Portland Adventures: Leg Five

Charleston is breathtaking! I am staying in the bright pink 160 year old Palmer Home B&B in the historic section of Charleston, right on the Battery, at the tip of the peninsula where the Cooper and Ashley Rivers meet. Not in one of the grand bedrooms in the main house, mind you, but in what I call the "Lean-To-Attached-To-The-Original-Carriage-House" in back. It is charming with a (wasted on me) golf theme.

No, my room was NOT in the gorgeous main house (well, it was a bit shabby to be truthful but
I cannot imagine how you keep up a 160-year old home).

And not the carriage house which was all one "room" in the back.

Look to the far left - the lean-to part. THAT was my room!

But, arriving in the dark from the train station, the light left on for me was such a welcoming sight.

Imagine sitting on either the second or third floor piazza (pronounced" pee-ah-za", not the Italian "pee-at-za"), with coffee cup or glass of wine (morning or late afternoon) in hand, gazing across the water at the island that houses Fort Sumter (where the first shots of the Civil War or War of Northern Aggression or, my favorite, "That Recent Unpleasantness" were fired.). The weather is perfect - 75-80 degrees, blue skies, no humidity. Everything sparkles.

Such a lovely place to eat a delicious southern breakfast, sip a glass of wine in the afternoon or just gaze away.
One set of tourists called out to me, "You have a lovely home!" I thought about it just a bit then waved
and said, "Thanks!" A bit of pretend is such fun.

You stepped into this room from the piazza.

Then add an historic town center filled with beautifully restored homes. They are gorgeous, some more than 300 years old. Gracious, charming, picturesque; block after block after block. I enjoyed meandering. I believe that Charleston has been my final exam of walking ability. I navigated cobblestones, uneven brick walkways and cracked slate sidewalks - all without problems. The challenge was keeping one eye on the uneven walkways while, at the same time, gawking at the beautiful homes.

Many of the streets are so narrow I could not get good photos. This is just one tiny
house tucked between other large houses.

DiAn joined me on Thursday (she worked with my husband at Connecticut Audubon Society). There is no better guide than someone who has lived in Charleston for 10 years. She drove me in and out of narrow lanes, shared favorite homes, restaurants and bakeries and got me beyond the area I had walked. It was marvelous.

All too soon it was time to leave for Charlotte, North Carolina where DiAn now lives with her husband, Joseph. The drive was fascinating. We had lunch at a gorgeous South Carolina beach, toured a plantation outside of Charleston, and drove through miles of farmlands and pine forests. Charlotte is the modern South, banking headquarters, a rapidly growing city. They live in Chantilly, a current "in" neighborhood of Charlotte whose small downtown is filled with pubs and interesting shops. I liked Charlotte - their challenge is managing its rapid growth. They drove me around the city and small neighboring towns. Truly lovely.

I am utterly charmed by my first real visit to the South (I can't count my many landings at the Atlanta and Dallas airports or 5 days spent at Disneyworld in Florida).

And southern food? Yum.

In my 7 days in the Carolinas I have eaten:
Several bowls of she-crab soup
Grits and shrimp
Corn fritters
Hush puppies
Mud bugs
Raw oysters
Fried shrimp
Hoppin' John
Fried Pickle - does that count as a vegetable?