Speaking of Beaufort

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This is one of many breathtaking spots in Beaufort to which the Mustang rolls. We could leave you with just the photo and you'd get the message, but we'd like to run through all the gears anyway.

The topic of Beaufort was raised with Lowcountry Bloggers as to it's role in the Low Country, the definition of which was explored as well. Certainly Charleston is the center of the Low Country, but Beaufort is decidedly a kindred spirit. While no one has yet copyrighted the term " Low Country ", it exists as much as a state of mind as a set of county lines drawn in the sand. Perhaps you can't define it, but you certainly know it when you see it ( to paraphrase Mr. Justice Stewart on the vexing Constitutional issues of pornography ).

Georgetown is certainly within this realm at the northern limit. But, Pawleys Island, just inches above Winyah Bay, is on the cusp of the " Grand Strand " and damned by the tar of that same brush. Hilton Head Island has a geographical presumption to membership in the LC, but spiritually it's all resort, the development of which has displaced every trace of Low Country pathos. It's the Astro Turf of the marshlands, This leaves venerable Beaufort to guard our southern flank of the LC.

We have to recognize that every coastal community suffers from industrial tourism, vulgar trinketeers and insufferably cute boutiques run by retirees from whatever away place you don't like. Beaufort has its share, but if a community has managed to preserve its indigenous architecture, vegetation and vistas, then joy abides. Beaufort has done this with early preservation efforts. They've lost some nice buildings, but saved many. Fine old buildings are like teeth: when you lose them the replacements never quite fit.

Their Open Land Trust has preserved many lovely views of the wetlands from blockage by developed clutter. Beaufort retains almost every virtue which we associate with the Low Country. People will often cite Savannah as the sister city to Charleston, but if you take a good look at the City of Beautiful Squares, it ain't. Beaufort is our rightful kin.

Some years back there were reports of a Neutron Bomb, a gadget which would take out all of the people, but leave the buildings standing. We don't know if it really worked that way and appalling prospect that it was, it did catch the eye of some preservationists.