Ashton Pointe Blog

Like many significant historic events, we all remember where we were on September 11. It’s hard to believe that it was a decade ago. Next week marks a significant anniversary in our country. We are remembering the past and welcoming the future.

There are numerous events around South Carolina to commemorate the events of the day the planes hit the twin towers. Regardless of if you live on the East Coast or West Coast, New York City, Tennessee, or an apartment in Ridgeland, SC, the events of September will be remembered by all Americans.

The Gullah Festival of South Carolina celebrates and recognizes the history, customs, cultures, language and accomplishments of the African Americans of the Lowcountry. This celebration of Lowcountry culture and heritage is highlighted with authentic arts and crafts, exhibits in the Black Inventions Museum, Gullah presentations, music, workshops, dance and regional foods. Gullah is more than simply the language and name of a people. It encompasses the essence of struggle, spirituality, perseverance and tradition.

Festival activities will commence Friday, May 27th and will end on Sunday, May 29th. The festival is always held on the weekend leading up to Memorial Day Monday. The 2011 festival, which is the 25th, will be held at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park with additional venues throughout Historical Beaufort.

The first year of the festival in Beaufort was 1986. There were approximately thirty-five people in attendance. The festival has been in existence for 24 years now and has had up to as many as 70 thousand people in attendance over the course of a three day period.

The Gullah Festival is family oriented and has become an excellent destination and weekend activity for  all types of friendly gatherings. The festival is planning to have an excellent line up of entertainment for you and the activities include such entertainment as, jazz, blues, reggae, gospel, storytelling, dance, arts & crafts, delicious food, vendors market, educational forums, teen summits, beauty pageant, art shows, museum displays, dances and plays. Also, this year, there will be something different: an adult Jazz Club setting on Friday Night from 9p – 12a.

ABC aired an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition that honors a hero’s family. Last January, during a “visit” via satellite at the Marine Base Station in Beaufort, SC, both the Dickinson’s were told they were to be the recipients of a new house. You see, while Staff Sgt. Bill Dickinson is serving over in Afghanistan, his wife India is home in Beaufort taking care of their five kids and dealing with a house that has suffered structural damage from past flooding.

A 17-year Marine, the Staff Sgt. was deployed overseas late last year, which means he’s unable to maintain the home and deal with a worsening mold problem, making the home unsafe for his wife and children ages 1 to 16, especially 1-year old Sophie who uses a respirator due to allergy problems. So, in his stead, Ty and the team have stepped in to not only fix the problem, but eradicate it by bulldozing their ranch style home to create a safe, much larger home, for this military family. The Dickinson’s took off to Walt Disney World in Orlando to enjoy a once in a lifetime all expenses paid family vacation. The marines, along with countless friends, neighbors, and relatives joined H2 Builders to build, decorate, and furnish this beautiful house for a great family.

In addition to the new home, the family's five children were given scholarships to attend the College of Charleston.
The children would have to be accepted into the college before receiving the funds. The family would only be responsible for room and board.

Information for this article from cmr.com and ABCnews4

There are many things to do out and around Beaufort, South Carolina. This is a beautiful area with beautiful scenery and beautiful weather, so get outside. The barrier islands of northern Beaufort County are famous for their beautiful, unspoiled, white-sandy shorelines. Spend the day building castles or catching rays at The Sands in Port Royal or Hunting Island State Park, honored as one of the “Top 10 Beaches in America” by Trip Advisor in 2008.

One of the most beautiful beaches in Beaufort County is The Sands, a peninsula jutting into the Beaufort River. This is a perfect spot to spend a relaxing day on or by the water.

The Sands is a free, drive-on beach and boat ramp. The shoreline is plentiful with aquatic life. There is a boardwalk stretching along the marshy shore next to the beach and boat ramp. A protected reef along the walkway harbors an oyster colony, and an observation tower offers views of the islands between Port Royal and the ocean.

There are a lot of fishers here of its proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway and boaters looking to go fishing, shrimping, crabbing or just to enjoy a day out on the water won't be disappointed. In a county full of coastline, islands and waterways, The Sands is one of the few free beaches in northern Beaufort County. There also are not usually a lot of people. So get outside, enjoy the weather and the scenery and relax.