Charleston

Another day of 'day trippin' for us but we weren't doing it alone this time.  Desination ... Charleston.
Named in 1670 after Charles Towne (who got his name from King Charles II of England) and in some circles is refered to 'The Holy City' for its tolerence for a variety of religions from its beginnings. 

As it turned out our visit was pretty well planned out as Sharon's cousin Diana and her husband Craig were vacationing in Myrtle Beach and since Charleston was about half way between there and Hilton Head, it was an easy decision to plan a meeting of old friends.

As poor planning on our part made us about an hour late, they greeted us as we pulled into the parking lot where we were to meet.  The girls had already decided that lunch was in order and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company http://www.bubbagump.com/ was the place to go.  About 10 blocks (seemed like 10 miles on my back) later we arrived and were quickly seated.  A pretty neat place that specializes in shrimp.  We've been to one other 'Gumps' in Hawaii some years ago and were excited to return as the food was good.  Craig treated us to a fine lunch and we chatted over old times.  We hadn't seen them in a couple of years so we had lots to talk about.

Following lunch we started the trek back and Craig commented about all the tall church steeples in and around the downtown area.  He said these tall, slender spikes that piecrced the sky every few blocks were the tallest structures in the city and that no building could be built taller that the church spires.  Obviously a city that wanted to show its profound respect for religion.  Most are in magnificent condition and a real treasure to the community.

We meandered back to the parking area passing shop after shop.  Many high end shopping emporuims each trying to woo you inside to spend a few (or a lot of) bucks.  We resisted and decided to get in the car and check out some of the areas away from downtown.  With three semi-competent navigators and my GPS on we ventured out.  With all the help you'd think I would not have circled the downtown three times, taking the same route, but I managed.  Listening to directions and driving is a fading skill set for me.  

Sharon thought we should check out one of the local RV parks so we did manage to navigate the 7 miles outside of town to the St. James State Park.  Pretty nice place with nice level lots, a resort grade swimming facility, and at the time plenty of open sites to rent.  Very clean, quiet and still near town, this looks like a winner.  Only gripe I had was they charged a buck a person just to drive through the place.

As the weather was a little hot (sweaty hot), someone (Sharon) thought we might just need an ice cream break to finish off the day.  So we again turned to the GPS for help.  We probably passed a half dozen places as we fiddled with the little electronic marvel but eventually ended up across the street from where we had lunch several hours earlier.  Apparently somewhere in Sharon's reading she remembered a place called Kasminsky's http://www.kaminskys.com/ .  A mecca for desserts of all kinds good and wonderful.  Just look at the link and you'll get the idea.   After packng our little bellies with fruit cobbler, mousse, and a huge chocolate thing (Craig ate is all) we waddled outside and settled on the nearest bench to rest up for the one block walk (about 200 feet) to the car.  We begged a passer-by to take a picture so we could remember a great day.

Craig is really not that short but the weight of that dessert brought him to his knees.

Charleston is one of America's treasures.  Oozing with history and friendly to a fault.  From the sweetgrass basket vendors to the stately homes and the quaint parks, the city has something for everyone.  And the city has some pretty unique residents as well.

  
If you look carefully at the reflection in the car door you'll better understand what the dog's were excited about.  What a life.

Still livin' the dreams with friends and family.

Phil