I just returned from my first Dominick House weekend trip to Bull's Island. Putting aside for a moment that we enjoyed 3 days and 2 nights on a 5,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge, I wanted to share a little about the Coastal Expeditions guides and all they did to make the trip fabulous.
Annie and Abbi have the logistics mastered. Everything was in place where it was supposed to be, when it was supposed to be. All us guests had to think about was enjoying the trip. The meals were delicious and hearty. We even had a couple meals in the field. Abbi's chili would have been good in the dining room. Dished out on a dike overlooking thousands of waterfowl, it was memorable!
The trip was non-stop action. I've been on tours where an outing was followed by a couple hours of sitting around. Not the case with this group. Although we had the option of sitting out any excursion, we could be on the go as much as we wanted. Annie had us on the trailer at 6 a.m. to catch sunrise on the beach and out after dark to listen for owls and stargaze. We burned a lot of calories, which was good, because the 2nd breakfast (yup--second breakfast) featured homemade sausage gravy, biscuits, eggs, and your choice of blueberry, chocolate chip, or plain pancakes. I found it easiest to have one of each.
Captain Chris is the human equivalent of Siri for low-country culture and natural history. I don't think there is anything he doesn't know. Hey Chris, What are those shells sticking out of the mud? Chris: those are oysters, one of the four building blocks of the saltmarsh... Hey Chris, Why is it called a "bald" eagle? Chris: the bald eagle, Latin name Haliaeetus leucocephalus, has a white head that looks featherless at a distance. I came away from the trip filled with fun facts about Bull's Island and its history. Annie, Abbi, and Chris were at least as enthusiastic about the experiences as the guests were.
Our group of 14 was a pleasure to be with. Chatting at dinner was as much fun as touring the island. I would be delighted to have this group of guests over for Thanksgiving dinner to continue the dialogue.
Did I mention the wildlife? We saw deer, a black coyote, raccoons, bobcats, fox squirrels. On one sunset cruise we floated in the creek with the only noise coming from the exhalations of a close-by bottlenose dolphin and the clacking of clapper rails in the marsh. Bald eagles, peregrine falcon, and ducks galore were just a few of the 107 species of birds we recorded.
Would I take this trip again? Haliaeetus I would! (Sorry--you'll have to take the trip yourself to understand what this means.)