After lunch, we decided to wander the area around the restaurant until our AirBnb would be ready. The architecture of this city is unreal. Every block of the downtown area looks different than the last and each is gorgeous. We visited a tiny postal service museum then headed to Waterfront Park. It was a beautiful walk through the streets of Charleston, ended with beautiful walk through the park. The kids sprinted through the pineapple fountain and we took a walk to the end of the dock. The views were so so pretty. It was almost time to check-in, so we walked back toward our car. More interesting architecture, more lovely gardens, even a tiny cemetery right in the middle of it all.
Checking into our AirBnb was like a dream. The outside of the house could have been on a postcard and it only got better inside. Our apartment took up the whole second floor and felt massive. There were three bedrooms (one perfect for Maylee), two full baths, a lovely kitchen, a large living room......and then there was the porch. That porch! We were feeling a bit tired from all our travels and this house made us feel more than happy to stay put for the rest of the day. At dinner time, Joe walked half a block to Bon Bahn Mi Southeast Asian Kitchen and brought it back to the house. We ate the most lovely dinner on that massive porch. Later that night, as Joe and I sat on the porch with some beverages, a massive thunderstorm hit. We love a good thunderstorm, but boy, Oregonians have NO IDEA what I real thunderstorm is like!
After a great night's sleep, we headed to the Boone Hall Plantation. I have always been interested in the history of the south and much of it is centered around plantations, so we couldn't head north until we visited one. Boone Hall was absolutely gorgeous! The tree-lined drive was the same one you see on the Notebook and for good reason. It is breathtaking. The family that owns the property now has done the most amazing job preserving it and sharing the history it holds. I was particularly interested in the slave houses on the property. Each one shared information about an aspect of life for the slaves or a historical event that changed their lives throughout the plantation's long history. We also visited the butterfly garden, toured the house and took a wagon ride around the property.
We had planned to take a ferry to Fort Sumter later in the day, but we spent so much time at the plantation, that we missed the ferry and had to adjust our plans. Another outcome of being so absorbed by the property was that we totally forgot to eat lunch. It was mid-afternoon, so we decided to make a quick trip to the beach, then head to an early dinner. The beach was fantastic! It was warm, but breezy, the water was swim-worthy and we finally got to see a typical east-coast grassy beach. We put our feet in the water and searched for seashells for a bit, but our tummies were starting to rumble, so we headed back to the car. I did some quick research and found, what sounded like, a good barbecue place back toward the house and we headed there.
Lewis Barbecue. Hands-down, the BEST food we have eaten this whole trip. What a find! This is why we wanted to do so much on the fly. We would have never picked this place based on research done all the way back home in Oregon. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a big red meet fan. I eat mainly chicken and turkey, with pork and beef occasionally. But, lord help me, that brisket! We got pulled pork, brisket, bread, pickles and a side of macaroni and cheese (which apparently is considered a vegetable in the south) and shared it. Long story short, we got second helpings of brisket and mac and cheese and still could have kept eating. I felt like I was about to birth a brisket baby the rest of the night, but it was so worth it.
After relaxing at the house for a few hours- the kids watching a movie, Joe napping and me reading on the porch, we decided to walk to an ice cream shop we had heard good things about. Everyone was right. Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams are just that, splendid. I got the Atlantic Beach Pie. Again, the absolute best I have had. Apparently, they ship their ice cream. Do you think Oregon is within their range? After all the eating we had done, I was so thankful for the twilight mile walk back to our home for the night. More lovely architecture and a wonderful breeze helped carry us back.
Leaving Charleston was another tough one. The only thing carrying us through these last few stops is the fact that we still have so many places to see. Next on the list, North Carolina. We still didn't really have a plan- no sights we had to see, no reservations made, which was such a blessing. We were starting to feel exhausted. Not in "done" way, but just a "we need to take a minute" way. Knowing how we were all feeling, we found a hotel right on the North Carolina coast and booked a two-night stay. This marks the halfway point of our month long trip. What could be a better way to celebrate, then taking a ocean-view time-out?!
Details and Links:
The Inns at Spring Street
Poogan's Porch
Charleston Postal Museum
Charleston Waterfront Park
Bon Bahn Mi Southeast Asian Kitchen
Boone Hall Plantation
Sullivan's Island Beach
Lewis Barbecue
Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
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