Within minutes Judy responded to our request. Yes, she could show us the island, and, yes, she’d meet us at the 11:00 ferry.
Judy greeted us like an old friend in her six-seater golf cart. “Hop in,” she said, her eyes bright with the twinkle of adventure. I felt like I was hopping onto Santa’s sleigh with no clear idea of what I was about to see.
Judy pointed to the only visible structure, the Landings Building at the other end of the dock. “Inside there we have an interpretive nature center, with live turtles, an alligator skeleton, fun stuff like that. The kids love it. Down below is where residents get their mail and packages,” she said.
She stopped the cart in the middle of the sandy road and gave us an overview of the island—the two and a half miles of private beach, the turtle team, the educational programs for kids, the nature conservancy, the ladies coffee hour, the arts council, … but her words faded into garble the second I spotted a shock of pink to my right.
At first, I thought I was witnessing a flock of flamingoes in an inlet across from a larger impoundment. But then I noticed these birds had long, flat platypus bills, bald heads, and red eyes. The kind of creature you’d find in a Dr. Seuss story.
“Those are roseate spoonbills,” said Judy. “Every season we seem to have more.”
Turns out, Judy’s not only a real estate agent but a master naturalist of South Carolina. Ask her about any living thing you see, and she’ll tell you all about it, right down to its binomial nomenclature. Clearly, I’d died and gone to the Good Place.
Here we were, not even one hundred yards from the ferry dock, and already I knew I’d found my winter home. As we carted through the pristine maritime forest of palms, oaks, and Spanish moss, reality morphed even more.
How could we be a mere eleven miles north of downtown Charleston, yet surrounded by alligators, egrets, coyotes, loggerhead turtles, nesting bald eagles, and bucks with big racks? Not to mention the scent of sea air and the trill of songbirds everywhere we went. I half expected to run into Gilligan or, judging by the size of some homes hidden in the trees, Thurston Howell III.
“This kind of place isn’t for everyone,” Judy said. “There’s no shopping, no restaurants, no grocery stores. If you’re making dinner and realize you forgot to buy an ingredient, it’s easier to borrow it from a neighbor than to take the ferry back to town. But you get to know your neighbors that way. We all help each other out. Honestly, it’s not the most convenient lifestyle, but it’s well worth the trade-off if you value living with nature.”
“It’s like summer camp for a certain kind of grownup,” I said. “And I’m one of them! All we have to do is find a house.”
Which we did. It took some time, and a few more visits, but we found a house with Chris’s view of the ocean. We call it Plan Sea (our Montana yurt and cabin being Plans A and B). Now that we’re here six months out of the year, it’s time to find out what this tiny island is all about.
Is it too good to be true? Let’s find out …
Dispatches from Dewees Island 
It looks rather good!
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Hi Mick! So good to see you here. Thank you for stopping by. And congratulations on the publication of your book, The Night Bus. Bravo!
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Thanks, Monica. And congratulations on discovering such a marvellous hideaway!
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You know Forrest and I’d be right at home there. What a fascinating adventure this will be! I can’t wait to hear more! ~ Lori
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Sounds like your plan has worked well.
You have a wonderful sea and mountain balance BRAVO …..👍💕
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Thank you, Joyce! So far it seems to be a delightful balance. Looking forward to seeing you this summer. Hugs to you and John.
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Loved reading your “how did you find Dewees” story. It’s sweet fate that brings us all together on this special island with people you’d never have the privilege of knowing in an “ordinary” life. And how lucky we are to step over alligators and all of our creatures. (No fool is going to step over an alligator! For dramatic reference to the closeness we share with nature).
So glad that Monica and Chris are Deweesians – we love you. Really, a yurt?
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Haha, yes, a yurt! Thank you so much for your kind words. We feel honored to have been welcomed by the Dewees community. It’s been a blast so far! And we’ve been sure to give those gators a wide berth. 🙂
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Sounds wonderful, Aunt Monica! Lovely to read your adventure in finding it. Much love from The Wheelers ❤️
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Amy! Thanks for following along! Give yourself and the boys a big hug for me. xoxo
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Loved it Monica. As always you painted a vivid picture. I’m glad to have experienced it and can’t wait to come back in swimming season!
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Thanks for helping us break in the new kitchen! Ha!
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Intriguing but not surprising. I’ve known Chris since birth being childhood friends of his parents who forged a new life on Anguilla, a remote and pristine Island in the West Indies 50 years ago. I wish you and Chris many happy times and adventures in your new environment!
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Yes, the dots do connect in an obvious way, don’t they? We had a great time exploring the island with Andy and his wife a few weeks ago. It inspired many a walk down memory lane for them. 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind wishes.
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Sounds like a lovely place to explore with a camera. And you get the best of both worlds: once hurricane and swelter season arrives it’s back to Montana!
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Monica, I love your introduction story to Dewees! It really is a special place with lovely people. I can’t wait to follow along with your journey.
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Thank you so much, Jennifer. Stay tuned! 😊
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