The next stop was Beaufort, SC. Pronounced “Bew Fort” and not to be confused with Beaufort, NC, pronounced “Bow Fort”, or “Boh Fort” , we will be going there too. Spelled the same, named after the same Duke of Beaufort but you better make sure you pronounce each correctly or you’ll quickly get corrected by the locals. One is pronounced with the American pronunciation; the other is the French pronunciation. This charming town dates back to the early 1700s and is filled with history, sleepy streets, and plenty of places to boat, paddleboard, or kayak.
We have friends from IL who have a home there and winter there, and we thought it was a long shot that we might actually catch them there but we gave a call anyway to see if they were available for a visit. Surprised to learn the whole family was in town as their home had just sold and they were packing up, what are the odds of that happening! We got to see the whole family in one stop. They graciously extended hospitality and invited us for lunch and a tour of their resort community and home.
This is the Beaufort Arsenal built in 1798 and is now the home to the Visitor Center. Didn’t do much touring this stop as it turned out to be a time of visiting some special friends from our past. Had a lovely lunch with the Pearson Family at their grill restaurant in their community. These friends from IL who we have known for years but hadn’t seen in 15 years since we moved to MN! Great to see them all, even the kids, Justin and Jenny were in town helping pack up the home they just sold. Great to spend time with my friend, Leslie, hadn’t seen her in over 10 years but we talked like we just saw each other yesterday.The Pearson Guest House on their property houses their private museum.John has spent a lifetime hunting almost every continent of the world. This private museum in their South Carolina home is quite impressive just by virtue of the fact it’s a huge collection. Many of the animals, although the same, look different depending on what country they came from. The taxidermy is exceptional and it was amazing to be up front and personal to so many of the trophies. With the advent of the home sale, many of these trophies will go up for auction or be donated to public museums. The plantation where their home is located is known for having the most complete and comprehensive array of amenities. They offer not only golf, tennis, fitness, and swimming pools but also fishing, hunting, boating, and equestrian. Roads are all gravel for the horses, and golf carts are only on the greens.Justin was a gracious host and our driver to and from the Plantation. He is a Looper “wannabe” and has many questions about the “Loop”. We may just see Justin again on the Loop as he actually lives in NC. To all the Pearsons we say “What are the odds that the timing of our Loop visit would be so perfect to connect back with the whole family” Amazing time, thanks for the memories.
Reimanns 'round the loop in 2022 