Life on Paws and Wheels

Simba and I visited the Chapel of Ease Ruins on St. Helena Island, South Carolina , a haunting historic site where roofless tabby walls, moss-draped live oaks, and old burial grounds preserve centuries of Lowcountry history. Built around 1740, the chapel once served plantation families who lived too far from the main parish church in Beaufort to make regular worship convenient. Today, the chapel is one of the most atmospheric historic ruins in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Thick tabby walls still rise beneath enormous live oaks, while arched openings, exposed oyster shells, and nearby cemetery monuments create a powerful sense of age and loss. The peaceful setting can feel almost timeless, but the history connected to the site is much more complicated. ⛪ Why the Chapel Was Built The chapel was constructed around 1740 as a chapel of ease for residents of St. Helena Island. In colonial Anglican parishes, chapels of ease were smaller churches built to serve people who lived too far from...

Simba and I visited and walked the Shelter Cove Walking Path on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina , a relaxing waterfront route with beautiful views across Broad Creek and the surrounding Lowcountry marshes. Running through Shelter Cove Community Park , the path combines paved walkways, wooden boardwalks, public art, wildlife viewing, and peaceful coastal scenery into one of the easiest and most enjoyable walks on the island. What makes this route especially appealing is how much variety it offers without requiring a difficult hike. One moment you're strolling beneath shade trees beside open lawns, and the next you're walking along the water with marsh grass stretching across Broad Creek. Add sculptures, a veterans memorial, observation areas, playgrounds, swings, and the possibility of spotting dolphins or coastal birds, and Shelter Cove becomes much more than a simple neighborhood walking path. 🌾 Classic Lowcountry Scenery Along Broad Creek Much of the Shelter Cove Walking ...

Simba and I visited the King Neptune Sundial on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina , a massive bronze statue that is much more than an impressive piece of public art. Standing at the heart of Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina , this towering figure of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, also functions as a fully working sundial. The sculpture has become one of Hilton Head Island’s most recognizable landmarks, and its waterfront setting could not be more appropriate. Neptune stands with his trident raised above the harbor, surrounded by boats, shops, restaurants, and the scenery of Shelter Cove. What makes the installation especially fascinating is that the huge circular base beneath him was engineered to tell time using the shadow cast by his trident. 🏛️ A Giant Tribute to the Roman God of the Sea King Neptune depicts Neptune, the Roman god associated with the sea , standing powerfully above the harbor with his famous trident in hand. The bronze figure rises more than 12 feet tall and ...

Simba and I visited the Old Harbor Light in Savannah, Georgia , a unique 19th-century navigation beacon overlooking the Savannah River from historic Emmet Park. Also known as the Savannah Harbor Rear Range Light or Beacon Range Light , this unusual structure helped guide ships through one of the South’s busiest ports long before modern navigation technology existed. Unlike the tall coastal lighthouses most people picture, the Old Harbor Light looks almost like an enormous decorative streetlamp. Its ornate cast-iron shaft rises only about 25 feet, but because it stands high on Savannah’s bluff, the beacon itself sat roughly 77 feet above river level. That elevated position made it highly visible to ships moving through the harbor below. ⚓ Guiding Ships Through Savannah Harbor The Old Harbor Light was erected by the federal government in 1858 to improve navigation along the Savannah River. Savannah had already developed into a major commercial port, and safely moving ships through the ...

Simba and I visited the Black Holocaust Memorial in Savannah, Georgia , a deeply personal and unconventional memorial created by local folk artist James “Double Dutch” Kimble to confront the brutality of American slavery. Unlike the grand monuments found throughout Savannah’s historic district, this installation is hidden away in an alley behind Kimble’s home near East Anderson Street. There are no polished plazas, towering marble columns, or manicured grounds here. Instead, visitors encounter handmade figures created largely from wire and papier-mâché, arranged within the neighborhood where Kimble has spent decades creating art. At the center of the memorial is a shackled Black man portrayed as though he is being displayed for sale, accompanied by a woman and children whose presence evokes the devastating separation of enslaved families. It is intentionally uncomfortable. Kimble created the memorial because he believed Savannah needed a depiction of slavery that confronted visitors w...

I visited the Grave of Corinne Elliott Lawton in Savannah, Georgia , home to one of the most beautiful, haunting, and frequently photographed monuments in Bonaventure Cemetery. Her lifelike marble figure stands beside a large cross, gazing upward with a solemn expression while a fallen crown of flowers rests nearby. It's an extraordinary example of 19th-century funerary art and a monument that seems perfectly at home beneath Bonaventure's enormous live oaks and hanging Spanish moss. Corinne's grave has also inspired one of the cemetery's most dramatic legends — a tragic tale involving forbidden love, an angry father, and suicide. It's a compelling story that has been repeated for years, but surviving historical evidence tells a very different story. Separating that folklore from the real life of Corinne Elliott Lawton makes her monument even more fascinating. 👩 Who Was Corinne Elliott Lawton? Corinne Elliott Lawton was born in 1846 , the eldest daughter of Alexand...