It was the most beautiful view I'd witnessed since peering out onto the Grand Canyon or the Montana Rockies. It all began in 2010 with a simple college assignment for a class taught by Craig Bennett called Preservation Engineering. And it lead me to the top of the Morris Island Lighthouse. Unlike other lighthouses, this one was not so easy to climb since it sat (and still does) in the middle of the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean. A morning alarm, two John boats, a swinging ladder, and hundreds of steps later, I was standing at the top, viewing the panorama of the South Carolina waters. It was one of the most magnificent views I'd ever seen. I stood on a lone mountaintop along a flat coastline, and only the wind rushing past my ears.
The Hitchcocks, myself, and two cadets from the Citadel ate lunch together on the sandbar afterwards, eventually pushed to the beaches by the incoming tide. I didn't want to leave. But every now and then when I'm on James Island, I'll drive out to the lighthouse just to see it in person again, sit for a moment by myself on the beach, breathe in the salt air, and imagine a bridge that could take me there.
To learn more about how the lighthouse found itself in the middle of the ocean, visit www.savethelight.org.
The annual Save the Light Oyster Roast is this Sunday, January 12, 2014 from 2pm-5pm at Bowen's Island off of Folly Road on James Island, South Carolina. All you can eat oysters, all you can drink beer&wine (21+). $25/person. (843)633-0099.
My follow-up photo:
Boat brought the oysters right to shore! 1/21/14
Looking for homes with a view of the lighthouse? Click HERE.
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