The South Carolina Lowcountry and its barrier islands are home to a historic but little known language and lifestyle called "Gullah." Derived from African slaves who worked the rice and indigo plantations as early as the 1600s, the Gullah culture is now endangered by development of these coastal lands and the movement of descendants to the mainstream. But the Gullah way of life is preserved and honored at this shop that is much a museum as it is a store. Featuring family quilts that were sewn by generations before and hand-woven sweetgrass baskets that the Gullah people have turned into an art form, the Gullah Ooman is a great place to learn about this unique heritage and take a piece of it home with you.