Rivers of History: A Journey through time with Storehouse Tours
May 5, 2026
By Karen Owens, Publisher
If you’re looking for a fun way to enjoy nature and bring local history to life, I highly recommend checking out one of the fantastic pontoon river excursions offered by Storehouse Tours. Captain Paul Kenny and historian Lee Brockington—who share over 50 years of combined experience at Hobcaw Barony—have teamed up to provide an experience that is quite different from any standard boat ride. 
An Immersive Lowcountry Experience
Three times every other week, they take up to five passengers aboard a boat aptly named Imagine. As the boat glides through the waterways of Georgetown County, the duo weaves a rich narrative that transports you back to the early days of the Carolina settlement. The time flies as you are immersed in their wonderful storytelling, combining local ecology with fascinating insights into our rice heritage and the vital role these rivers played as transportation routes.
The experience leaves your cares back at Hagley Landing for an afternoon of learning and pure enjoyment.
Nature Meets Narrative
As you cruise, you’ll spot local wildlife like alligators, fiddler crabs, and osprey while learning the deep meanings behind the names of our rivers and tribes:
- Waccamaw: “Coming and going”
- Winyah: “Big bend”
- Pee Dee: “Shallow crossing”
The journey is far more edifying (and certainly safer!) than the “famous three-hour tour” of television fame. You’ll hear the stories of figures like R.F.W. Allston, Plowden Weston and Elizabeth Allston Pringle; about Hobcaw Barony, Chicora Wood, Exchange Plantation, and Guendalos among others; and learn about the preservation of the 12,000-acre Sandy Island. It was a highlight to see the massive rice trunks along the waterway at Hasty Point Plantation and learn how through slave labor, West African knowledge and technologies from regions like Sierra Leone and Gambia were perfected to make this area a global force in rice production.
Choose Your Adventure
Storehouse Tours offers four distinct cruises, each celebrating our county and nation’s 250th anniversary through a unique lens:
- Pee Dee River Tour: Explores the connection between the river and various historic rice plantations.
- Hasty Point Plantation: A visit to the pre-Revolutionary War site named after hero Francis Marion.
- Port of Georgetown: A journey through Winyah Bay and the Sampit River to learn about our vital watershed.
- Sandy Island River Tour: Travel to the Sandy Island boat landing, where you will disembark and walk on the sandy road leading to Wilma Cottage for a Southern midday meal with Laura Herriott. You’ll continue on your pontoon tour to other areas of Sandy Island, and this trip lasts a little longer at 3.5 hours.
In fact, Storehouse Tours has one more seat available for its June 4 Sandy Island River Tour, which runs from 10 am to 1:30 pm for $170.00 per person and includes lunch cooked on the island. More tours to Sandy Island will be offered in the fall once the weather has cooled down. 
Whether you’re entertaining visitors or just looking for a peaceful afternoon with your neighbors and kids, this is a magical experience that stays with you long after you return to the dock. Before you know it, you’ll be heading back to Hagley Landing—almost wishing the tour didn’t have to end!
The Details:
The cost: $125.00 per person, per tour (Sandy Island is $170.00 per person and includes a meal). You can order tickets online.
There is room for five passengers on each pontoon tour. All tours last about 3 hours, with a restroom stop on each tour. Departing from Hagley Landing (at the end of Hagley Drive in Pawleys Island); parking is allowed on Hagley Drive. All Pontoon River Tours will be confirmed 24 hours in advance once Captain Paul Kenny has verified the weather forecast.
Although shade and shelter are available on board, tour participants are encouraged to bring your own weather and bug protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, windbreaker, bug spray). Water and ice are provided, and you are welcome to bring your own snacks.
Pee Dee River Tours:
Dates: 6/15, 7/13, 8/4, and 8/17
Hasty Point River Tours:
Dates: 6/3, 6/29, 7/14, 8//3, and 8/18
Port of Georgetown River Tours:
Dates: 7/1, 7/17, and 8/5
Storehouse Tours also offers Day Trips, Motorcoach Tours and longer trips in the U.S. and abroad with Premier World Discovery Tours.
