The following historical facts, quotes and pictures are from the Mitchelville historic site interpretive signage.

In November 1861, an impressive Union Navy armada defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Port Royal in less than 5 hours. At the time about 32,000 slaves lived on the island. Many escaped their plantations and fled towards the Union lines on the island and nearby Beaufort. The government labeled them “contrabands”: not legally free but not forced to return to their masters.

A month later a reporter for the New York Times on Hilton Head Island wrote: “They are constantly arriving, families together, in dug-outs from the islands at Broad River, bringing all their households effects, and finding shelter at the plantation on the island we occupy.”

In 1862, Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel planned a town for former African slaves on Hilton Head Island. He died shortly after. The town named in his honor had named streets and homes on ¼ acre lots. Residents contributed to the Civil War efforts and participated in their local government, voting to enact South Carolina’s first mandatory school attendance law.

“A man named David, from Savannah…arms firmly clasped around the neck of a colored woman, she was clasping him just as firmly, a little boy of about eight…hanging on both. David had found his wife, Lucinda, and his boy, Frank who had been sold away from him, and from which he had not seen in eight long years.” January 18, 1862, The San Francisco Bulletin on Hilton Head Island

Reuniting with families was one of the first concerns of African slaves who escaped to Hilton Head Island. Slave owners could split up families and sell family members for profit or punishment. Immediate and extended families moved into Mitchelville and began creating a community in 1862. Adults walked to jobs in town or nearby Union forts. Children went to school and shared what they learned with their parents. Elders helped by watching children and tending gardens.

Mitchelville was the first town in the South to make school mandatory. All children age 6 to 15 attended schools taught by Northern missionaries. Children were only excused if they were needed to help their parents and the teacher approved. Parents were very involved in their children’s education and often chose one school over another if they thought a teacher was better suited to the children’s needs. Parents gave presents to teachers and donated supplies to encourage certain teachers to remain in their community. Schools also offered night classes for adult students.

“Their meetings are held twice or three times on Sundays, also on the evenings of Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. They are conducted with fervent devotion by themselves alone, or in the presence of a white clergyman when the services of one are procurable. They close with what is called a “glory shout” one joining hands with another, together in couples singing a verse and beating time with the foot” Philadelphia newspaper February 1862

The First African Baptist Church is the oldest continually operating church on the island, established at the same time as Mitchelville. Admission is free.

Fighting for freedom and a better future
Union sailor William H. Fitzhugh, recorded as a “first-class boy” in navy records, was one of the first casualties at the Battle of Port Royal. Fitzhugh, an escaped African slave joined the navy at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. He was wounded while on board the Pawnee and died the next day. He was buried with full military honors along with other fallen sailors.

Free and formerly enslaved slaves served with distinction in the Union Navy. By 1865, they made up to 15% of the enlisted men. Their knowledge of local waterways was especially useful to the military

Interest in the freedom seekers of Mitchelville led to an out pour of assistance from Northern missionaries and abolitionists. They organized and sent aid and teachers. Newspapers came to document conditions among the refugee slaves. Several notable government officials visited Mitchelville.

Senator Simon Cameron, Secretary of War from 1861 to 1862, visited Michelville after the Civil War as part of a Congressional visit to the South. He attended church and contributed money towards a new chapel, later named in his honor: St. Simons.

Harriet Tubman came to Hilton Head Island in 1862 and worked behind the Confederate lines trying to recruit scouts for the Union army. She led a battle on the Combahee River that freed of over 800 African slaves.

The Freedmen’s Bureau
Mitchelville survived past the Civil War. In January 1865, the Mayor, Rev. Abraham Mercherson answered the question “What will they do when the War is over?” He replied: “Go out into the land and make their homes here. Buy 20 acres of land. This is what should be: once settled on his 20 acres, no one can oppress the negro hereafter. But without land, all the teaching, all the philanthropy, all the Christianity of the world cannot save him from the oppression of his selfish neighbor who holds the means of bread in his own hands.”

In March 1865, Congress established the Freedmen’s Bureau to oversee housing, education and employment of freedmen. Over the next five years, Congress adopted amendments to the Constitution that outlawed slavery, conferred citizenship and the right to vote to former African slaves. In the Sea Islands many residents remained land owners and politically active. After the war some went on to positions to state government. Others remained committed to the education and civic participation of future generations of Gullah descent.

Upon the surrender of Confederate forces, ownership of the Sea Islands from the Carolinas to Florida was granted to the freed slaves. For decades afterward, freedmen families lived in near isolation from the rest of the world. Their West African traditions became the foundation for the rich Gullah culture which survives to this day.

The very diverse ecosystem includes freshwater ponds, salt marshes and tidal creeks, pine and hardwood forests and edge shrubs. There are several easy going hiking-trails to enjoy (trails map available in the parking area). Visitors are instantly rewarded with one of the best bird watching places on the Carolina Coast.

There are many wading birds such as white ibis, egrets, wood storks, little blue herons, whimbrels and plovers, waterfowl and migratory birds such as painted bunting.

A nice surprise was the butterfly garden in front of the Ibis Pond. We say Gulf Fritillary, Queen, Cloudless Sulphur butterflies and few interesting plants.

Here’s the stunning flower of the Passion vine, a host plant to several butterfly species native to the Southeast (i.e. Zebra Longwing, Julia and Gulf Fritillary).

Kayaking, canoeing, fishing and boating are permitted in the tidal creeks but not in the freshwater ponds.

The maritime forest provides a much needed relief from the blazing sun. Along the trails you can enjoy seeing live oaks, loblolly pine, saw and sabal palmetto, wax myrtle, Yaupon holly and of course plenty of Spanish moss.

Beware there is no drinking water or restrooms inside the refuge. The most popular trail is around Ibis Pound (1.2 miles round trip). Here is a map with all the trails:

More kids fun in Hilton Head:
• Jump around at Island Playground indoor bounce and party house ($10)
• Play inside Sandbox, a fun hands-on children museum (best for little kids, $7)
• Learn about the island’s history and wildlife at Coastal Discovery Museum
• Tour the Harbour Town Lighthouse inside the splendid Sea Pines Plantation ($2, free with coupon)

Open play hours and admission:
• Monday - Thursday: 10:30AM - 5PM
• Friday: 10:30AM - 7PM
• Saturday: 10AM - 5PM
• Sunday: 12PM - 5pm

• Children 2 and up: $9.95
• Children under 2 years: $6.95
• Parents and non-participating infants: FREE

Things to know before you go:
• Must sign a waiver and wear socks. For more information check the website FAQ

• Island Playground is best suited for children under 10 years. Older kids enjoy the giant double lane slide, a winding obstacle courses and a large bouncing house / basketball “court”

• Toddlers have a separate exploration area including an inflatable, soft play gymnastics equipment, tunnels, climbers and ride-on toys

• Additional play stations: fairytale castle with 2 slides, supermarket with cash register and grocery carts, and a Dino-Dig table

• Snack bar, free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating with full viewing of the play area

Saved from the castle

Grocery store

Have a wonderful family vacation in Hilton Head!

There’s something for every one: regular stairs, swinging bridges, single lines, beams etc. We liked the 3rd level the most, especially hoping over the round steps.

View of the 2nd level. Since you can’t carry any luggage I had to take the pictures from the ground. The view from above is priceless.

An overview look of the course. Up in the air it seems even more daunting…yet that much more fun!

Make sure to check out the cute baby Galapagos turtles inside the Aquarium.

Here are our favorite moments from the outdoor winter garden featuring flowering and fragrant plants from Asia.

Serene pond by the Camellia Walk

An exquisite mosaic featuring all four seasons in the middle of the Sun Garden.

Taking a moment to enjoy all the beautiful flowers.

A symphony of colors…here’s some variegated azalea

How sweet it is…a cinnamon plant!

A staple of every winter garden, Crimson Candles camellia

Eyes of a dragon from the Top of the World!

Slow growing conifers from Siberia to Korea.

Here come the Japanese standouts: Andromeda, Acuba, Plum Yew and Witch Hazel

Cute little bridge

The setting is sublime, the colors extreme. What are you waiting for?

We like seeing (most of) them. It sure entertains the dogs and the cat.

Here are my favorite encounters I was able to catch on camera.

I shot this video last weekend…two fawns suckling from their mother

Admission is free. The greenhouse is open daily 10AM to 3PM (1-4PM on Sunday) while the outdoor gardens are open during daylight hours. Below are highlights from the Tropical Room inside the McMillan Greenhouse.

Surprise, surprise is a cocoa tree! Who knew the cocoa beans can get so big?! Nearby was another favorite of mine, the coffee tree. Yummy!

Meet “Bella” the wonderfully large, smelly, and rare Titan Arum plant
The Titan Arum plant grows only on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia and was first introduced to the Western world in 1878.

• Titan Arum plants have the world’s largest, un-branched flowering structures that can reach up to 12 feet in the wild (9.5 feet in cultivation)!

• When the bloom first opens it reeks of rotting flesh for up to 24 hours to attract carrion beetles and flesh flies that pollinate it in the wild. The gigantic blooms are only open for 3 days, and then they wither and die.

• The plants take 10-15 years before first blooming and may only bloom every 3-5 years. A single plant may only bloom once its entire life…

• Titan Arum plans grow from underground tubers. A single tuber produces a bud that grows either a gigantic branched leaf or the amazingly large and stinking flower. Sometimes tubers stay dormant when there is no above ground growth at all.

Where is tropics there is fruits. Delight yourself with the orange, lemon, and banana fruit trees. Kiss it off under the mistletoe tree…

Silky soft club moss. Did you know that back in the day photographers used powder made from club moss spores to enable flash photography? People had to collect hundreds of spores by hand in the late summer and then make them into powder.

Finger of God, a bromeliad plant from Brazil

Here comes the peacock, another fancy plant from Brazil.

Not to be outdone, the polka dots trout leaf begonia shines through…

Salutations to the bamboo, the wonder plant that will save the earth!

Time to indulge your senses with some flavorful spices: ginger, vanilla, cinnamon and more…oh my!

A plain vanilla plant!

Kick your plant knowledge up a notch at the amazing Charlotte Botanical Gardens!

What’s blooming in the greenhouse

The greenhouse is open Monday to Saturday, 10AM – 3PM and Sundays, 1-4PM. The outdoor gardens are open year around during daylight (here is directions and parking info).
• January – February: Orchids
• April 20 and 21st: Enjoy the largest Spring Plant Sale!
• May - July: Carnivorous and tropical plants
Here is the entire blooming calendar

Below are our most memorable moments from the Cactus Room at McMillan Greenhouse. Loved that you were encouraged to touch, feel, smell all the plants. We saw freakish, funny and gorgeous plants from around the world: Mexico, Ecuador, Madagascar, Brazil, and South Africa to name a few. This was a wonderful experience for both of us.

Love nature, be free at the Charlotte Botanical Gardens!

4 ¼ inch Edward Nairne Gregorian Reflecting Telescope, c. 1760

Edward Nairne was a scientific instrument maker active in the late 18th century.

He also made microscopes, perfected the marine barometer and invented the electrostatic generator.

Though mirrors lacked the light gathering power of glass lenses, reflecting telescopes became popular in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Compared to refracting telescopes, they were smaller, easier to make and did not suffer from color aberration, common in small refractors of the period.

3 inch Jesse Ramsden Refracting Telescope, 1760 – Ramsden was one of the best lens makers in England. This telescope is larger than the average refractor (usually 2 ¼ inch aperture) at the time.

Solar observation device Herschel Wedge, c. mid 18th century

This unsigned and undated object was designed for solar viewing and is likely the only one of its kind.

An observer controls the intensity of the light entering the eyepiece by using the graduated filter at the front.

Two sets of aperture wheels allow for further light control. Most of the heat and light of the sun is directed away from the eyepiece, allowing solar observation.

Dollond Company Telescopes and Optical Instruments Collection
The Dollond family, makers of some of the finest telescopes and scientific instruments in the 18th century were in business for just over 100 years.

Dollond Filar Micrometer, c.1780

This instrument measures small angles and arcs by adjusting fine parallel wires and threads.

The observer could measure a planet diameter, angular distance between stars and distances between double stars.

Before fine and durable wire was available, scientists used spider silk for the cross hairs on a micrometer.

2 ¾ inch John and Peter Dollond Refracting Telescope, c.1780

This is an achromatic telescope; the achromatic lens system, patented by John Dollond Sr. in 1757 consists of two pieces of glass.

The achromatic lenses eliminate nearly all of the color distortion in refracting telescopes.

The superior image quality of glass lenses gave refractors an advantage of reflectors in the 19th century.

The Robert B. Ariail collection also includes a 2 ¾ inch Peter Dollond Draw Refracting Telescope, c.1800.

The 4-draw refractor was made by the son of John Dollond, one of the great names in 18th century telescope-making.

3 inch Tulley & Sons Refracting Telescope, Islington London, c. 1826 - Tulley & Sons company was noted for excellent objectives (glass lenses through which light enters a refracting telescope). The best was the 5.9 inch objective for Admiral William Smyth, who made it famous through his observations detailed in the “A Cycle of Celestial Objects (1864)”. Note the early diagonal eyepiece on this telescope.

4 inch Thomas Cooke & Sons Ltd. Refracting Telescope, c. 1860 – Thomas Cooke company built excellent telescopes for observatories and private users. This refractor is made of lacquered brass and black enamel, signature features of Cooke manufacturing. Two extending rods attach the telescope to the mahogany tripod, allowing the user to fix the instrument in place.

4 ¼ inch Henry Giles (Harry) Fitz Refracting Telescope, c. 1869 – In 1863, then teenager Harry Fitz took over the family business, following the death of his father. He continued to make telescopes for another 20 years. Harry used a zinc tube painted brown to mimic the mahogany tubes his father made.

John Browning Handheld Direct Vision Spectroscope, c. 1870s – This pocket spectroscope was patented by Browning and Crookes. This tool can be pointed directly at a light source, allowing the observation of the spectrum in the same direction from which the light comes.

3 ½ inch John Brashear Refracting Telescope, 1896 – This telescope is in excellent original condition and features superb optics. The tripod locking screws and drive gear are well made and sturdy, allowing exceptionally smooth control on both altitude and azimuth axes.

Alvan Clark & Sons Corporation Telescopes and Optical Instruments Collection
The SC State Museum proudly displays an amazing collection of original Alvan Clark telescopes and scientific instruments, the world’s finest lens maker.

4 inch Alvan Clark Refracting Telescope, 1879 – This telescope, in near pristine original condition has an exceptionally sharp lens system: it was able to reveal Pluto at magnitude 13.6 within Columbia city limits. Legend has it Alvan Clark himself corrected the objective lens.

6 inch Alvan Clark & Sons Refracting Telescope, 1882 – This is one of four 6 inch Clark refractors in the museum collection (12 total).

It was used for many years at Bedford High School in New Bedford, MA. At the time it was considered a portable telescope…

3 inch Alvan Clark Corporation Refracting Telescope, c. 1935 – This small Clark telescope has an excellent objective lens system that provides virtually color-free and razor-sharp resolution images.

Clark Tools and Accessories include: 19th century solar eyepiece, comet seeker and objective lens collimator; 1890 Clark/Bausch & Lomb photographic lens; set of eyepieces for 6 inch refractor.

Carl Zeiss Company Telescopes and Optical Instruments Collection
The Carl Zeiss Company founded in Jena, Germany in 1846, made some of the finest optical instruments in the world during the first half of the 20th century. The company was split after World War II, leaving Carl Zeiss in Oberkochen in West Germany and VEB Carl Zeiss Jena in East Germany. Some of the Zeiss pieces in this exquisite and historical display include:

110 mm Carl Zeiss Double Telescope, c. 1925 – This very rare and unusual “triple turret binocular telescope” was one of a five instrument series, ranging in aperture from 60 to 130mm, built by the Zeiss Company between 1905 and 1933.

The “Asaltur” was sold in 1933 for $1428, the cost of medium sized house…one of the reasons these telescopes are so rare.

130 mm Carl Zeiss Double Telescope, c. 1930 – Carl Zeiss made double telescopes in four sizes (130mm was the largest).

They were designed as lookout telescopes for scenic areas and could be purchased with an optional coin operated mechanism. Very few of these telescopes are known to exist today.

Carl Zeiss optical equipment box with original eyepieces, a binocular viewer and adapter, polarizing solar filter, triple revolver and a color filter wheel. Zeiss was known for its excellent prisms which directed light from the objective into the two eyepieces.

2 ½ inch William Mogey & Sons Refracting Telescope, 1932 – This small Mogey refractor was a special “semi-centennial” model, which marked the firm’s 50th anniversary. The collection also contains a Mogey astrograph, likely the only one in existence.

12 ¼ inch Robert B. Ariail Newtonian Reflector, 1977 – Columbia, SC resident Robert B. Ariail built this telescope and mount and performed the final grinding to the mirror. This telescope served as Ariail’s primary observing telescope, through which he recorded more than 10,000 observations as an active member of the American Association of the Variables Star Observers.

“It is priceless. The historic scopes, which date back to 1730, were individually made, not mass-produced. This collection could not be duplicated anywhere in the world.” Tom Falvey, director of education and curator of science and technology for the State Museum.

Remember! You have till end of April to check out the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886 exhibit, featuring photos, quotes and stories for the 2nd largest recorded quake to ever hit the United States.

We love the Sugar Bear Ski School. The prices are reasonable (especially during “march madness” when everything is ~20% off), the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable, and the trails are well suited for beginner and average skiers like ourselves.

Things to know before you go
• The full day rate includes equipment, lift ticket and lunch. You pay about the same as doing it a la carte.
• The child is in school from 9:30AM to 3PM. You can ski together afterwards until 4:30PM, just return the equipment by 5PM.
• Send snacks with the child. Although the lunch is included, the food choices for the last 3 years were the same: PB&J sandwich or hot dog. It gets old quickly.
• If possible do the registration the night before to avoid the morning rush and long check-in line. However beware of weather, once registered there is no refund.

Kids ski highlights
Here’s my daughter 2 years ago, on her very first day of ski school.

The ski lift for beginners

Two years later, on our last day of skiing. She’s been upgraded to a Grizzly Bear…

At the top of Sugar Mountain resort, ready to go down Northbridge trail

Now I can ski on all the trails!…except the black diamond ones, of course

If only the weather will have been more cooperative…this year there was very little snowfall and warmer than usual temperature. The trails got slushy real fast. Not a big deal for my daughter as she was just getting comfortable in her boots…I wish there was better powder. Better luck next year!

Have fun, be cool in the Carolinas!