Caroline Rather has been a Brays Island owner since 2018, and emobodies the sporting life that calls Brays Island home. From shooting clays, to casting lines, the Rather's enjoy all the outdoors has to offer in the lowcountry.
How long have you lived at Brays Island and what brought you here?
In 2018 I had sold my home in Florida and was looking for a home that would be close to my Southern family and friends. My search began at Sea Island, Georgia and moved north to Palmetto Bluff, Charleston, and Savannah. I looked at so much real estate that year and nothing seemed to fit what I was looking for. Steven, my fiance at the time, had seen an advertisement for Brays Island Plantation in a hunting magazine and after a search on the internet, I knew Brays was exactly what I was looking for. Hunting, fishing, dogs, golf, tennis and a great social atmosphere. An added bonus was the close proximity to both Charleston and Savannah as well as an international airport. The first visit Steven and I made to Brays was in December and the second visit was during the infamous snowstorm of January 2018. The snowstorm was nothing less than magnificent. We were stuck in the gorgeous Inn at Brays ( the original plantation mansion that now serves as an Inn for owners and their guests). During this weekend we met our first friends at Brays. Lelia and Ignacio Quirch. The commercial kitchen at the Inn served as our meeting place with Ignacio cooking his famous breakfast omelet and sipping cocktails later in the day at the bar. We took walks in the snow and marveled at the atmosphere of the snow covered live oaks covered in frozen moss. After the snow melted, the home tour began. There were parties, oyster roasts and meals with new friends over a very short period of time. Within weeks the perfect home was identified and purchased by springtime of 2018.
What is your favorite part about living at Brays Island?
My favorite part of living at Brays Island - it is all about the fabulous owners from all over the world that reside here. The different cultures, traditions, and cuisines that are melted into one close knit community make Brays completely unique. The world class sporting clays, golf with NO TEE TIMES, fishing, hunting, tennis, pickle ball and the gym…it is impossible to run out of activities to entertain yourself and your guests. During a simple walk (guided or self guided) you will see multiple bird species, alligators, deer, turkey, wildflowers…the unspoiled topography and views are limitless. Grab a kayak or a flats boat and you will see the lowcountry from a unique vantage point. Brays also has world class dining available for its owners and guests. Three meals a day, 364 days a year. The wine list is excellent and outside vendors visit frequently, offering new opportunities for pairings. A recent addition to Brays is the massive garden which offers an abundance of fruit, vegetables and flowers for owners to purchase. The offerings from the garden change seasonally, making limitless possibilities for creativity in the home kitchen. Cooking is a passion for me. I have a great love for the master gardeners that make this entire property such a masterpiece. In one sentence, Brays island is a masterful work of art on the most perfectly executed canvas in the county. It is indeed a privilege to live here and both Steven and I are thankful to now be full time residents of Brays.
What makes Brays special for you and your family during the summer?
Summertime at Brays Island Plantation - you can always tell that summer is on its way in the lowcountry as the frogs raise their voices at sunset. The land comes to life with bird nests full of babies and spotted fawns on the lawn of Brays Island Drive. This is the time to brush up on your shooting game and golf. Both shooting and golf instruction here is superb. This is also our favorite time to fish. The guides here are incredible. Be assured that this time of year, you will have fish for dinner. Just yesterday, Steven and his son caught cobia, flounder, trout, and hooked on to a tarpon. What an epic day of fishing. I was at home baking bread. Pond fishing is wonderful here in the summer as well. Both the saltwater ponds and fresh water ponds have loads of activity with everything from bass, brim, redfish, trout, flounder and drum. This is also a fabulous time to put out a crab trap and have a low country boil at home with friends. The blue crabs are delicious from the waters here.
The garden has bumper crops of summertime veggies and fruit…corn, okra, peas, beans, herbs, tomatoes and much, much more. Summertime is my favorite time to cook and bake at Brays.
We have four hunting dogs. Two Wildrose Labrador retrievers, a German Shorthair pointer and an English pointer puppy. This time of year we take the dogs for exercise in the hunt fields and the two pointers are back in training with our resident NBHA champion, Scott Miller. Scott’s national championships and awards are too numerous to list here. Indeed, it is a great luxury and privilege to have Scott here. The entire hunting department is wonderful. The guys placed a deer feeder in the back yard that we are now having fun watching the young bachelor herd compete for corn. The does are hanging out too, and we have seen one spotted fawn as well. We actually do not shoot the deer here, but enjoy sitting in the deer stand during season to watch them mill about.
The pool at the Inn has perhaps the best views on Brays. Grab a cocktail and watch the sunset over the Pocotaligo. Summer is the perfect time for a pool gathering. Grilling out by the pool is always a favorite activity for us.
Being raised in the South, summertime is my favorite time at Brays.
Do your family or friends enjoy visiting Brays? What do you do most often when they visit?
Between Steven and I, we have friends from all over the country that love to come and visit. There is no particular time that people come and visit, but one event stands out in particular - our wedding reception was held in the breathtaking trophy room of Amy and Chris Dorsey. We had a celebratory weekend of fun for 125 guests. Friends enjoyed a golf tournament, fishing, tennis and shooting. Since this party, friends and family have visited on a regular basis.
What makes Brays Island unique for you during this time? Anything else you'd like to add?
After Steven and I married, we decided that Brays should become our permanent residence. We have four dogs, two pointers and two Labrador retrievers. It is the perfect playground for the 6 of us!