Notes from the host
Lili at Coffin Point
NEW FOR 2023: 30 DAY MINIMUM RENTAL PERIOD -- rental rates have been REDUCED 20-30% OFF 2022 short term rates. Please inquire about checkin and checkout date availability prior to submitting booking request.
Slip back in time on your drive to Lili, our waterfront, private getaway on Saint Helena Sound. The entrance to this private residence includes a half-mile drive along the Avenue of Oaks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Your last turn is home to a two-story private residence, the driveway alongside ancient Live Oak trees. The home is bordered by native plantings of seasonal flowers on three sides with a spectacular view of the Sound, on the fourth. If the trees could speak, imagine the stories a hundred-year history might reveal. Indulge in the best of both worlds. Enjoy the wonderful beach and natural beauty of the Sound with its shrimp boats, sailboats, kayaks, dolphins, seagulls, pelicans and other wildlife. Hike, bike, and explore the surrounding wooded countryside, a stunning backdrop to this magical coastal environment.
Inside the home, guests enjoy artistically renovated spaces, brought to life by local craftsmen and artisans. The ceilings were raised to expose huge, wooden beams acquired from a local cotton mill. Hand shaped copper counters were installed in the kitchen by local craftsmen. Windows were enlarged and glass doors installed to open the home up to expansive, scenic views, a constant reminder of the surrounding natural beauty. The line between inside and out has been consciously blurred with plenty of open space inside and natural daylight with floor to ceiling windows in the great room, and more windows room by room revealing natural life at the seashore.
The colors, textures and fibers of the decor mirror the calm yet dramatic lowcountry environment. The comfy furnishings invite relaxation and suggest the sea, land and sky in a soft, soothing color pallet. Special antiques are found mixed with newer pieces. Original artwork, commissioned or otherwise lovingly procured from local and regional artists, is found scattered throughout Lili, joyfully adorning her walls.
Coffin Point's beachfront is a natural seashore. It is manicured only by the ocean tides and its contents - twice daily. Relatively private and secluded, it's the real deal, slightly wild with plenty of shells, chord grass (at low tide), and other natural gifts of the sea. Teaming with sea life, this beach is not groomed for swimming but perfect for exploring, clamming, shelling, sunbathing, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, picnicking, and frolicking. It's also a great spot for kayaking. Water shoes can come in handy for frolicking at the water's edge. It's not the best swimming beach. CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED IN SWIMMING as there are some oyster beds offshore which can be hidden, especially at high tide. For an excellent and gorgeous swimming beach, you can head to Hunting Island State Park, an easy and beautiful 10 minute drive away. At either beachfront, ours or the State Park, it is common to see and hear dolphins, working shrimp boats, and a range of seabird action. What is truly wonderful about living by the sea is experiencing the changes hour by hour, day by day, week by week.
While at home, you can enjoy both front or back covered patios with oversize deck chairs seaside or rocking chairs forest side.
Cooking is meant to be fun and easy in this home. Within a 10-minute drive there are grocery stores, neighboring fish markets, fishing marinas, fresh vegetable farms, and quick stop markets. There is a charcoal grill on the oceanside patio where many guests enjoy grilling up their fresh catch of the day.
Within a short drive there are many casual restaurants. Local favorites include Johnson Creek Tavern, Gullah Grub, Sand Dollar, Foolish Frog, Bella Luna and The Shrimp Shack (referenced in Pat Conroy’s cookbook), each with their own specialties and ambiance. Options expand as you drive into town. Beaufort offers many fine dining choices in addition to a large variety of casual and popular eateries. No matter where you choose to go, most will feature plenty of fresh local seafood. Some of the local restaurants use recipes passed down through the generations using ingredients from neighboring farms and docks.
A wide variety of touring opportunities can be found throughout the region from art, history & culture to active sports, sight seeing or plain serious shopping & dinning.
For outdoor adventure we recommend Hunting Island State Park, a 10-minute drive away where you will find five miles of swimming/surfing beachfront without the traditional residential over-development and miles of woodland and seaside biking and hiking. There is a minimal gate pass fee. Swimming, surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding and a variety of fishing gear can be coordinated at the Park's nature center or in town. There are special educational family activities scheduled throughout the summer months right at the park.
Hunting Island has thousands of acres of gorgeous marsh views, tidal creeks, and a dense maritime forest. Here you will find excellent bird watching, other wildlife sighting, and scenic natural views which are becoming rare along our developed coastlines.
Downtown Historic Beaufort is another popular destination, an approximate 20 minute drive away. Nearby destinations also include Port Royal with a boardwalk and its own beachfront where you can drive your car on, and Parris Island and the Marine Corps Air Station. The military bases welcome visitors to their museums with dining options. A little bit further away and over a few more bridges you can reach Hilton Head Island, Charleston and Savannah, each of which makes a fun and easy day trip.
Notable regional/seasonal events: Savannah Music Festival (March/Savannah) Heritage Golf Tournament (April/Hilton Head) Family Circle Tennis Cup (April/Daniel's Island) Soft Shell Crab Festival(Apr/Port Royal) Spoleto Festival (May-June /Charleston), Beaufort Water Festival (mid-July), Penn Center’s Heritage Festival (November/ St. Helena Island), and many local activities including ghost & home tours, Beaufort film festival (Feb/Mar) plus ever-present art gallery tours and community oyster roast fundraising fun in the winter.
Lili's grounds allow for parking with room for your boat or RV. Several boat launches are only minutes away. Or, leave the toys and call on local experienced guides. Join a boat or kayak tour, photo safari, dolphin watch, deep sea charter or sunset sail along the Intracoastal Waterway. Watch or participate in a regatta at the Lady’s Island Country Club, spin class at the YMCA or yoga class at One Yoga Sanctuary at Lady's Island Marina.
Keywords: Coastal elegance, lovingly titled (Lili) - you are invited to the comforts of town while vacationing in an elegant, private waterfront, rural community. Live Oak forest road and walkways, natural beachfront, lush plantings, abundant wildlife and minutes from State Park, national historic landmarks, regional and international cultural events.