HUNTINGTON BEACH & BROOKGREEN (Day 3 - part 1)

We began the day with a visit to Huntington Beach State Park, a large coastal preserve. The property was once owned by Anna and Archer Huntington but was leased to the state in 1960.

Click for a larger view of the map

A satellite view of the area, clearly showing how the salt marshes are connected to the ocean and hence affected by the tides

Entering the park, with Mullet Pond to the right ... and our first boardwalk viewpoint into Mullet Pond

It's estimated that 100,000 alligators live in South Carolina. There are no crocodiles since it gets too cold for them. Alligators, on the other hand, can survive cold weather through a process called brumation, a period of inactivity during which they burrow a few feet underground in mud holes (known as gator holes) which they dug out. They drink but don't eat; their heart rate and other bodily processes slow down, and they might stick their noses out of their burrows every 12 hours or so to get fresh air.

Above ... and lurking below

Alligators have fairly poor eyesight. They have a nictitating membrane (a whitish inner eyelid) which protects the eyes and allows them to see underwater. Their ears are located behind their eyes and are very sensitive to vibrations in the water.

Although they primarily live in freshwater, they will also venture into brackish salt water. They like swampy areas, rivers, lakes and ponds. They can live over 60 years, and in South Carolina, they can reach lengths of over 13 feet.

Eating a blue crab

Relatively, alligators do not need to eat much. In one year, a warm-blooded 100-pound dog will eat much more than a cold-blooded 800-pound alligator.

We continued on...

A quick glimpse at the nearby beach, which is part of Grand Strand

We reached one of the highlights of the park... Atalaya Castle.

Atalaya (ah-tuh-LIE-yuh) means "watchtower" in Spanish. This served as the winter home for Anna and Archer Huntington. Anna suffered from tuberculosis, so this location was chosen for its milder winters. It was built during the Great Depression by local workers and was designed to withstand hurricanes.

During World War II, the Huntingtons let the Army Air Corps use Atalaya for several years (1942 - 1946). They last used it themselves in 1947. Most of the furnishings were sent to New York City after Archer died in 1955.

Archer M. Huntington was a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist. He studied Spanish culture and art and designed the residence with Moorish architectural styles.

The house contains 30 rooms, lined around three sides of the square compound. The final side was used for Anna's sculpting studio, including animal pens for horses, dogs and bears.

Even though the complex felt like a giant maze, each of the rooms had an informative sign.

Every room had a fireplace.

The shower stall

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