It has been a busy and wonderful few weeks since I last wrote. I can’t believe that our time in Charleston is almost over as we get ready to leave for Florida on Saturday. It has been a fantastic month. I can’t say enough good things about Charleston. We have met so many warm and welcoming people who are all willing to share good recommendations and oh my have we eaten well!
A few days after I returned from my time in Nashville we had our first visitor!!! We have seen many friends along the way but she was the first to make the effort to come see us where we are. It was so special to have that quality time with her and show her our life here, even though she had been to Charleston before. We did end up taking the hour and forty-five minute road trip to St. Helena Island to try Gullah Grub and the adventure did not disappoint. Along the way we found this cute little place called Lowcountry Cider Co. that sold local items and specialized in peach cider that was delicious! It was our first time exploring outside of Charleston and it was good to see another area of South Carolina.
Then last Thursday, the 7th, my dad arrived! It was my first time seeing him since we left and it was such a wonderful visit. It meant so much to me that he made the effort to come and see us. The weather was perfect on Friday so we went out exploring. We started out at the McLeod (which I learned is pronounced mc cloud) Plantation and were able to experience what life was like there from the enslaved peoples perspective. I appreciated very much that the story wasn’t whitewashed like learning about difficult events in our history can sometimes be. We learned about the people that lived on the Plantation, we were able to see not only the McLeod home but also the homes of the enslaved and where they cooked and worshiped. We were able to go to the cotton gin house and the fields where cotton still grows. We learned that sometimes the cotton can grow eight feet high and found it hard to imagine how one would pick it. It was definitely worth the visit. I also loved how being in the South reminded my dad of his time growing up down here and provided an opportunity for him to share some stories from that time.
After we left the Plantation we took a detour to see the “lowcountry treasure” The Angel Oak Tree. “It is considered to be the largest Live Oak Tree east of the Mississippi, estimated to be 300 to 400 years old.” And it was a sight to behold!
My dad mentioned wanting to see the beach, and there was an area that I had been wanting to visit called Folly Beach, so we went there too. It was recommended to me by a friend and what a great recommendation it was! Folly Beach is on the Atlantic Ocean and is absolutely spectacular. I can’t believe how buttery soft the sand is and the beach seems to go for miles. We spent some time enjoying the Folly Beach Pier in the sunshine and were even able to see several dolphins playing in the water.
On Saturday the three of us took an excursion to Ft. Sumter where “the opening shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861.” It was definitely interesting to learn about. We learned that the flag had 33 stars at the time even though there were 34 states. They also had a red line on the flag pole to mark how high the walls of the fort used to be, 50 feet before the war began. We were even shown finger prints in the brick from the person who made it. It was fun to have a good mix of culture and enjoyment while my dad was here and boy did we eat well.
With only a few days left I am going through my list of things that I haven’t done yet and trying to take it all in. Yesterday I walked 17,000 steps just exploring and eating and it was a wonderful day. This holiday season I wish everyone happy merry everything and I hope you enjoy the time with your loved ones wherever you are! ❤️
