Arrive in Beaufort, SC and check into your local hotel for a two-night stay.  Tonight, enjoy a Low Country Boil or as the locals refer to it “Beaufort Stew” and “Frogmore Stew.”  It is a delicious combination of boiled shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes and seasonings. (D)

This morning, enjoy a Hunting Island Dolphin Cruise.  This ecotour explores the salt marsh estuary as we look for native bottlenose dolphins.  See bald eagles, ospreys and other native birds of prey (including nests!).  Plus, brown pelicans diving for fish and other fascinating birds like roseate spoonbills, wood storks, herons, egrets and shorebirds!

The on-board naturalist will share also interesting facts about local history as it intertwines with the natural history of these waters dating from the prehistoric habitation of the indigenous people to the very first western European settlers in our state in the mid-seventeenth century.

Next, you will have free time for lunch on own and shopping in Historic Downtown Beaufort.  Explore the local shops and purchase a souvenir or two.  Downtown Beaufort is home to a wide range of apparel stores filled with stylish clothing and accessories, and home to a variety of art galleries featuring eye-catching collectibles.  There are many restaurants located on Bay Street serving delicious Southern food to choose from.

The afternoon also includes a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride.  Re-live the past through the narration of professional guides and the clippity-clop of the horses.  Learn about Beaufort’s Civil War History, see Antebellum and Victorian Architecture as well as Hollywood movie sites.

End the day with a Gullah dinner followed by a Gullah Heritage Performance.  Tonight’s meal will highlight authentic Gullah cuisine including seafood gumbo, grits, and collard greens.

Then enjoy a Gullah Heritage Performance by the Aunt Pearlie Sue and the Gullah Kinfolk Traveling Theater.  This performance will detail the direct ties between Western Africa, especially Sierra Leone, with South Carolina and the entire Gullah/Geechee Corridor.  It illustrates the importance of cultural diversity in making this a great country.  Aunt Pearlie Sue, nationally acclaimed storyteller, and her Gullah Kinfolk bring history alive on stage. (B,D)

After breakfast, depart for home. (B)