WHEN: March 16-21, 2011
WHERE: Charleston, SC
I am a week late in getting this post finished and it feels even longer than that. Stacie and I have spent the past week getting back in to the routine of our regular schedules, after her parents came for a fun and active visit for 5 days. We made good use of the limited time they were here and got to enjoy spending time with them, as well as doing things we don't often get to do in Charleston. They picked a great spring week to visit Charleston, with sunny skies, warm weather, flowers blooming left and right, and March Madness in full swing (when we needed to move indoors to escape the onslaught of pollen, or just rest our busy feet).
We walked 10 miles in three days, just touring downtown Charleston and navigating plantation gardens. It was a short(er) but action-filled vacation, yet I managed to take 502 pictures during the 5 days they were here. It is somewhat overwhelming, knowing how to begin to organize and share all that happened (even with 500+ pictures documenting it all) and frankly, I don't want to. Therefore, this post has experienced what I'd call "photographic diarrhea" and I leave it to you, the reader, to sort through the mess. (Yes, I just used the word and analogy of 'diarrhea' on my blog). But really, wouldn't you rather look at pretty spring pictures than to hear me ramble on about what we did? Thought so.
Stacie's parents flew in to Charlotte late Tuesday night then drove down to Charleston on Wednesday. Stacie and I both worked half-days on Thursday then headed down to Mt. Pleasant Thursday night for the beach, food, and a little shopping. We made sure to stay away from downtown and any Irish pub (given that it was St. Patty's Day).
Though it was a pleasant night, the cold water and persistent breeze coming off it required jackets and made our visit brief.
Friday was beautiful and we headed downtown Charleston for a picnic
Steve and I walked out on the pier downtown to watch the dolphins feeding around the cruise ship in port. Do you see the dolphin surfacing right in front of the bow?
Taking a break from the heat in a cool, shaded courtyard. It was 86° Friday.
Azaleas blooming in the cemetery across the street from the
St. Phillip's Episcopal Church. Azaleas are usually in peak blooming season around Charleston in the weeks surrounding April 1.
Headstones braced on the brick wall surrounding the cemetery
Debby found this headstone, noting the death of a grandmother (and her infant grandson) in 1848. She was born in 1781. The headstone reads...
THIS MARBLE
marks the spot where repose
the remains of
Mrs. ELIZA B. R. MENDENHALL
who closed her earthly career
on the 29th December A.D. 1848
aged 67 years
By her side sleeps her infant grandson
JOHN BRUCE LIMEHOUSE
Thou art gone to the grave but we will
not deplore thee
Whose God was thy ransom thy Guardian
and Guide
He gave thee, He took thee, and he will
restore thee
And Death hath no sting for the Savior
hath died.
This stone is consecrated
to a beloved mother
by her daughter.
The steeple of St. Phillip's Episcopal Church, overlooking the cemetery
One of the hundreds of secluded courtyards scattered around downtown Charleston
It's no mistake springtime has arrived in Charleston
We ended the night downtown eating at
Coast, a seafood favorite in Charleston and one that Stace and I had been to before. We also noticed a couple days later, while watching the movie
'Dear John' (filmed in Charleston), that Coast was in one scene.
Pink hyacinths blooming in our window. They smelled amazing! Only problem is, they only last for about a week.
Checking out all our options at
Magnolia Plantation (founded in 1676 and open to the public since 1870).
Ambience
Walking to the gift shop, enjoying spring, avoiding the clouds of pollen.
Which was next to impossible with thousands of flowers blooming on the plantation
Look at all that pollen.
Gesundheit!
Our first endeavor was a 45-minute tram ride through the 500 acres of the plantation (the plantation was 2,000 acres up until the Civil War)
Riding through the swamp...
...spying on water fowl...
...and chasing big lizards!
Next stop, the endless gardens. This was a unique garden with interesting plaques highlighting Biblical references to gardens and what they likely consisted of.
Biblical references of gardens
Interpretations of Biblical references
Still smiling...
...not yet sneezing.
Good thing we took our allergy pills!
One of the many bridges crossing the swamps and ponds on the plantation
Overlooking one of the swamp ponds
Azaleas were in bloom everywhere
Dad and daughter, under the live oaks on the river bank
It wasn't hard finding good settings for pictures
Azaleas and live oaks
This little guy (3-4ft) and two others were about six feet off the path we were on
Looks menacing even at that size
We saw 'Bubba' on our tram ride, a 14ft. alligator who runs the show at the plantation. Now that's menacing!
Another hidden bridge
Wisteria were in peak bloom in Charleston while Stacie's parents were in town
Of course I had to pose by some, in my well-chosen purple polo ;)
A sunny oasis deep inside the winding and colorful gardens
A fragrant magnolia bloom, the name sake of the plantation
"The bridge"
(I think this bridge is what sold the girls on choosing this plantation over the others in town - can you blame them?)
A view from the bridge
Check out those knotted vines growing up the tree in the foreground
The plantation home
One of the brilliant peacocks at the petting zoo
Remarkable feathers
This guy was just simply annoying! The only negative of the plantation :)
As much as I hate my alarm clock in the morning, I'm glad we don't have to use these loud-mouths anymore!
Sunday, we headed back downtown to visit some of the sights we did not have time for on Friday.
I took the three of them to The Vault (also Stacie's first time), the vintage sports apparel and paraphernalia shop whose owner grew up with my dad in Iowa Falls. (He was out of town when we visited, unfortunately). Here we were looking at the old newspaper clippings from/about Iowa sports teams and the numerous collector's items the store owner had on display (team photos, signed items, and magazines). The bonus was that most were of/about the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Green Bay Packers. Affinity and commemoration for either of these two teams, let alone both, will earn you instant friendship in Stacie's family :)
We went on a guided tour of the
Nathaniel Russell House (built in 1808). Pictures are not allowed inside so even photos online are hard to find. The tour was somewhat limited but what we did see was quite beautiful.
The gardens and backyard of the Nathaniel Russell House
With cemeteries on every other block, I've wondered if there are more people living or buried in downtown Charleston.
This day (Sunday) Stacie and I found out we were aunt & uncle again to my sister's first baby, Henry ('Rhee'). This one was for him ;)
As we were walking back to our car to leave, the weather was quickly turning cloudy, windy, and cold. Perfect conditions for visiting a graveyard, right? I really wanted to show Stacie's parents the
Circular Church Graveyard, where, among many others, 3 signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried.
This woman ("Catherine"), whose headstone now sits up against the base of the church wall, was born in Holland in 1687 and died September 6, 1773.
Meanwhile, there was a wedding being held inside - the guests congratulating the bridal party here as I acted the unwanted paparazzi photographer.
One more picture, in front of a restored, colonial storefront
The rental car that got us around town all week (and thankfully no tickets from police).
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