Eastern Red Cedar tree – Missing!
This beautiful Eastern Red Cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana) was likey over 200 years old (estimated from it’s size). For as long as anybody knows, it had been on the land […]
Driessen Beach Park
In 1921, Henry Driessen Senior purchased 30 acres within the former Chaplin Plantation (now the Chaplin Community of Hilton Head Island). This parcel of land ran from Bradley Beach Road (owned […]
The Burke’s “HideAway”
The Burkes family once owned all of the land between Bradley Circle and Burkes Beach Road. Daniel and Geneva Burke had a small home that once sat where Marriott Surfwatch […]
Burkes Beach – the surfer’s favorite beach is named after a local Gullah family
I discovered Burkes Beach when I came to Hilton Head to visit my folks – who had retired here in the early 1990’s. They moved to Hilton Head Plantation, and […]
Bradley Memorial Beach – Subdivided in 1953
From 1888, the ‘Christopher’ family owned the land that include Bradley Memorial Beach Subdivision, and much of what is now ‘Driessen Beach Park’. It was half of a combined 20 […]
‘Surfwatch’ Beach Boardwalk – inclusive beach-access walkway is (still) free for all to enjoy:)
The Marriott ‘Surfwatch’ boardwalk that runs from ‘Sandy Beach Trail’ to the beach – over a tidal-marsh inlet – is a lovely nature boardwalk. The Marriott, in keeping with the […]
Bradley Beach has a rich history and cultural legacy. Visitors & locals enjoying the island together in-peace.
When I moved to Bradley Beach Road in 1997, it was still a dirt road, as was Bradley Circle. These two roads were historically connected where Driessen Park exists today […]
Pedestrian Access-gate to Driessen Beach Park
On May 15, 2023 – without warning – the Town of Hilton Head Island abruptly boarded-up the access-gate between the Driessen Beach Park and Bradley Circle – cutting-off this amazing […]