08-26-08 Tuesday (Mmmmmm donuts)

Wow, what a busy and fun day. Aunt Patty had suggested taking us to Charleston to visit an old working plantation available for tours, including their gardens. Well, we didn't make it. We were slow moving this morning, and then had to assemble the screen room, which all put us behind schedule. We left without eating, picked up Aunt Patty and then asked if she had eaten. She was runnin' on empty too so we headed to Charleston and planned to stop at her favorite BBQ restaurant.

On the way there we boarded Dasher for the day/night at "Burton Feed & Seed". It broke our heart to do that since we've never boarded him but we had too. Charleston being about 1.5 hours each way, plus the tour, it was too long to leave him without being walked. It was like letting go of a child on their first day of Kindergarten. I just keep telling myself that he's having the time of his life, humping, playing and eating.


We made the next pitstop at Wood Brothers Store in Green Pond for a potty break and some refills. They had humming bird feeders all around outside and the humming birds were truly loving it.






Next stop was lunch at Melvin's Ribs & Que. Yummy, and besides it won best ribs, 10 years in a row. Wow, we were full, I had ribs, collard greens with hot pepper sauce, steak fries, and corn bread. Mmmmmm good. What did everyone else eat? Who cares, mine was tasty and I'm the author!






Eventually it was about 3:30 and we decided it was too late to make the plantation, but we had fun in other ways. Go one, read more, what else do you have to do. Maybe get the spider web off your light fixture....



Onward to Camping World to return a leaking hose. No, not the part Jim broke. While there we bought more stuff than we needed and then looked at a few new coaches. I don't know how much these things were but I was drooling. They were gorgeous.



On the way home to Beaufort we toured "The Battery" in Charleston.

More info: White Point Gardens, also known as the Battery, sits at the southernmost point of the Charleston peninsula, where the Cooper and Ashley Rivers let out into the Atlantic Ocean. Originally opened in 1837 as a public park, the Battery was fortified during the Civil War to protect the city against Union troops. The Battery is also home to some of the city's most lavish residences, including the historic Edmonston-Alston house, the Calhoun Mansion and the Palmer Home (also known as the Pink Palace). The houses along the ocean were the big beautiful tri-level homes with the giant porches. Awesome.

Next was a drive through "Old City Market" where we were able to purchase our Christmas ornament souvenir. Old City Market info: The land on which the market sits was donated by a wealthy Charleston family in the early 1800s to be used as a marketplace. The main building, Market Hall, was erected in 1841. Modeled after a Greek temple, the building houses the Daughters of the Confederacy Museum. Behind Market Hall, four open-air buildings span from Meeting Street to East Bay Street, near the waterfront. The market originally sold foodstuffs, including meat, fish and fresh produce grown locally. Today, more than 100 vendors sell everything from local foods to souvenirs. The most celebrated residents are the ladies who weave and sell sweet-grass baskets. The craft of basket-weaving, passed down from West African slaves, is considered one of Charleston's most vibrant traditions.




A drive to "Rainbow Row". Concern for the needless destruction of historical buildings inspired the forming of the Society for Preservation of Old Dwelling Houses, in 1920, still functioning today as the Preservation Society.In 1931 Dorothy Legge purchased 99 and 101 East Bay, beginning the renovation of the area between Tradd and Elliot Streets. Originally these mid-1700 homes had been the center of commerce; merchants had stores on the first floor and lived on the floors above. Neglect over time left these valuable buildings in a state of disrepair. The purchase and restoration by Mrs. Legge inspired others, and today this beautiful array of homes is known as "Rainbow Row".These old row houses are very popular to Charleston. They represent the very first style of Charleston homes and are portrayed in the story of Porgie and Bess.









To end our fun day, we went to Krispy Kreme. Yum! It was a small factory there. Kinda cool. Onward to drop Aunt Patty home. Check out the video on how the assembly line works.

Funny, with all the trips to Wal-Mart, I couldn't resist popping this in the blog. Thanks John!This news just in: All of the Wal-Marts across Alabama sold out of ammunition as of yesterday. A reliable source said that one of the purchasers commented that while Russia may have invaded Georgia, they sure ain't doin' it to Alabama.