PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Daufuskie Islandis the kind of place that sticks with you.
The southernmost of South Carolinas barrier islands, its bridgeless and accessible only by boat.
On Daufuskie, there are no streetlights, grocery stores, or sidewalks.
Haig Point Lighthouse, which served sailors from 1873 to the 1930s and now offers a unique guesthouse experience.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Paved roads and restaurants are few and far between.
Deer cut through her forests in small silent herds.
The greatSouthern oaksstand broodingly on her banks.
Local waterways lined with native spartina grass.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
The island and the waters around her teem with life.
Conroy spent one transformative year teaching schoolchildren on Daufuskie in 1969.
The island and its people forever changed him.
Sallie Ann Robinson at her house.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Preserving History
Just 5 miles long and nearly 3 miles wide, Daufuskie isremarkably small.
At its peak in the early 1900s, the population climbed to almost 3,000.
Sixth-generation Daufuskie nativeSallie Ann Robinsonhas made preserving Gullah culture her lifes work.
Spanish moss framing an old home.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
I love this place.
I had one of the best childhoods here.
There was free space, and I didnt have to worry about crime or people taking me.
The Daufuskie Island History Museum.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
It just stayed with me, so I wanted to come back and be a part of the history.
In 2019, Robinson beganconducting toursto raise money for her nonprofit, the Daufuskie Island Gullah Heritage Society.
Ms. Frances Jones was a teacher and principal at Mary Fields.
First Union African Baptist Church, founded in 1881.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Today, the old school houses an indigo-dyeing studio and a coffee shop.
This is like a movie or a dream.
It doesnt feel real.
Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Preserving Nature
Graves isnt wrong.
Daufuskie is incredibly cinematic.
Curtains of Spanish moss hang heavy from ancient live oak trees.
Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
On Bloody Point Beach, miles of uninterrupted coastline reveal stretches of shortbread-tan sand and ripples of cobalt water.
When its turtle-nesting season, the shores are pockmarked with the temporary homes of soon-to-hatch loggerheads.
In off months, its not uncommon to see folksriding horsebackalong the Atlantic.
Rhonda Davis and Leanne McJunkin Coulter of Daufuskie Blues.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Small and scrappy, these rare animals were introduced to the area by the Spanish in the 1500s.
When we retired, we were here that year.
Its totally normal for people to come visit and fall in love right awaybut its not for everyone.
Leanne McJunkin Coulter, who has been dyeing with indigo since 2013.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
In other words, Daufuskie isnt your average coastal town.
Davis business partner, Leanne McJunkin Coulter, has a similar story.
The two describe their quaint coffee-and-tea shop as a tribute to the teachers.
Chase Allen of The Iron Fish Gallery.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Once day-trippers have shopped, they can travel mere minutes to meet some of the communitys other personalities.
Chase Allen is the owner and artist behindThe Iron Fish Gallery.
In many ways, hes grown up with the island.
Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Wanting to bring a new craft to Daufuskie, Allen began experimenting with metal sculpting.
As The Iron Fish grew, so did tourism on Daufuskie.
Today, stopping by his open-air gallery is a local rite of passage.
Freeport Marina.Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
A little over a mile down the road, youll findDaufuskie Island Distillery.
Yes, in true island form, theres a rum distillery here but no bank.
Owner Tony Chase has lived in the area for almost 11 years.
Credit:PETER FRANK EDWARDS
Before buying his beachfront home, hed never set foot on the island.
She said, But weve never been there, he recalls.
But I told her that it just felt right.
Once he was settled in his new home, his mind went to one place.
All I wanted to do was make rum, he says.
Its phenomenal, but thats every day on Daufuskiejust magical.
The white-clapboard chapel was built in 1884 and is now the islands only active church.
I slip into the back pew just before 10 a.m. to discover a sea of familiar faces.
The congregation rises to sing, fans spin lazily overhead, and a dragonfly flits by the window.
Paradise, at least in this moment, has been preserved.
A ride takes about one hour, and one-way tickets cost $30.
Children under 5 ride free and pets can ride for $25.
If youre coming in from Savannah, check theBull River Marinafor a daily water taxi schedule.
Order the Daufuskie Deviled Crab and Scrap Iron cocktail.
Then grab an open picnic table, and settle in for a gorgeous sunset over the tidal river.
Live music is common on weekends.
