One morning we woke up incredibly early so we could watch the sunrise. I am not a morning person, but I'm glad we did it.
If you want to find the best shells on the beach, might I suggest bringing Matthew along as your travel companion. I don't know how he spots them, but he always finds the most unusual shells. Not the ordinary clam/cockle shells I always find. He finds beautiful conch shells and sand dollars and lettered olive shells.
Throughout our stay, we ate. And ate. And ate. Matthew, a well-documented ribs fan, received a Sticky Fingers gift card for his birthday (thanks, Mom and Dad) so we, of course, ate there.
And we ate at The Wreck. We first learned of this place on our honeymoon and it looked so sketchy from the outside that we nearly didn't eat here. But we're glad we did. Now, it's one of our favorites. We ate there twice this trip. They have super fresh seafood. And, obviously, a great atmosphere. Really, there is a great view of Shem Creek and the sunset on the other side of the building.
We also stopped by Pitt's Pharmacy in Mount Pleasant for milkshakes. We love Mount Pleasant, specifically the incredible historic homes along the water. Okay, so where else did we eat? Sea Biscuit Cafe, Slightly North of Broad, Magnolia's, Poogan's Porch, Sugar Bakeshop, Dixie Supply Cafe & Bakery, Hominy Grill, Wild Olive, Poe's, and Domino's (pizza for watching the game, of course).
We usually went on the beach in the mornings and/or late afternoons and, when we weren't on the beach, we went exploring. One day we went to Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island. Edgar Allen Poe was stationed here, and now there's a restaurant nearby named after him. They serve gigantic hamburgers, which really hit the spot after a long day of sightseeing.
Now, we all know I can't resist sticking my face in one of these cutout picture thingamajigs. It's a sickness. I can't explain it. Here I am at Cypress Gardens. (Matthew never wants to participate.)
We took a boat tour through the swamp at Cypress Gardens. It was very relaxing. Then we decided to walk the trails and, no exaggeration, I was nearly carried away by a flock of mosquitoes. (Mosquitoes always like me best.) Not to be deterred, we paid an exorbitantly high price for some bug spray in the gift shop and forged ahead with our walk.
There are gators in that swamp!
On Wednesday, we spent the day in Charleston. I am a devout lover of tours. Boat tours, ghost tours, bus tours, history tours, carriage tours. I love them all. This time we took a culinary tour of Charleston. Our knowledgeable guide, Georgia (that was really her name, and she was from Hawkinsville, GA), taught us all about Charleston's cuisine, and we sampled grits, pralines, sweet tea, gourmet chocolates, collard greens, barbecue and more. That afternoon we went by the MoonPie General Store in honor of dad. Neither one of us bought a MoonPie, but Matthew bought an RC Cola and I had a Cheerwine (both in glass bottles).
Another day we went on an eco-tour. This was something Matthew really wanted to do, and I really enjoyed it too. Our guide Bobby taught us all about the tides, the vegetation and wildlife, the history of the barrier islands and more. We saw dolphins and crabs and a bald eagle.
At one point, Bobby pulled up a crab trap and taught us about, well, crabs.
For part of the tour, they take you to a barrier island, owned by the state of South Carolina, called Capers Island Preserve. It's gorgeous.
They call the front of the island the boneyard beach because of the fallen trees (from the beach erosion). We spent about an hour or so walking around the island. Our guide said we could take a few shells--but only a few--so we did. Again, Matthew found the best ones.
We also went to Middleton Place Plantation, which boasts the country's oldest landscaped gardens. It really is amazing. Look at this oak tree!
We spent an entire afternoon wandering the grounds and taking in the beautiful views of the Ashley River.
One afternoon, after a milkshake at Pitt's Pharmacy, we were driving around Mount Pleasant and found this little park where the Old Pitt Street Bridge used to be. It's a great place for a walk and perfect for watching a sunset. On our last night there, we had dinner at The Wreck and then went to the park to watch the sunset behind the Charleston skyline.
We spent some time in Charleston Saturday morning before our flight. When I wrote my travel story on the city for Southern Accents I met the executive director of the Historic Charleston Foundation who told me about this perfect spot for a photo in front of the famed Battery. I insisted on a photo of us here, but we unfortunately look a little bit like giants. There wasn't anyone to take a photo for us so we used the timer and set it on a bench. It's not the best perspective, but hey, we're both in it and you can see more than our heads! (Yes, I am wearing my Bulldog pin.) One last interesting tidbit: Our flight was late leaving Charleston and we consequently missed our connection in Atlanta. But we were booked on the next flight out and wound up in FIRST CLASS, BABY! We've never flown first class before and were very excited. I know. We don't get out much.
Our trip was amazing, but now it's back to the real world.
