Georgetown, SC

Our next spot to stop for a while was Georgetown, SC.  This was a "only a few days" stop but we ended up being there almost a week since we both really enjoyed everything about it.  The town is extremely welcoming to cruisers and make it easy for you to visit.  Good strategy since we did manage to spend money dining and shopping and touring and on and on.  The town had several events in our short time there and we enjoyed the seafood festival, the Halloween town party, and the music fest fund raiser.  They also have great museums and parks.  As with so many places we've visited, the town has a long and colorful history.  They were pivotal in both the American Revolution, War of 1812 and the Civil War (or the War Between the States in Southern parlance)  Many of the houses are from  the Colonial times and Civil War era.  Unlike other towns, we did not see a lot of decay in these old homes.  They were almost all private residences and lovingly maintained.  It was nice to see that the owners valued their part of history.  The people we met were all so friendly and welcoming and seemed genuinely happy to meet us.  We also visited our first cat cafe, the Purr and Pour.  It is a non-profit that sells you coffee and the opportunity to spend time with the kitties in hopes you'll adopt one.  The owner told us that they had placed over 24 during the summer alone.  Turns out they are a growing trend nationwide so we'll be on the lookout in the future.  No, we didn't adopt a boat cat.  We also met a few fellow sailors who made the adventure of cruising all the better.  Overall, one of our favorite stops with more than a few unexpected treasures.

They want you to know where you are and that you are welcome.

The town provided free of charge several places to tie up your dinghy or
your boat for the day.

This beautiful fountain was at the end of the boardwalk lining the river
through the downtown area.

One of the dinghy docks was next to a park where the festivals were set up.
It was also close to the excellent maritime museum, county museum and rice museum.
Georgetown was the place where rich planters came to gather.  First came Indigo then Rice then
ship building.  As economic realities changed so did the town.  Rare to see such long term
adaptive skills.  

This buildings were old but well maintained and the facades were colorfully decorated.

The Halloween Parade and trick or treating went from one end of town
to the other.

This house is the oldest one still standing in Georgetown, circa 1740.

I loved the colors, unique windows and uncommon gingerbread on this
Colonial Era house.  

Not to mention it had great plants too.

The streets for most of the town are well kept and shaded by large oaks.
It really did seem idyllic.

One of the streets lined with historic homes.

Cute guy walking the beach.

As always, we really on the trusty bikes to get us around.  Since Uber and cabs
weren't around we even went to the laundromat on the bikes carrying
our wash in backpacks.  Where there's a will there's a way.

This old steel mill was where we anchored.  The mill closed about 15 years
ago and is now a metals recycler.  Most of the property is deteriorating but
there are rumors of possible other uses.  The folks in this town will probably
figure out how to reinvent it too.