sdiamondriley
King of the Sea Islands
U.S. presidents come and go. But from 1790 until the 1920's, the Lowcountry Sea Islands had their very own king. All hail King Cotton! A...
top of page
Search
sdiamondriley
- Sep 22
- 3 min
A Touch of Magic
You might say that pure magic drew me to the Lowcountry, and you wouldn’t be wrong. On one of our family’s first visits to Hilton Head...
198 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Jul 18
- 3 min
Blue Bloods
Blue bloods have been swarming the beaches of Hilton Head and its neighboring sea islands for pretty much forever. But they're not who...
579 views1 comment
sdiamondriley
- Jun 19
- 2 min
An Artful Stroll
Get ready to see Hilton Head Island in a whole new way! Countless authors, artists, and musicians call the South Carolina Lowcountry...
251 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- May 16
- 3 min
Decoration Day
Where better to start a tradition of honoring fallen soldiers than the place where the war that prompted it began? Shortly after the...
279 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Apr 28
- 3 min
Tacky Talk
The Lowcountry plays host to some of the tackiest sights you'll ever see, and I'm not talking about socks with sandals or bikini-clad...
342 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Mar 20
- 3 min
From Everyday to Extraordinary
Unknown to many who seek it, a favorite Lowcountry souvenir has a dark past. Although prized today by collectors the world over,...
561 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Feb 25
- 3 min
Our Own Prince of Tides
“Love’s action. It isn’t talk and it never has been.” ~Pat Conroy, Beach Music Despite the controversies he often spurred, one Lowcountry...
544 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Feb 1
- 4 min
The Day of the Big Gun Shoot
You think your neighborhood's got problems? Mine is the site of the largest naval battle ever fought in U.S. waters. Protecting the Sound...
358 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Jan 13
- 3 min
Blossoms of Winter
It hardly seems fair, but an explosion of red, pink, and white blooms are taking over Lowcountry gardens while our Northern neighbors are...
350 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Dec 7, 2022
- 3 min
No Snow? No Problem!
Despite--or perhaps thanks to--its mild December weather, the Lowcountry boasts its own unique twists on the usual holiday traditions....
400 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Nov 23, 2022
- 3 min
The Truth about Southern Hospitality
When I moved full-time to Hilton Head several years ago, I discovered something I had never expected. I had heard that "Southern...
740 views1 comment
sdiamondriley
- Nov 8, 2022
- 3 min
The Forgotten Capital
Half a century before the pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock, a bustling European capital called the Lowcountry home. Forts, homes,...
985 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Oct 19, 2022
- 3 min
Beware of Haints!
If you've ever awoken and still felt tired, you just may be the victim of a Lowcountry haint. Members of the Gullah community have long...
1,466 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Oct 5, 2022
- 3 min
Carolina's Blue Gold
There was a time when all of Europe was clamoring for what the Carolina Lowcountry had in spades. But then, just as quickly as it had...
1,227 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Aug 24, 2022
- 2 min
A Perilous Picnic
No, they're not suicidal, they're not really "stranded," and they don't need our help. Our nutty Lowcountry dolphins just have their own...
2,362 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Aug 10, 2022
- 3 min
The Storm that Drowned the Sea Islands
Sixteen-foot storm surges. 120-mile-per-hour winds. No survivors remain of the most devastating hurricane to ever hit the South Carolina...
1,534 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Jul 27, 2022
- 3 min
Legends of the Moss
ZZ Top beards. Spiderwebs. Christmas tinsel. The Spanish moss that drapes swooping branches of Lowcountry live oaks has evoked images...
746 views1 comment
sdiamondriley
- Jul 12, 2022
- 3 min
An Island at Arms
Deep within the lushly landscaped confines of a gated Hilton Head Island residential community lie a couple of open acres of waterfront...
1,990 views0 comments
sdiamondriley
- Jun 29, 2022
- 3 min
A Race to the Midnight Moon
"A fiery red glow illuminated the pit of sand at the boy's feet, sand that was now churning as if alive. A black shape emerged from the...
1,983 views0 comments
Want new blog posts via email? Send a note to SusanDiamondRiley@gmail.com.
bottom of page