2015-9-9---Botany Bay
 
Next day we did another "owner's update breakfast" for another $50.  Figured the $175 in Wyndham money pretty well paid for our gas to/from St. Louis.   Breakfast was actually very good---biscuits and sausage gravy; eggs; muffins, and other assorted stuff.  When you're VIP Platinum, the owner's updates are pretty low key.  I guess they don't expect you to buy any more points and often send you on your way quickly.  By 11 we were on our way to Botany BAy.  I had been here with Angie twice, but at different surf stages.  The one constant is the tree skeletons in or near the water.  This time we were there right at low tide.  Once before it was high tide and the other time it was somewhere in between.  I would have loved to go there for sunset, but it was closed the day we got to Edisto and we made plans to go on a sunset cruise tonight.  But I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around taking a bunch of pictures.  Even the ride into the park is neat.  First through the tunnel of oak trees.

 Then onto the plantation grounds where there are bird feeders by the sign in area.

 I love Cardinals.

 and big old oak trees.

 The walk from the parking lot to the ocean was about 1/2 mile @ way.  It was an interesting walk.  Lots of these little crabs.

 Lots of marsh land.  As we were walking across the marsh trail, we kept hearing load pops.  Thought it might be what looked like oyster shells popping.  But after doing a little research, it sounds like it's Bigclaw Snapping Shrimp.  Apparently at low tide they snap their one large claw in the water making a large bubble that pops.  Researchers assume the pop is to stun smaller critters so the shrimp can eat them or to scare away larger critters that want to eat them.

 Even saw a lot of huge spiders.

 Then come the knarly trees all over the beach.

 some still standing and still in the water even at low tide.

 the clouds even cooperated for making beautiful pictures.

 Bird on the shell studded beach

 about a 1/2 mile down the beach.

 heading back.

 looking inland.

 Ken on his perch waiting for me to get back from taking pictures.

 There are a ton of shells here, but it's illegal to take them off the beach, so people hang them all over the trees.

 or leave them laying where they washed up.

After spending a couple hours on the beach, we headed back across the marshland.  This was just off the beach.  (I've heard that Hurricane Irma in 2017 destroyed Botany Bay and the trees are no longer standing in the ocean.   The boardwalk was also washed away, so the beach is indefinitely closed.)

 a lizard hiding in the shade.

 Ken leaving me in his dust while I'm take yet more pictures.

 There are a couple clumps of trees along the way.  One clump is suppose to be home to a little red bunting.  Didn't see any of them, but did find this cute little guy.

 more of the walkway

 coming in for a landing in the marsh

 some of the wierd plants along the way.

 and more pretty butterflies.

 To drive out of the area, there's a self driving tour of the remains of a plantation.  We didn't stop much this trip --- Angie and I had checked it out more thoroughly on a previous trip.  But we did stop at this pond covered with - pollen or algae?  Probably a mistake stopping here.  Even though I had sprayed insect repellent before going to the beach, I forgot to spray again and at one point I looked down to see at least 10 mosquitos feasting on one of my legs.  After a quick swat, I hurried back to the car and have been itching every since!

 on one of the ponds we even saw this alligator.

saw a few more butterflies which I took pictures of from inside the car.

Another pretty butterfly. 

 Back at the entrance we sat and watched the bird feeders some more hoping the little red buntings would show up there.  Not a bunting, but this guy deserves another picture.

 Wonder what these big-eyed little birds are?

 "Artwork" just off the main highway into Edisto across from the turn off to Botany Bay.

 We did some more driving around and found this fancy fishing dock out in the middle of nowhere.

 a view from the above dock.

We watched some of these guys dive for fish near the dock

 Ken talking to some people who showed up to fish and crab for blue crab.

 getting artsy with the flora of Edisto.

 At 5:40 we showed up at the marina for our sunset tour.  I wish we had been on that boat!  Angie and I had gone on a tour before and had a great time.  This time the boat driver would stop then drive like a bat out of hell to the next spot.  I was soaked!  Managed to keep my dslr dry, but it wasn't an easy task!  Even when we were by the dolphins he kept going around them in the same direction.  I, of course, was on the other side of the boat.  Finally I got up and stood on the other side for a few minutes.

 At least we did get a pretty nice sunset.

 looking East.

 another to the west as we flew through the water.

 He did stop for a little while when he noticed the sun came out of the clouds.

When we were done there, we hit the resort pool, as we did all 3 nights we were there.  Then we decided to pick up some stuff from the store and cook dinner: pork chops; mashed potatoes; and corn on the cob.  It was quite yummy, even though we didn't eat it until about 10 pm.