When you think back on what changed the course of your life, you are so happy that certain things happened the way they did. Some find love, some find joy, and others find their passion in life. If you are lucky, you will find all three at the same time.

Years ago I was somewhat of a homebody. I would go to the zoo about once a month, and I was happy with that one trip each month. On April 15, 2010, I made a decision that changed how I lived my life. I decided I wanted to see the sunrise at Huntington Beach State Park, and as they say, the rest is history. As soon as I walked out on the beach, a different feeling came across me. I felt as if I had found where I belonged in the world, and I was doing what I was meant to do. I took a ton of pictures that morning of the sunrise, and I am still going strong today at photography.

I had time to spare before my next planned adventure opened, so I decided to check out the “castle” that was at Huntington Beach. I had never heard of “Atalaya”, but the building was calling my name. I was instantly pulled in by the beauty of the brick work, and the designs on the bars over the windows were just out of a fairytale. As I read the descriptions of the rooms on the wall, I realized that I was at a special place. It turns out that Atalaya was the winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, which Huntington Beach State Park is named after, and they were the creators of Brookgreen Gardens. I had a new found appreciation of the state parks, history in general, and of art and sculpture. The course of my life had changed forever. A visit to a state park had awakened the wanderer in me that needed to get out.

It turns out that even though Atalaya looks very old, it was only built in the early 1930’s. There is a magnificent courtyard greeting you as soon as you walk through the entrance since all of the rooms of the home are built around the edges. The bricks of the house have a different appearance to them. I read in a book one time in Images of America that the brickwork is known as the “Huntington Squeeze”, so that is the term that I have used since to describe it. By the way, all of the books about Brookgreen Gardens and Atalaya are wonderful from Images of America. There is so much information in them. The author is wonderful in her detail and writing. I have found out so much from reading the books.

Anyway, as you walk through Atalaya, you will see different things. You have an outdoor studio, an indoor studio, a beautiful sunroom, bear pens, dog kennels, and even an oyster shucking room. Yes, you did read bear pens correctly. Anna always thought that it was best to have an actual animal to be her inspiration behind her sculptures. Her collection of sculptures across the road at Brookgreen Gardens is a must see.

Archer was a very tall man, and he was ahead of his time. You can still see today that he had seven shower heads installed in his shower. That is something that people dream of in the modern world we live in. On the wall in the master bedroom you will read that the bedroom had two twin beds in it. Archer’s was special built coming in at 8 feet long. I would have loved to have been able to see how the house was furnished when they lived there, but my imagination will just have to let me imagine how impressive it must have been.

Here we are almost ten years later, and Atalaya is still near and dear to my heart. From that one visit to a state park that I knew nothing about at the time, my life is totally different today. I became an outdoors enthusiast. I would have never thought that would happen, but it did, and I’m so grateful for that.

Huntington Beach State Park is located at 16148 Ocean Hwy. in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Admission is $8 per person to get into the park, and an additional $2 per person to tour Atalaya. An audio tour is offered as well for a small fee if you are interested in that. I did the audio tour once and found it very informative. If you are really interested in visiting all of South Carolina State Parks, I highly recommend purchasing the “All” park passport. You get unlimited admission into all 47 state parks for one year, and you get to tour the historic houses for free.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast