The allures of South Carolina!

Laid-back environment of South Carolina!

I love nature and a regular sojourn to the countryside always brings delight. If I would be given a chance to choose where to go on a vacation, I would select a countryside resort, it's more relaxing and quiet.

Europe has the most stunning countryside, it combines the romantic features of the  renaissance period and the vivacity of the modern world, while North America is another thing, it is home to some of the most terrific landmarks with a complete blend of a countryside life. Both dreamy holiday getaways indeed but since these destinations are very costly, going there might just be a dream.

So here, I'll just be contented reading and researching about the extraordinary surroundings! I am adding a category of Best of America here in my travel blog so I made a trip down-memory lane and browse profiles of old American movies with countryside as a theme.

And stumbled on Forrest Gump.

Of all movies?? Yeah, I love Forrest Gump, it's one my favorite films, very relaxing and funny! Life really is like a box of chocolates, we never know what we get! This famous quote uttered by Forrest Gump's mom (played by Sally Field) stuck in my brain for so long but what really captivated me most was the relaxing scenery of Forrest Gump's home. So I revisited the film's profile and checked on its location setting and found out it was mostly shot in South Carolina.

Oh South Carolina! This state has something to do with my fascination in British monarchy because it was originally named after King Charles I of England. From the notes I gathered about King George III, his reign and the historic American Revolution, South Carolina was the first of the 13 colonies of Britain in America to declare independence from the British Crown. Anyway, that's English history, let's move back to Travel and Geography :-D

According to the geographic profile of South Carolina, it is a state in the Southeastern United States bordering North Carolina and Georgia, it lies within Savannah river and has a close proximity to Atlantic Ocean. Okay, perhaps that explains why this state has a gorgeous seaside and breezy atmosphere. 

According to my reading adventure, South Carolina offers some of the best tourist attractions both in nature and city life, oh that's very interesting!

The location shooting of Forrest Gump spread across South Carolina's Yemassee, Beaufort and Varnville and one of the most beautiful scenes I remembered in the film was the country home location of Gump's love interest, Jenny, played by Robin Wright-Penn. A modest two-storey structure surrounded with lush plants and a neatly-trimmed garden. It was awesome! I looked for photos of that scene around the web but couldn't find one.

Then my research journey landed on Tripadvisor site and got these interesting suggestions about the best tourist attractions to consider when visiting South Carolina. I also got one photo of Beaufort suburban.

Here are the Top Five Best Attractions in South Carolina:

Suburb of Beaufort Town, pretty much like the home location scene 

I remembered in Forrest Gump. Photo source: Tripadvisor

1. Beaufort - The main location setting of Forrest Gump (but in the movie, the story sets in Alabama). Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island and renowned for its quiet surrounding and beautiful scenery of nature. It has been named the best small southern town in the United States by Southern Living magazine and featured in National Geographic adventure as one of the "Top 50 Adventure Town" to visit. 

Public garden in Charleston, South Carolina. Photo source: Wikipedia

2. Charleston - Known for its beautiful architectural wonders and glorious history, Charleston has been hailed by Travel and Leisure magazine as one of America's friendliest cities, (okay, that's good to know). Its laid-back environment and rich cultural tradition entice travelers to make a repeat visit, that's according to attractions in america site.

Myrtle Beach. Photo source: www.visitmyrtlebeach.com

3. Myrtle Beach - Even with the absence of tropical trees around the coastline, this South Carolina's beach still attracts throngs of visitors due to its ivory sand and crystal blue water.

BrookGreen Gardens. Photo source: Wikipedia

4. BrookGreen Gardens - Voted in Tripadvisor as one of America's top ten public gardens, BrookGreen offers beautiful scenery of nature, gorgeous landscape and majestic oaks.

Island Garden Home in Pawleys. Photo source: Wikipedia

5. Pawleys Island - A laid-back town in South Carolina known for its breezy atmosphere and a cozy surrounding. It lies along the Atlantic coast barrier island and Waccamaw river giving the place an extraordinary feel of a relaxing environment. According to its geographical profile, some of Pawleys Island's homes are notable for their flower gardens.

Awesome! :-D

Sources:
www.tripadvisor.com
www.attractionsofamerica.com