Every fall break, my family and I go to the beach. Typically, we go to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I love the small town feel of the island and the relaxing break from school it provides. It has been a gift, especially this year with Science Fair at school, to get a break from all the stress. One of my favorite places on the island is the Stoney-Baynard Ruins, once a grand antebellum plantation house overlooking the Calibogue Sound. As someone who loves history, standing in the middle of a place so old and historic gives me chills. The house was burned down shortly after the end of the Civil War, and to be able to walk through what was once a bustling plantation house gives you an incredibly wistful feeling. There is also an enormously twisted tree that my brother and I enjoy climbing that gives you a wonderful view of the ruins. Every time we go to Hilton Head, we have to visit this eerie place at least once. There is a sense of wonderment you feel in a place so old and tragic that inspires you.
