Nature-filled retreats, where stillness and repose beckon, aren’t the only yearnings for today’s modern traveler. Folks are also seeking community, human connection. Enter: Haig Point, a private member-owned luxury haven on 1,050 acres of South Carolina’s historic Daufuskie Island. Only reachable by ferry, this little island between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, Georgia feels like a world away.

As you’re driving your golf cart on the tortilla-colored sandy trail along Calibogue Sound, past the Haig Point Lighthouse, winding around two golf courses, and ending up at the equestrian facilities where horses poke their heads out of barn windows while a cat mews below, you’ll notice the culture of hand waving and smiling among neighbors. No kidding. People here make eye contact, say hello, and seem to be genuinely interested in that oh-so-charming small town way.

“Do you want a lemon?,” a fair-haired woman asks as she makes her way over to my parked cart. “I have plenty to share and they’re delicious.”

I make my way to Strachan Mansion, just off the dock at Haig Point, and learn that this window-studded guesthouse with wrap around porches, built in 1910, was moved here from St. Simons Island in Georgia in 1986. It took two barges three days to transport this yellow-hued stunner. This is my home for the next couple of days. (For those interested in the lifestyle at Haig Point, attend the island’s Discovery Experience and stay the weekend in either the mansion or at the lighthouse.)

The greenery and wide open spaces allure, with moss-draped trees, more than 160 species of birds, dozens of lagoons and ponds, lakes stocked with bass and bream, and dolphins frolicking off the coast. Member vehicles aren’t allowed at Haig Point, and there are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland, which makes for a peaceful and insulated environment where children and pets are free to roam without worry.

I decide to leave the gated community and explore the island’s outer reaches. I meet Sallie Ann Robinson, a sixth-generation native Gullah—a term which refers to the descendants of African American slaves who settled in the Lowcountry. Robinson, the island’s most celebrated resident, works hard to preserve her culture through her cooking—she has multiple published cookbooks—and via historic island tours where she makes stops at significant spots around the island and contributes her personal insights.

“I’m happy to leave a legacy, it’s not in my blood to not do nothing, it keeps me going, makes me proud,” says Robinson. “We had very little, but you can get involved, make a difference now and give others the opportunity to know.”

We stopped at the Oyster Union Society Hall, which was founded by the oyster workers in 1893 and used for meetings and social events until pollution in the Savannah River destroyed the oyster beds, devastating the island’s primary economy at the time.

“I want to restore the inside, let others know of the history of this place,” says Robinson.

Next, Robinson pointed out family members buried in the Mary Filed Cemetery, the largest Gullah cemetery on the island, with gravesites dating back to 1926. “See the sunken parts?” Robinson asks. “That’s where wooden caskets collapsed. I want to get this cemetery restored.”

The Mary Field School, where Robinson was taught by Pat Conroy, an author who wrote about teaching on the island in his book, The Water is Wide, is still standing. This two-room single-story white building, which was built for the island’s black children in the 30s and stayed in operation until 1997, is now home to School Grounds Coffee and Daufuskie Blues, an indigo textile artisan shop.

Robinson points out her grandmother’s house, tattered and tucked in the dense woods, where nature has reclaimed her place and the no-see-ums threaten. “I want to make this an Airbnb,” Robinson says. I hope she does, not only to safeguard her heritage, but also, to hold sacred beautiful and wild places.

At the end of our excursion, Robinson shows off her bright blue vintage Gullah house, built in the 1860’s by freedmen, framed with an enormous live oak tree with Spanish moss-covered branches that stretch to the ground. I try to memorize the way she laughs, full-bellied and with infectious joy.

I’m still curious about the island’s other historic and natural sites. Part of what makes Daufuskie so captivating is the freedom to go down one dirt road or another, where you’re almost daring yourself to get turned around. It feels like an adventure to explore one sandy path marked with a crooked wooden sign nailed to a tree that reads, “The Road Less Traveled”. Of course, I followed it, hoping that my electric cart would hold its charge.

I see the Sarah Grant Home, where the former midwife who was married to an undertaker lived; the First Union Baptist Church, built in 1884, which is still in use today; and Bloody Lighthouse and Silver Dew Winery—the winery was once the wick house, where the oil, wicks, and lamps for the lighthouse were stored. I shake hands with artist, Chase Allen, and peruse his hand-cut, hammered and painted metal work at The Iron Fish Gallery & Studio.

The next day, I rode a horse on the beach, past washed up jellyfish, broken shells and kids digging clamorously in the sand, an experience everyone should try at least once.

Lunch at Lucy Bells, where deviled crab, okra, fried tomatoes and southern favorites are on the menu, was the ideal spot to fuel up and rest under the shade of an oak tree.

Rounding out the day, I learned about the natural side of the island with an Eco Tour with Tour Daufuskie, where edible mushrooms thrive near the marsh and marine ecosystems. We spotted alligators, wood storks, and Grey Fox Squirrels and took our time getting from point A to point B.

Lead guide and managing director, Anna Clark, tells me about the guided kayak tours that explore the rivers and tidal creeks that surround Daufuskie Island, where there are egret, great blue heron, eagle, and osprey sightings. I make a mental note in case I ever find my way back here again.

While Haig Point is manicured and stylish, with delectable dining experiences—The Calibogue Club is unrivaled, yoga and tennis offerings, two swimming pools and a fitness center, the rest of the Daufuskie is an inimitable adventure, wild and overgrown in parts, where you wonder how many snakes are burrowed under the vegetation. There’s one golden thread, however, that connects all parts of the island into one glorious tapestry: community. Locals, no matter where you’re at on Daufuskie, will warm your heart and make you feel like you’re a part of something. Maybe it’s simply small town life, conducive to relationship building, or maybe it’s the magnetism of Daufuskie.