Thursday Steven, Thing Two and I went on an adventure to Charleston SC. We had an amazing time.. and it has totally ruined me for Myrtle Beach.. Id way rather go to Charleston.. to the beach and to the city. I totally fell in love with the place.

Most people know that I grew up in Alaska. Living in SC has made it really easy to  have really lost touch with a lot of the people that I grew up with…. and sadly I am bad about correspondance. BUT the magic of facebook has really changed all that. I am talking with people I havent spoken to in years on a regular basis and just loving it. Its so fun.. I bring this up because I recently got back in touch with my friend Jimmy Filley. He was a huge part of my life for a really long time.  A really fun guy that I just love. He works for a television station as a news producer and  when I heard he was going to be in Charleston covering the hockey finals I KNEW I had to go up to see him.

I am so so glad we did. We had a blast!

Thursday morning we got up early and got Thing One off to school.. she was going on her 8th grade trip to a local state park and didnt want to miss it, so we decided she could stay home.. she ended up wishing she’d have gone with us.. we had that much fun! We hit the road and Thing two curled up with her favorite blanket and her dvd player and we didnt hear a PEEP from her the entire trip.  I really love taking my girls on road trips. I am pretty lucky because they are easily entertained and often just either sleep or watch the scenery. T2 especially loves to go on trips. She packs months ahead of time and plans and plans her outfits… hmm I wonder where she got that from? heh. It didnt take long at all.. at by 9 am we were pulling into Jimmy’s hotel parking lot. It was so so good to see him. I cant believe we didnt take a picture together! I was so sad to get home and realize that. ohh well. next time for sure!

Neither Steven and I or Jimmy had been to Charleston, so we didnt really have any set touring ideas.. and its a good thing too.. because Thing Two definatly had preferences for what she wanted to see. She has been taking South Carolina History this year in school and knew all the places she wanted to see in Charleston. It was amazing how much she actually knew about the area. I was totally impressed!

The very first thing she mentioned was visting the “Angel Oak” a 1500 year old oak tree that is on John’s Island outside Charleston. She knew all kinds of facts and was only to happy to act as tour guide.  The thing was HUGE and the feeling in the thicket where it grows was really cool.. You could almost hear the tree talking and thinking. I have never actually FELT a tree’s pressence.. It was almost like its been there so long it holds a friendship with God. The Angel oak is over 1500 years old and is 65 ft high and covers 160 feet and It is considered the oldest thing living or dead east of the Mississippi. VERY cool. We had a great time taking pictures and exploring the area. It was a perfect morning. Warm and breezy. The sun was so pretty and the shade of the tree made it perfect for pictures.

* I really wish Thing One was in this picture.. it would be a perfect christmas card right? We might have to photoshop her in!

Darn Tree Huggers

 After we visited with the Tree we drove to downtown Charleston. We didnt really take very many pictures down there. I guess we were to busy looking at everything.  This is a fountain that is on the waterfront near the battery. There were little kids in swimsuits playing in the water.. that water would feel GREAT on a really hot summer day.

We didnt get our own photo’s of these places.. but we went there.

 Rainbow row is a block of historical houses. There are so pretty and colorful. The ironwork on all of the gates is so so pretty. There are foutains and beautiful gated flower gardens everywhere you look. Most of the houses have painted shutters and window boxes full of such pretty flowers.

 They had amazing jewelry there that is fashioned after the gate designs. SO pretty.

 Thing two was disapointed to learn that the “pineapple fountain” did not indeed spout pineapple juice. bummer man.

 I loved this pier. They have porch swing type benches under the covered areas. What a neat place to sit and watch the goings on of the waterfront park. PERFECT place for a picnic

Speaking of food.. we were getting hungry. In my research of Charleston I had read several reviews and seen some food network stars eat at a place called Jestine’s Kitchen right there in downtown charleston. AND being that I knew that Jimmy had never experienced low country cooking. I knew that was where we needed to eat.

 We headed over there. I knew that there would be a line.. traditionally the line for Jestine’s can stretch around the block. They dont take reservations and you cant leave your name with the hostess. You just stand in line. Luckily we didnt have to wait too long as I think we got there between the lunch rushes. We were entertained while in line by watching the goings on at an antique firestation. It is said to be one of the oldest fire stations in the US and was SO pretty.  The openings in the building are so narrow that special firetrucks had to be built for the station

It wasnt very long and the super sweet hostess invited us in for lunch.  It was cool the way she did it. She opens the door and says “Wont you join us?” heh. love that southern hospitatlity. We all ordered Sweet tea and enjoyed the cornbread basket while we decided on what to have. Thing Two was steadily cracking Jimmy up with her antics and they kept eachother entertained while we waited.

I ordered fried chicken and mac and cheese. It was so so delicious. They litterally bring you HALF A FRIED CHICKEN. It was HUGE HUGE HUGE

 I ended up taking most of my plate home with me. That fried chicken was just as good cold on the way home as it was hot and crispy.  YUMMMY. definatly not a weight watchers day.. we just suspended points for the trip.. I know you shouldnt do that.. but I couldnt even count that high!

 After lunch.. and an amaing Pineapple bread pudding Desert from Jestine’s Bakery next door we found a place to park and explored the Charleston City Market/Confederate museum. It was built in 1841 and was all brick and had such neat little shops and all kinds of tables with people selling everything from sweet grass baskets to t-shirts and all sorts of civil war memorablia and souvinears. We got t’s teacher a little tiny sweetgrass basket and picked up some UV activated nail polish for T1.

The market goes on for something like 4 blocks. tons of fun places to look around in.. We had fun talking and walking and as you can see goofing off.

Before long we were all done shopping and getting really hot. We didnt want to melt my Alaskan friend so we headed back to the car and went in search of something cool to drink. We ended up at a sonic for slushies. I could eat a lemon berry slushie every day of the week. YUMM.

Very soon it was time to head back to Dillon and to say goodbye to Jimmy.  We dropped him off at his hotel and turned toward home. I dozed on and off and T2 watched another movie. It was SUCH a fun day. I cant wait to take Thing One there and maybe spend some time in the museums and visit the beach!