No clocks, no bridges, no problem: How to spend a day on Daufuskie Island

“Sir?” I asked, unsure of what I had heard.

My uncle held up the keys in front of me.

“I said, “Why don’t you drive the jeep?’ ” and he gave them a little shake. I was 14 years old and he was sending me off to pick up a dinner guest to bring back to the house.

I knew how to drive tractors and other farm equipment but had never been trusted to drive before, much less for an errand like this.

My uncle was playing matchmaker, for the guest was the teenaged daughter of a friend and she was happy to have another young person to talk to for a change.

We were on remote Daufuskie Island, accessible only by boat, and a place where residents are few and time seems to stand still. Sandy, live-oak shaded roads, miles of deserted, driftwood-covered beach and a vibrant Lowcountry culture mixed with posh resorts and waterside mansions.

I snatched the keys and started the jeep and performed the delicate balance of clutch and gears as I negotiated deep ruts in the sandy road and dodged deer and fence posts in evening dark absent of any streetlight or guide. I made it to the young lady’s house and by the time we returned home I was in love. Not with the girl (who was very nice) but with the island itself. It was a love I would never forget.

I was fortunate that my aunt and uncle lived and worked on Daufuskie Island during the 1980s. My family and I would regularly visit and spend summer weeks on the island where as a young man I experienced the joy of Lowcountry youth on the wild beach and along the rough sandy roads.

My uncle’s trust in me to drive the old jeep taught me how to drive a standard transmission, but I also learned how to throw a cast net, fish in the tide and look for arrowheads and pottery along the shore.

Not much has changed on Daufuskie Island since then, but change has definitely come. Recently, I returned for a day to experience life on the island once again.

Daufuskie Island is 5 miles long, 2 miles wide and has no bridge. The only way on or off the island is by boat, either your own, a friend’s or the ferry. Each option will cost you, but the benefit of access to this jewel of the Lowcountry coast is priceless.

Daufuskie is home to a deep-rooted Gullah culture that in rich isolation developed strong ties and traditions. The island is also home to resort homes as well as a growing community of artists and entrepreneurs.

Something about the remoteness of the island, the strong cultural flavor and the intense beauty it offers brings out innermost passions in a person.

For centuries, since Native Americans hunted and fished its shores, plantations and wars have crisscrossed its lands, and in economic boom times of wealthy investment the island has seemed to surge in the tides of progress, never quite peaking and always receding into its own quiet character.

When you visit Daufuskie Island you will be able to experience this character. You can take a day to tour historic sites either individually or with several professional tour options, book a weekly rental or boat over for a day to enjoy seafood and cocktails on the dock at Freeport Marina.

For a tour, there is much to see.

The island has few cars and so the best way to navigate is by golf cart, or for the more athletic, by bicycle.

The island’s school was made famous by Pat Conroy’s work, “The Water is Wide,” about his teaching experience there. Mary Field School is a place to visit, where a small museum and even a coffee shop have opened.

The white wood of First Union African Baptist Church blazes in the sunshine as the historic church welcomes visitors, and the small, brick Silver Dew Winery stands along a shaded road nearby. This former shed for the Bloody Point Lighthouse that converted to a homemade winery in the 1950s is an island landmark and, like other sites, bears testimony to the resourcefulness and spirit of islanders over the years.

The roads and paths will take you past artist shops, small cafes and even a rum distillery that offers tours and tastings of its wares.

Then, after spending a few hours at the beach you can return to the marina and wait for the ferry ride home while enjoying lunch at the busy Freeport restaurant and grill.

I recently returned to Daufuskie Island to spend the day with friends. We biked and golf-carted along the roads and as we explored the island we were taken back in time.

As I explored, I became a teenaged boy once again and I was reminded of how strong a first love can be. When you visit Daufuskie Island, with its beauty, simplicity and friendly people, you will fall in love as well and are sure to feel a pang of sadness at the sound of the ferry at the dock to take you home.

Getting there

Daufuskie Island is between Hilton Head Island and Savannah at the extreme southern tip of Beaufort County. The only way to visit is by boat. If you do not have your own or catch a ride with a friend, then you will need to book a ferry ride and arrange for transportation once on the island.

Several organizations provide ferry service, including trips to and from Broad Creek Marina on Hilton Head (call 843-342-8687; https://daufuskiedifference.com/daufuskie-island-ferry).

A public ferry runs several times a day from Buckingham Landing off U.S. 278 in Bluffton. Cost of this round-trip ferry ticket is $35, and golf cart rental is available for $115/day and $75 for half day.

If you plan to spend the day, it is recommended that you catch the early ferry (7 a.m.) and book the cart for the day as you are certain to get caught up in “island time” as you enjoy the slow pace of Daufuskie.

For more information, you can call 843-940-7704 or go to https://www.daufuskieislandferry.com/ for details on the island, booking, and trip planning. I was assisted greatly by ferry representative Judy Barth and there are many others who will be glad to help.

Much of what you wish to do on the island is free, and there are at least two restaurants and cafes available, as well as the coffee shop and distillery.

The Bloody Point Lighthouse Museum is a highly recommended visit as it will give you a sense of the island’s history and displays fascinating artifacts in the restored old lighthouse keeper cottage.