Back to Botany Bay

Each time I visit Charleston, South Carolina, I feel compelled to go to Botany Bay.  When my husband and I spent Labor Day weekend in Mt. Pleasant, I made sure we set aside one morning to go to Botany Bay for sunrise.

We have been to Botany Bay for sunrise many times.  In order to get there in time

for sunrise, you need to account for a more than hour drive followed by a fifteen minute walk to the beach.  All was going according to plan on the morning we chose.  We would arrive in plenty of time.  The clouds that I spotted in the sky led me to believe that it would be an amazing show at sunrise.

We were the first car to arrive at the gate.  This gate is programmed to open shortly before sunrise.  We waited, and waited, and waited.  Many cars lined up behind us.  At some point, it became clear to us and all in line that the gates were not going to open at the usual time.  This is when I began looking on the website for the phone number for Botany Bay.  After several attempts, I actually reached someone on the other line.  When I told  her that the gates had not opened and it was only minutes until sunrise, she assured me that she would call someone who could help.

It wasn’t until about twenty minutes after sunrise when someone finally came to open the gate for those cars that still were in line to enter.

This is my sunrise cell phone image from that morning.

Once we finally made our way to the path to the beach, I did take a picture of the beautiful clouds that were holding my attention.

Although we missed the sunrise, I still took pictures of the trees that so many visitors go to see.  I used my neutral density filter and tried some long exposures.

As we made our way out of Botany Bay, I noticed that the little tree that marks the turn onto Botany Bay Road had been decorated for the Labor Day Weekend.

Even though I was disappointed that I did  not get to photograph during the sunrise, it is always a wonderful way to spend a morning photographing at Botany Bay.