BeachTrip-Thursday-8-9-2018-0043

After taking the boys on their first beach trip, I have been thinking about my childhood visiting the beach. Specifically, thinking about the many years as a kid on Hunting Island, having instant access to the beach.

I captured this image a few weeks ago, documenting where our family cabin once stood. This beach, specifically on the right hand side of the image where the road ends, is where our cabin stood. As a kid, the cabin had a short driveway from this road. Then as you walked to the beach, there was a back yard where we fed the deer. As you made your way to the beach, you crossed the old cabin road to a huge set of dunes protecting the cabin.

These dunes and palm trees made the air still around the cabin, making it extremely hot in the summer months since the cabin did not have air conditioning. As you crossed the dunes through a small opening, you walked close the 50 yards to the beach. These are some of my initial memories as a child, dating back to when I was six years old. These memories are close to 38 years old, documenting the extreme movement Hunting Island is experiencing.

One day, this section of Hunting Island will be no more; as this barrier island is in constant movement. This undeniable truth makes me comprehend why the lighthouse was moved multiple times escaping the prevailing tide. One day, I will not be able to show my children the very land that I once walked, for it will be under water. No matter, I still make trips to Beaufort to our new vacation home on Harbor Island. Who knows, I might retire there one day…only if it is still an island.