Bluffton’s iconic mollusks take center stage as part of a culinary heritage experience.
“May River oysters are close to perfection!” – Pat Conroy, author of Prince of Tides, Beach Music and The Water Is Wide.
The Lowcountry Oyster Trail is an experiential tourism, economic development and environmental conservation initiative celebrating the tasty bivalves that are legendary along the South Carolina coast. Inspired by the Virginia Oyster Trail, the local version focuses on food, fun, discovery and sustainability and will eventually run from Charleston to Savannah and beyond.
“The Lowcountry Oyster Trail is an exciting multi-faceted economic development concept.”
“It highlights wild and farm-raised oysters and much more,” says trail founder, Larry Hughes. “We also plan to shine a deserved spotlight on the men and women who grow, harvest, shuck, prepare, cook and serve Lowcountry oysters.”
Here are five facts to help you make the most of this bivalve-inspired experience:
- The Lowcountry Oyster Trail is a new “aquatourism” initiative that officially launched in the fall of 2017. The trail highlights the region’s legendary oysters, as well as their growing role in the popular “sea-to-fork” culinary movement.
- South Carolina’s Lowcountry is home to miles of rivers, salt marshes and creeks rich with Crassostrea virginica, also known as the eastern oyster. The coastal region provides the perfect environment for growing briny, wild-harvest clusters or premium, farm-raised single selects.
- The trail guides residents and visitors to area restaurants, wine bars, outdoor adventure sites, museums, historic sites and cultural destinations. A wide range of packages and immersive experiences are available for residents and visitors of all ages.
- Partners in the trail include oyster growers, restaurants, bars, hoteliers, educational attractions, cultural destinations and retailers. Each partner displays a plaque identifying them as part of the Lowcountry Oyster Trail.
- Supporters can help ensure oyster preservation. A portion of net profits will be used to promote and enhance marine ecological research. The SC Lowcountry Oyster Trail Fund, managed by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. The 501(c)3 organization supports oyster preservation and marine ecosystem research.
Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/LowcountryOysterTrail/.
By Allison Hersh
