I discovered **Captain Bill's River Safari** near Beaufort, SC while making vacation plans to camp at [Hunting Island State Park][1] in the summer of 2008. My dad, who was a Naval Academy graduate and an avid fisherman, was planning to take my girls out for a boat ride, but he was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 2006 before that plan became a reality, so the idea of a boat tour on this vacation to the South Carolina coast really appealed to me. After finding a [website][2] about this boat ride, I decided that Captain Bill's tour would be the best fit for us. It offers flexible scheduling (7 days/week), accommodates 2-6 people, and is much lower priced than the other boat tours in the area. I called Captain Bill after we got settled in at the campground and he readily set up a tour for early the next morning as well as giving me excellent driving directions from the campground. The girls were excited as we parked at the Port Royal Landing marina and were met by Captain Bill. I brought life jackets for the girls, but that was not necessary because the 24-foot covered pontoon boat was well stocked with life jackets of various sizes. Captain Bill even thought to check to see if anyone needed to use the restroom before heading to the pier. Not a bad idea if you have three children under the age of seven. There is a restaurant and bathroom area at the marina. We were invited to bring snacks and drinks on the boat as well. We had practically bathed in [suntan lotion][3] , but the covering on the pontoon boat provided plenty of shade, and the seats were comfortable and secure. After moving out into open waters, Captain Bill turned to my 4-year-old and asked if she wanted to drive the boat. Brilliant. My 6-year-old also got a turn to drive the boat. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way. We passed several sites of interest, and Captain Bill gave us quite a bit of background information on the areas we passed, such as Fort Frederick, a military hospital, and Paris Island. He welcomed questions along the way. We saw some beautiful birds, and Captain Bill tried his best to find some dolphins, but none were visible when we were on the tour. While we were out, our captain decided to check his crab trap. The girls were fascinated to see several crabs close up, and Captain Bill gave us a lesson on how to tell the difference between a male and female blue crab. To schedule a River Safari tour with Captiain Bill, call 843-575-1748 or visit his [website][4] . **My Viewpoint:** **Captain Bill's River Safari** offers a great 90 minute boat tour in the Beaufort, SC area. With flexible scheduling and catering to small groups, this tour is well-suited to many small  groups, including families with children who are on a budget. [1]: http://www.viewpoints.com/Hunting-Island-State-Park-Campground-review-ae994 [2]: http://www.viewpoints.com/River-Safari-experience-Beauforts-waterways-review-56546 [3]: http://www.viewpoints.com/Coppertone-Water-Babies-Sunscreen-Spray-Lotion-review-bac56 [4]: http://www.viewpoints.com/River-Safari-experience-Beauforts-waterways-review-56546

Katrena

Piedmont, NC