I am a very big fan of Pat Conroy. I got to visit Daufuskie Island in March of 2022. Was at a literary get away in Beaufort, part of the trip was to visit this island and meet the woman behind his story the water is wide. I visited that first house in your piece, she made us lunch. It is a day I will never forget. We also visited the church you have a picture of.
Hi Terrell. I loved this story as I too am a fan of Pat Conroy and love Coastal Carolina (even though I live in FL). As a boat owner who has trekked up to Maine and back via the ICW (intracoastal waterway) I have passed this island several times. The ICW runs right by Daufuskie and Hilton Head Islands and is one of my favorite parts. The area is rich with US history and your story is a small microcosm of it all. Thanks for sharing! I also wanted to mention that there is a Half Marathon (Full & Ultra) every January on Daufuskie. It is a mostly shaded run through the trees along paved paths (mostly) and is flat! I highly recommend it! You can learn more here: https://www.daufuskieislandmarathon.com/
Thanks so much for this, Denise! How cool would that be, to take the trips you mention by boat -- I didn't even know about that route, via the ICW up to Maine. How is that? I bet there's some amazing photography to be had along it. Just wow...
It is an awesome cruise and there are many power and sail boats who do it every spring, then back down in the fall. You can take the ICW from FL but only up to Norfolk, VA. Then you take the Chesapeake Bay, then the C&D Canal to the Delaware River to Cape May, NJ. But eventually you have to go out in the ocean, or you can do some or all of it in the Atlantic. Routes also can include Long Island Sound and the Cape Cod Canal.
I have thousands of pictures of the places, sunrises and sunsets along the way.
Enjoyed your essay, Terrell. I'm not connected to the South like you are, but Nevada, which I still consider my home. Born and raised there, went to a one room school house much like you show in your photos. No, I don't live there. . . I wish I did, though it has changed according to my brothers. It's still a place where one could not run or even walk to a grocery store.
Spent an hour having a "health check-up" yesterday and finally got out to another section of Eugene. The bulbs and shrubs are all blooming now, the grass is green. Quite a switch from this winter. Temps are in the 50s and 60s. The Eugene Marathon is sold out. . . first time ever. There are still a few places left in the Half and 5K. Running has been non-existent, but I did finish my month of rowing. . . 300000meters, 10000meters a day. We shall see where it takes me! Enjoy your run!! :)
Today is the epitome of spring, , , the flowers are blooming, the clematis growing over the fence smells delicious. I have hope for the races, , , everything is a little close together, The 5K is at 8AM on Saturday, the Half is at 7Am on Sunday, and I have an eye appointment at 2PM on Monday. That being said, rowing has really helped with my breathing and balance. . . Let's say, I feel good about it-as my dad would have said "God willin' and the creek don't rise, I'll be there! :)
I loved this piece, thank you for sharing. I've been to Hilton Head Island no fewer than 25 times and have never been to Daufuskie (although I've long wondered about it). We're headed to HHI in May and this piece inspired me to plan a tour. I also added your books to my book list, I've never read The Water Is Wide!
Thanks so much, Kristin! I can't wait to hear how your trip goes -- Water Is Wide is a great Conroy book to start with! It'll give you a great feel for the region, the area, the island and everything. Love this! (Sorry about all the exclamation points 😃 )
I’ve spent all of my life in central Florida. I wonder sometimes, am I a Southerner? Haha, I don’t know. Florida is its own weird twist of southernness, but maybe every spot of the South feels like its own unique blend?
For so long I think I didn’t want to be associated with Florida. My teenage heart, like many, longed to leave, and find seasons and real cities. Now, especially as I read more Wendell Berry, I feel so much more of a grounded connection to my little spot in Gainesville. It’s so not perfect, but it’s shaped me whether I like it or not! But more so, these days I like it. I like knowing a place, knowing people for over a decade now. I find myself wanting to contribute more to “my place” and make it better (local politics, land development,etc). I’ve also been more interested in the local history. I wouldn’t have seen it coming, but here I am plodding along, STILL in central Florida haha.
This is so on target with what I was getting at -- I wonder if, especially as we get older, we start to feel that pull of place, the importance of place in our lives, more and more. So glad you mentioned Wendell Berry -- I feel like I see his name pop up everywhere lately. I need to go and pick up some of his books to read. I think you're a southerner, btw!
Haha, okay I’ll take it. Southerner it is! I’ve been in Gainesville for almost 18 years now. I’ve also seen people leave for more “beautiful” places only to come back a few years later because, although landlocked, and humid, and overrun with college kids, Gainesville had a pull on them, more of groundedness, and that was worth it to come back. Berry has poems and essays, but I think a great introduction is Jayber Crow, a novel in a series based on the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky.
Superb article … found work-life balance in late 80s … balanced work with Synagogue youth-group and Odyssey of the Mind. I found I Could communicate with other humans under the age of 18!
I really enjoyed reading this Terrell. Thank you for those beautiful questions too. I'm pondering some like that more and more. Happy Spring (shh...we have snow here. LOL)
I have heard about this island, but didn’t realize they offer a half marathon! You just added a race to my bucket list. 👍🏼 Thank you! (Beautiful pictures, by the way!)
I’m a big fan of Pat Conroy, especially The Prince of Tides and Beach Music, but also The Water is Wide. We used to make an annual trip to Hilton Head on Spring-break, but it’s been about eight years since we’ve gone. Beautiful place. Enjoyed seeing the pictures of Daufuskie Island.
I am a very big fan of Pat Conroy. I got to visit Daufuskie Island in March of 2022. Was at a literary get away in Beaufort, part of the trip was to visit this island and meet the woman behind his story the water is wide. I visited that first house in your piece, she made us lunch. It is a day I will never forget. We also visited the church you have a picture of.
Oh wow, how cool is that? Was the woman you met Sallie Ann Robinson, the one who has written the cookbooks?
Great article. I love that old oak tree. Sounds like a great place to run a marathon. ❤️
Thanks, Blue! I think it would be too -- it's completely flat!
Hi Terrell. I loved this story as I too am a fan of Pat Conroy and love Coastal Carolina (even though I live in FL). As a boat owner who has trekked up to Maine and back via the ICW (intracoastal waterway) I have passed this island several times. The ICW runs right by Daufuskie and Hilton Head Islands and is one of my favorite parts. The area is rich with US history and your story is a small microcosm of it all. Thanks for sharing! I also wanted to mention that there is a Half Marathon (Full & Ultra) every January on Daufuskie. It is a mostly shaded run through the trees along paved paths (mostly) and is flat! I highly recommend it! You can learn more here: https://www.daufuskieislandmarathon.com/
Thanks so much for this, Denise! How cool would that be, to take the trips you mention by boat -- I didn't even know about that route, via the ICW up to Maine. How is that? I bet there's some amazing photography to be had along it. Just wow...
Terrell,
It is an awesome cruise and there are many power and sail boats who do it every spring, then back down in the fall. You can take the ICW from FL but only up to Norfolk, VA. Then you take the Chesapeake Bay, then the C&D Canal to the Delaware River to Cape May, NJ. But eventually you have to go out in the ocean, or you can do some or all of it in the Atlantic. Routes also can include Long Island Sound and the Cape Cod Canal.
I have thousands of pictures of the places, sunrises and sunsets along the way.
Enjoyed your essay, Terrell. I'm not connected to the South like you are, but Nevada, which I still consider my home. Born and raised there, went to a one room school house much like you show in your photos. No, I don't live there. . . I wish I did, though it has changed according to my brothers. It's still a place where one could not run or even walk to a grocery store.
Spent an hour having a "health check-up" yesterday and finally got out to another section of Eugene. The bulbs and shrubs are all blooming now, the grass is green. Quite a switch from this winter. Temps are in the 50s and 60s. The Eugene Marathon is sold out. . . first time ever. There are still a few places left in the Half and 5K. Running has been non-existent, but I did finish my month of rowing. . . 300000meters, 10000meters a day. We shall see where it takes me! Enjoy your run!! :)
Thanks, Nilima! How are you feeling about race day?
Today is the epitome of spring, , , the flowers are blooming, the clematis growing over the fence smells delicious. I have hope for the races, , , everything is a little close together, The 5K is at 8AM on Saturday, the Half is at 7Am on Sunday, and I have an eye appointment at 2PM on Monday. That being said, rowing has really helped with my breathing and balance. . . Let's say, I feel good about it-as my dad would have said "God willin' and the creek don't rise, I'll be there! :)
I loved this piece, thank you for sharing. I've been to Hilton Head Island no fewer than 25 times and have never been to Daufuskie (although I've long wondered about it). We're headed to HHI in May and this piece inspired me to plan a tour. I also added your books to my book list, I've never read The Water Is Wide!
Thanks so much, Kristin! I can't wait to hear how your trip goes -- Water Is Wide is a great Conroy book to start with! It'll give you a great feel for the region, the area, the island and everything. Love this! (Sorry about all the exclamation points 😃 )
I love having a book to read in preparation for the trip! Grateful you shared!
Looking up that book! I’ve never heard of it.
I’ve spent all of my life in central Florida. I wonder sometimes, am I a Southerner? Haha, I don’t know. Florida is its own weird twist of southernness, but maybe every spot of the South feels like its own unique blend?
For so long I think I didn’t want to be associated with Florida. My teenage heart, like many, longed to leave, and find seasons and real cities. Now, especially as I read more Wendell Berry, I feel so much more of a grounded connection to my little spot in Gainesville. It’s so not perfect, but it’s shaped me whether I like it or not! But more so, these days I like it. I like knowing a place, knowing people for over a decade now. I find myself wanting to contribute more to “my place” and make it better (local politics, land development,etc). I’ve also been more interested in the local history. I wouldn’t have seen it coming, but here I am plodding along, STILL in central Florida haha.
This is so on target with what I was getting at -- I wonder if, especially as we get older, we start to feel that pull of place, the importance of place in our lives, more and more. So glad you mentioned Wendell Berry -- I feel like I see his name pop up everywhere lately. I need to go and pick up some of his books to read. I think you're a southerner, btw!
Haha, okay I’ll take it. Southerner it is! I’ve been in Gainesville for almost 18 years now. I’ve also seen people leave for more “beautiful” places only to come back a few years later because, although landlocked, and humid, and overrun with college kids, Gainesville had a pull on them, more of groundedness, and that was worth it to come back. Berry has poems and essays, but I think a great introduction is Jayber Crow, a novel in a series based on the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky.
Superb article … found work-life balance in late 80s … balanced work with Synagogue youth-group and Odyssey of the Mind. I found I Could communicate with other humans under the age of 18!
Thank you, Dave!
I really enjoyed reading this Terrell. Thank you for those beautiful questions too. I'm pondering some like that more and more. Happy Spring (shh...we have snow here. LOL)
Thanks, Julie! It was 75 degrees here earlier today! ☀️
That's amazing! It was 25 degrees here! LOL
My neighbor ran an ultra marathon on Dafuski a couple of weeks ago…100 miles maybe?
Looks beautiful!
There really is something magical about that corner of the world!!
Thank you for the history lesson ❤️
Wow! 100 miles! I knew the island was big, but I didn't know it was THAT big! How did they like it?
Conrack! My favorite Conroy novel. Thanks for the travelogue.
Mine too! (Though I love The Lords of Discipline and The Prince of Tides too). Ever read 'My Losing Season'?
I have heard about this island, but didn’t realize they offer a half marathon! You just added a race to my bucket list. 👍🏼 Thank you! (Beautiful pictures, by the way!)
I’m a big fan of Pat Conroy, especially The Prince of Tides and Beach Music, but also The Water is Wide. We used to make an annual trip to Hilton Head on Spring-break, but it’s been about eight years since we’ve gone. Beautiful place. Enjoyed seeing the pictures of Daufuskie Island.
Thanks so much, Greg!
Loved the article and the black cat
Thanks so much, Karen!
Now I have to read Pat Conroy. You got me reading Tom Wolfe--which was a howling masterpiece of a book....
Ha man after my own heart. Only thing better than flat is a gentle but continuous down hill 🤣👍