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Caption: How to eat an oyster in Bluffton, S.C.
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Caption: How a memorable family trip brought us together over oysters . . . and introduced us to Low Country magic.
South Carolina
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Caption: 1. Find Pepper’s Porch
Start on the main street of Bluffton on a farmer’s market day, for the exotic bounties of the region. Then walk the quintessential southern town’s May River Road to the 100-year-old barn that houses a transplanted New York Greek chef’s restaurant, and his eclectic take on southern food.
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Caption: 2. Take a Swing
Get on that tire and swing for a while above the humpy surface of the outdoor dance floor, which vibrates at night with line dancing. At noon, it’s deserted, shaded and a gift to remember for its authentic Low Country vibe.
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Caption: 3. Look Up
Gaze at the 300-year-old live oaks, strung with Spanish Moss. Absorb the thick, sweet, humid air that seeps in through that massive canopy.
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Caption: 4. Take a deep breath
Enjoy the sharp, elemental smell of freshly harvested oysters in the bucket you’ve been served.
Brimming with juice when opened, they’re from the May River a short walk away. The heel of the oyster, in the deep part of the shell, is exactly the right color and the flesh is plump.
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Caption: 5. Appreciate the history
Not yet, but in a while, walk to the Bluffton Oyster Company’s historic premises, where recycling barely keeps up with the shells. The Toomers family has fished these waters for a century and operates one of the last hand-shucking oyster houses in the Carolinas.
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Caption: 6. Dive in
It takes time, muscle & good wrist action to open these sharp-edged shells, which come attached to stalks that anchor oysters to the river bottom against the power of the tides.
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Caption: 7. Shared shucking
We share the shucking as a family, nibbling fried green tomatoes and other specialties as we go. When the leisurely afternoon is over, we agree it’s a Top 10 memorable meal.
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Caption: I was born and raised on a Carolina sea island and I carry the sunshine of the Low Country, inked in dark gold, on my back and shoulders Pat Conroy
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Caption: #StellerMemory #southcarolina
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