Welcome to All in the Detail... I am so glad you are here!
I am a Gulf Coast person, through and through… a 30A kind of gal, but there are two other areas of the country that seem to call to me on a regular basis:
1.
New
England – specifically that Atlantic Ocean coast line
2.
The low
country of the South Carolina coast.
I actually feel guilty at times
for not being loyal to my Gulf Coast love… but a girl can have more than one love
in her life, right?
Now one of the best, and I mean
BEST, areas of South Carolina is an enchanting community in its Low country and
one of Coastal Living’s 20 Best Places to Live in 2017, Palmetto Bluff. This little
community includes some of the best places to eat, drink, play, and stay in the
country. Why the breathtaking architecture alone makes me swoon! I am a sucker
for the style seen there… you just wait. Plus, bonus points, my all-time favorite
architect abounds here, Historical Concepts. I admit it, I am in love.
The romance begins, in this Low country community near the
Georgia border, with those emblematic live oaks and Spanish moss. They grace
the winding avenues here, where life combines a passion for nature with Southern
civility, plus a sweet dose of sports (golf, fishing, equestrian, and shooting);
yachting on the May River and beyond; and culinary pleasures (including the
annual Music festival). Along with the charming commerce of food, drink, and
shopping, the Montage Inn at Palmetto
Bluff (which opened in 2016) has added
a shimmering new center to this best-kept secret on the Southern coast.
Palmetto Bluff by the Numbers
Population: 200
- I mean, com’on, how quaint, right?
Average July temperature high: 90
- absolute perfection
Average January low: 39
– I can live with that (but probably won’t
winter there)
Median home price: $1.2 million
– a girl can dream, right?
Average commute time: 24 minutes
– that’s nothing compared to an Atlanta
commute
Number of sunny days: 217
– duh!
Palmetto Bluff offers everyone a beach gift twice a day, at
low tide. That’s when the May River Sandbar emerges, smooth and silky, from the
water and becomes a slender beach playground for locals and visitors alike. And
if you are a shell or drift wood collection, hold onto your hats… it’s a treasure
trove!
One of Palmetto Bluff’s most distinctive offerings is its
sporting life, particularly for the hard-core competitor, the Wilson Lawn and Racquet
Club (above) features two pristine croquet lawns (do not scoff—croquet players are
among the most fiercely competitive. I grew up playing croquet in my back yard
and my father was the cut throat
player of all time!). Finally, locals will tell you that this community is the
best trifecta at Palmetto Bluff: sitting on the chapel dock and swinging your
feet over the May River, hanging out at summer concerts under the live oaks on
the Village Green, and grabbing a drink at the Octagon Bar.
Where to Eat and Drink
If you ever get a chance to visit this beautiful utopia, Palmetto
Bluff pours an excellent locally roasted King Bean coffee at all its
restaurants, so good coffee is to be found
everywhere in the community! You had me at ‘coffee’. Hit Buffalo’s corner café (above) in
Wilson Village for a cup with breakfast, or grab it with your morning paper at RT’s
Market.
Where to Stay
Surrounded by Low country rivers and marshes, and blending
seamlessly with the community edged with a nature preserve and webbed with
hiking trails, the Montage Palmetto Bluff (above & below) enchants with charming lagoon- and river-view cottages
and a spa. The resort is awash in activities — hitting the links on the May
River Golf Course, shooting clays at the Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club, tennis,
yachting, and trail rides on horseback, to name but a few.
And if
you are not a ‘resort’ kind of person, there are plenty of VRBO Palmetto Bluff SC or Air BnB
choices in this beautiful and charming village.
What to Do
Upon
arrival at Palmetto Bluff, you are greeted by century-old live oaks and hiking
trails, lazy winding rivers, spectacular sunny skies, and 20,000 acres of
natural splendor. So, if you fancy yourself an outdoor enthusiast, you have
come to the right place. Palmetto Bluff’s waterways are teeming with memorable
experiences just waiting to be had. Grab a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe and
take in the native wildlife and serene, verdant landscape as you meander along
the May River. Or journey to the May River Sandbar, a location that is usually
kept hidden by Mother Nature, except for twice a day when the tide recedes to
reveal a beautiful silky beach. Now, personally I am not an outdoor type of person, but when it comes to sitting in a beautiful setting in an Adirondack chair, enjoying the peace and quiet of the day, count me in!
Interested in dropping a line or just an anchor and enjoying a beautiful summer day? Head to one of Palmetto Bluff’s ponds or lakes for a chance to catch largemouth bass and bream. Or stick with the saltwater May or Cooper rivers for tarpon, cobia, redfish, and sea trout. Either way, your day will be filled with quiet relaxation the way nature intended.
For
those who have a passion for other outdoor activities like golf, bocce, and
tennis, Palmetto Bluff will more than meet your expectations. The May River
Golf Course has an acclaimed 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, and the
Wilson Lawn and Racquet Club is ladened with bocce and tennis courts, courtside
respites, and croquet lawns. And if you want to get out and test your aim,
there is the Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club, which features 13 sporting clays
stations, spread out through an expansive 40 verdant acres.
Another
way to experience Palmetto Bluff is to bike around the Low country and its
preserve paths, take a nature hike through maritime forest trails, or follow a
guide who will be able to tell you the storied history of Palmetto Bluff and
its dedication to conservation versus development.
The downtown
area offers wonderful boutiques and shops for the avid shopper. You can find
just about anything and everything you would every want within just a few steps
of each other. It is the best way to spend a lazy afternoon there.
And at
the end of the day, unwind from your adventures at Montage Palmetto Bluff, the
centerpiece of Palmetto Bluff hospitality. It is an elegant collection of 220
rooms, suites, cottages, and vacation homes designed with the sophisticated
charm of Southern style. Vaulted ceilings, cozy fireplaces, sumptuous baths,
verandas with breathtaking views, and refined decor offer an authentic glimpse
at Low country living.
What did I tell you, swoon, right?
Now, I know this may seem like a ‘paid advertisement’ for the Palmetto Bluff Welcome Center and maybe they should pay me! I love this area of the country and could/would easily ‘sell’ the charm right out of Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, but trust me, one visit and you will be hooked too.
Yes, I AM IN LOVE.
