Our drive into Charleston from Savannah was an easy drive. We stopped into a funky little McDonald's for breakfast on our way and headed north. We're driving along, singing to the oldies in the south and we spy the biggest, blackest birds we have ever seen. They were the size of turkeys and I'm pretty sure they were vultures. Ridiculous! Right after that we saw a darling little hard-shelled turtle crossing the road v-e-r-y-v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. Lucky little guy made it all the way across without getting hit. Now you don't see that on the highway every day, do you?
Charleston reminds me of many other darling little beach cities I have seen up and down the California coast. Lots of sunshine, cool ocean breezes, and adorable young people running around in shorts and flip-flops. I had no idea the College of Charleston was even here, and the Medical Center of South Carolina is enormous! Again, living on the other side of the country... no idea.
Lunch could not have been more delicious at "The Hominy Grill." Yep, they had some mighty tasty grits and great service to boot. We arrived at the tail-end of their breakfast service but got a chance to see what was going on later for lunch as well. This little gem was knocking out a pretty quick business and I do hope that one waiter who fell down in a greasy puddle is ok :). All I can think about though are those creamy grits and that delectable Ginger-Pumpkin bread. Yummy yumm yum. If you're in the area, check them out on Rutledge Avenue or www.hominygrill.com.
Erin and I love history so we headed straight to the pier where the ferry departs for Ft. Sumter. Our tickets were for later so we decided to visit the South Carolina Aquarium on Charleston Harbor first. What a terrific aquarium - easy to navigate and just $19.95 for a visit. Check them out at http://scaquarium.org/default.aspx if you are finding yourself in this area, especially if you're visiting with someone who loves marine life. We've never seen an albino alligator ... interesting to us and everyone else who passed by. And we stood and watched the playfully adorable otters for quite a while. There are fish, and sharks, and sting-rays, and eels, and touch pools. This crab-like creature was intriguing as he folded in half.
Erin & I outside the SC Aquarium overlooking Charleston Harbor.
The ferry ride out to Ft. Sumter took about 45 minutes and we enjoyed the gentle breezes as we floated farther from Charleston and its lovely skyline.
I am enchanted with the history of the Civil War and Ft. Sumter was definitely a treat for me. As we drifted in with the flags wavering in the breeze, I am humbly reminded of the sacrifices made year after year by our service men and women and their families... all for our freedom! It's just like when the Star Spangled Banner plays, I get a little teary.
Onward. The little island has been restored somewhat but you can still see the crumbling bricks and poles and such in certain areas along with old fortifications. A really good visit for me.
After our visit to Ft. Sumter, we were super hungry and decided to partake in some of the fresh seafood here in Charleston. Smart-phones ... I adore you! We found this great place called, "Pearlz" with the freshest tasting food, friendly service, and open-air seating up front. Now, let me tell you again that this city is also dog-friendly and there were people sitting right out front with their adorable little pooches. I so missed my Wyatt. I digress - We both had a nice sampling of local beer, a half-dozen of the freshest oysters, and some sweet and savory corn fritters as our appetizers. No wonder I gained weight on this trip. For dinner Erin had fish and chips and I had a mixed seafood selection on saffron rice. Oh my land... great food you should not miss out on. Check them out at www.pearlzoysterbar.com and grab a seat at the window on Bay Street in Charleston. Now the bad... we headed to our reserved bed and breakfast which I shall not name here. I always feel that bad juju will come back and haunt me somehow. Suffice it to say that the pictures and description on their website in no way resembled the place we trucked into. The place was overgrown and creepy; there was a tiny parking space that was on a busy street. The inn-keeper was down the street at another locale for the evening and our room was dusty and dirty. Erin was sneezing, the ceiling slanted down into our heads, and the beds were like rocks. What did we do, you wonder?? Of course we called Marriott right away and booked ourselves into the Courtyard down the street. I love you Mr. Marriott! We relaxed in a lovely harbor view room for a better price and enjoyed our comfy cozy beds ... no creepiness and no sneezing either.
Our full day in Charleston took us down the Museum Mile visiting the Charleston Museum, the Confederacy Museum, the Gibbes Museum of Art, a half-dozen historical churches, and some lovely old homes. We got a two-day ticket from the Charleston Visitor's Center and it paid for itself on the first day. This website has great info for planning your trip and the local building had good info too. Check them out at www.charlestoncvb.com.
We were pooped from all the walking but we loved every minute. We shopped and dined as well. We enjoyed our lunch at the Mellow Mushroom (and the Golden Monkey for sure,) visited the Le Creuset shop on King Street, and had a cup of hot cocoa at a friendly two-story Starbucks. I think our favorite home to visit was the Aiken-Rhett house which has not been restored, but has been very well- preserved. The audio tour was quite remarkable and gave us a good sense of antebellum life in the south. The churches were glorious, and the women making the palmetto baskets were amazing. We headed south of Broad (of course) and could not believe the absolutely beautiful homes below Broad on King and Meeting Streets. You've got to see them for yourself but the three and four story homes with enchanting wrap-around porches and gardens to die for... aaah. There are just no words.
Oh wait... here's a word... mosquito.
Just when I was thinking of pulling up stakes and abandoning my family to head east to Charleston ... SMACK - bit on the neck again and again and again. I'm staying in Phoenix, thank you very much :)
Dinner at Poogan's Porch was something we had really been looking forward to since they advertised themselves as having the best grits in South Carolina. I disagree pretty much but am more disappointed in their service. I hate that little back corner where you are forgotten by your waiter. How about an offer of wine or cocktails or appetizers or dessert or even this... what are your specials?? I know somebody has to sit here, but next time - not us.
Now, I gotta tell you that we absolutely love cheese and are always in the hunt for a good cheese shop. Especially one that has cheeses not COW. I had looked online before we traveled and we checked Erin's GPS and smart phone and disheartingly found nothing in the area. But, and a big but here ... we stumbled into the cutest cheese shop called, "goat.sheep.cow." Now these ladies know what they are doing here. Delicious cheese, lovely french bread, and gourmet wines for tasting. They packed us up a little picnic lunch and we were off to our travels again. I told them I'd mention them everywhere and I intend to keep my promise. Take a peek at their website www.goatsheepcow.com. How cute is that??
Every vacation comes to an end, doesn't it? Our car was returned to National Car Rental and we headed into the Charleston Airport. Nice little place, actually. Terrible customer service at the Delta counter. We would have loved an update on our delayed flight (just a little info as it was over 90 minutes late.) We raced to our connection in Atlanta and made it in time.
But seriously Delta - can I PLEASE have a little more leg room? Thank goodness I'm not six feet tall. Oh wait, hubby is. How about some leg room for him??
Until next time....
Deb :)
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