shown with an old photo of the place.

Joe Robertson

     The place has been expanded a good bit since those days, and Joe remains a hands-on owner, spending most of his days up front greeting customers.  

Deanna Robertson

    Deanna Robertson, Joe's wife, is a driving force here.  She is pictured with her theft-proof pens.  She has won various first place prizes in large coastal competitions for the deserts she bakes for the restaurant.  A large cooler up front displays ten or twelve of her creations at any given time.  Besides the desserts, she runs the bar during the day and makes upwards of 300 frozen drinks a day.

     The dining room directly overlooks where the commercial fishermen come in, and the seafood here literally was swimming yesterday.  

     Along the way, Joe and Deanna started a collection of beer tap handles.  Customers from all over the world have brought them unique taps, and their collection, displayed on ledges throughout the restaurant, now tops 700 individual pieces.

     Here is another one a customer brought just yesterday.  Booze names sure are getting unique these days..

     The Robertson's have also won culinary prizes for some of their entrees and just completed a remodeling job that allowed the installation of a sushi bar.  It is a must visit, and if you do be sure to go during the day, sit at the bar and chat with Deanna.  She is a blast to talk to.

     But there is one aspect of the waterfront that feels sorely out of place.  Two gambling boats operate out of here.   The idea is that they take a load of a couple hundred passengers out into international waters to get by the gambling laws.

     Locals voted to allow the boats in fifteen years ago, on the promise that there would be a huge influx of new business.  After all, a few hundred people a day would be shopping in the stores and eating at the local restaurants.  

     But within three months of getting the permits, the companies started serving food and drinks on the boats.  So all you end up with is a jumble of cars every evening and a mass of people hurrying out to the boats.

     I saw the doors open on this "Jacks or Better" boat, so I walked in and started shooting a few photos.  I was quickly mobbed by several swarthy fellows who were upset I was there.  I demanded an explanation for why I shouldn't be there, and they said that the boat was bankrupt and out of business.  It was getting a bit tense, so I moved on.

     But later, talking with locals I found that this "bankrupt" scheme has been repeating itself with regularity.  This company runs up a bunch of debt, bankrupts and the same characters are back running in again in no time.  There are stories of locals caught in the web who have lost houses, cars - everything.  But once something like this is in, there seems to be little chance of getting it out.

     Beyond having lost half of my photos from today, there is a lot more to Little River that is worth seeing.  I think we can look forward to meeting some more cool folks tomorrow.

     Today's parting shot was a sign up on the wall of the restaurant - 

. . . made even funnier by the fact that neither Joe nor Deanna drinks.

Happy Tuesday Everyone !!
David