Dudleys Diary

The kids were little and we took my in laws along on this trip. My wife is always ready to go to the beach. The main reason I chose Myrtle Beach for our destination was its close proximity to the colonial era, Hampton Plantation, ancestral home of Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina poet laureate. Thanks to Jim Casada who had edited several books compiling the best hunting stories written by my favorite author, I had a strong yearning to go see for my self this hallowed hunting ground. I had spent so many hours happily reading about the past hunting exploits of ol Archibald. One afternoon, my son and the girls went on a bio/eco tour of the low country and my father in law, the man that taught me how to deer hunt and I snuck away for a trip to Hampton Plantation State Park. I remember driving down the lane as the great white southern mansion came into view through the spanish moss hanging down from the majestic live oaks. I was in awe of its size and beauty. We toured the home inside and out. I saw Wambaw Creek, the Santee River, the old rice fields and many of the places I had read about. We saw the great Washington Oak that the first president of this country had saved from the axe on a visit to Hampton back in the late 1700's. We visited Archibald's grave site near the house and I silently paid my respects to this great man. All too quickly, it was time to leave. I am a richer man for having seen what before I had only read about. That night back at the hotel, we took my five year old son down on the beach after dark and went "crabbing." It was a lot like hunting for deer, we came back later with a bucket with two big blue crabs inside. I think Archibald would have been proud.

# posted by JDP @ 7:37 PM