Kiawah – ta? Friends, fun and alligators

Kiawah Island, South Carolina officially ranks as one of my favourite places to be. Having travelled across many far corners of the world, I bestow this honour on this little South Carolina gem of a barrier island 10 miles from Charleston that never fails to rejuvenate and bring me happiness.

DaisyBoo, Ladyvino and I make it a point now (after 24 years of friendship) to put life’s little challenges aside for an extended spa weekend to be pampered and indulge in life’s little pleasures away from the rat race. We first discovered The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island in 2007, as tree-hugging, granola-loving Washingtonians having never been ‘to the South’.  We immediately fell in love with the southern hospitality, ghostly Spanish moss covered trees, magnolias, beautiful beaches and cheddar jalapeno grits…

2008 took us to Scottsdale to experience spa life in the desert. While beautiful and relaxing, Kiawah kept calling us. We decided to go back this year. Have you ever tried to re-create a fantastic experience you once had, only to be disappointed the second time around? Any concern we may have had, quickly disapated upon receiving surprise room service containing a magnificent cheese tray, crackers, caramelized walnuts and bottle of chardonnay – a gift from the concierge to welcome us back!  Three chairs on the balcony and a view of the ocean, we laughed at our luck and sent obnoxious photos of the good life back to the husbands who were not invited. (Girls weekend!)

Strolling along Kiawah beach the next morning in search of sand dollars and shell treasures, Ladyvino and I spied activity further down the beach.  A group of people were standing near a beach rescue truck and there seemed to be a thing – an animal? turning in circles as it was kept at bay by a lifeguard with an orange stretcher. We walked closer and came upon the approximately three foot ”baby” alligator who we named “Jerry” for no particular reason. He just looked like a “Jerry”. Jerry had wandered down to the beach from his five diamond bog on the golf course lured by the Atlantic Ocean and thought a dip sounded like a good idea. Fortunately for him, the early morning shellseekers spotted him and called in reinforcement before he made that fatal swim.

It is not often one sees an alligator on a beach!  The encounter only added to our love of this special place. We later sipped cava on the 18th hole overlooking the beach at the far end of the island and took turns taking photos in the Cape Cod chairs. They say Maine is ‘the way life should be’ – and I agree, in summer but South Carolina’s ’smiling faces, beautiful places’ similarly holds true for spring.

Kiawah, we’ll be back. And next time, I’ll take the spa treatment with the Reiki addition again, close my eyes under a lavender infused pillow and drift away to the sounds of birds chirping and waterfalls. With a little luck, we’ll see a sea turtle or two if we stay long enough.

Watch the video!

The shell seeker

I strolled along a wooden bridge spanning the natural wildlife preserve of Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa (Algarve, Portugal) towards sandy dunes and the winter afternoon sun. Cresting the hill, a pristine clay-coloured beach with waves crashing against the shore lay before me.

Aside from the waves and the occasional seagull’s cry diving into the Atlantic ocean to catch a fish, the beach was void of all other sound. I took a deep breath of the fresh air and followed footsteps in the sand: a medium-sized dog, a galloping horse, someone with a walking stick, little feet walking next to larger feet… They took me far along the beach, past broken shell piles in search of sea glass, driftwood and other unusual finds.

The ocean shore has always been a peaceful retreat for me on such picture perfect days. I can spend hours walking up and down the shore, thinking of really nothing at all. When my pockets are brimming with shells and it’s time to brush the sand off my feet, I leave the beach refreshed with a new view on life and my troubles carried out to sea.

Heading back across the bridge towards the car, sun setting behind me, a couple of Portuguese clam diggers and sandpipers dug through the low tide mud in search of elusive clams. I may have left the beach behind for today, but I look forward to more shell seeking in the future. One day, I will have a little beach house with an ocean view of the sunrise or sunset from the living room and will fill it with fishing floats, shells and sea glass from faraway lands.