So we set aside the Saturday before our anniversary to spend the day together. We started with a bike ride on The Swamp Rabbit Trail. I had not used my bike in quite awhile because I found all the gears and the handbrakes intimidating - I had never gotten comfortable with them. D solved that by gifting me with a cruiser for our anniversary, and he even found one in teal! I found the cruiser much more enjoyable. My muscles are really out of bike-riding shape but I look forward to many more rides with D in the future.
Afterwards we had a foot massage and pedi at a local salon.
Then for dinner we drove to a restaurant in Greer that a foodie friend at work had recommended - Bin 112. D was able to part right in front of it, which is great downtown, but what was really surprising was when we realized the car was facing Victoria Street. I was a little obsessed with having my picture taken with the sign. Poor D was hungry but he was a good sport.The waitstaff at Bin were excellent and our main server was named David. D had the Duck 2 Ways. I had the BIN stack - potato patty, filet mignon, fried green tomato and crab cake all in a really excellent pan sauce. The filet was so tender that I didn't need the knife. And it was quite a presentation! They're big on that. For dessert we had the creme brulee which was flamed right at the table. Unfortunately not all the apple moonshine burned off and it had an unpleasant aftertaste.
As we had celebrated before our anniversary, I was so surprised Monday afternoon when flowers arrived for me at work. They were so beautiful and they were still in great shape on Friday.
As we were leaving for the beach the next day, I decided to take them to D's grandmother so that the remainder of their beauty would not be wasted. She was surprised and I think a little confused when I brought them in. But she had a lot going on... hosting a party!
Many of the extended family had gathered to see MRL and family while they were here and as we all needed dinner anyway, a cookout and birthday party was in order. It was quite the houseful. We were especially excited to meet little E for the first time but she was sleeping, so that had to wait. We still ate her cake though! Her half was Red Velvet and MRL's was Chocolate.
About mid-morning Saturday we headed out for Folly Beach. We had not been in a caravan in a long time - cellphones make it so much easier! About lunch time the request came in to find a Cracker Barrel. I wasn't sure where the next one was, but as we were approaching Columbia, I knew just who to call. TEM knew exactly which exit we should take and she and her family met us there. I thought it was a great idea for the girls to play together. Then it was back on the road. Folly or bust!
I must admit, I knew nothing about Folly Beach. I didn't plan this trip, so I had not done my usual research into the area. I just assumed Folly meant foolish, as in it was either considered a silly place to establish a community due to the marshy land and dangerous channel or it was a place to goof off. I was surprised to read that the name derived from the Old English for 'dense foliage'. It is a very verdant island.
We stayed at 1634 E Ashley St.
The house had some issues but what was nice about it was that the common areas were very kid friendly, the kitchen well equipped and the wifi worked.
The house had some issues but what was nice about it was that the common areas were very kid friendly, the kitchen well equipped and the wifi worked.
Sunday morning came. I had not slept hardly at all so I got D up and we went out for a walk. We arrived just in time to greet the sun. It was one of those times that makes you happy to be alive. Just a beautiful and sacred moment.
The tide was pretty high. As we learned, this side of Folly has a fairly thin stretch of sand and when the tide is in, it goes all the way to the dunes, leaving no place to walk. D and I had to escape up a beach access and walk back to the house via the road. Many of the beach accesses had new lumber and some of the houses on the dunes were being worked on. Man's age-old battle with the sea. I liked this sign on the stairs, just part of Folly's quirky sense of humor.
Morris Island Lighthouse was built in 1876. It used to be surrounded by land but the channel has shifted over time - over 1600 feet of land around the tower has been lost - and now it is completely surrounded by water. The light is no longer maintained. There were plans to demolish it but the community has been working to save and restore it. The tip of Folly that you can see the lighthouse from is set aside as a nature preserve, mostly birds and turtles. There is a road but the authorities must move the gate for access by car. Mostly you bike or walk in. Or both. Once the road gave way to sand, we had to leave the bikes. Fortunately there was a sign we could secure them to.
We realized the people directly in front of us were a photographer and a couple out for their engagement photographs, so we tried to steer clear of their shots. We desperately wanted to ask the photog if she minded taking a picture of us with the lighthouse but retrained ourselves. Later, a kind passerby offered to do so. There really were not many people there at all. It was a beautiful stretch of wild nature, just strangely romantic dead tress and driftwood. We did find a Loggerhead nest that had been marked. We were tempted to wade in the water but the signage warned of dangerous, strong currents. Of course there are strong currents - thus the need for a lighthouse!
I was mildly obsessed with photographing the Morris Light. Obsessed.
That afternoon MRL, SFL, the girls, D and I all decided to head into Charleston and see the city. It was really warm but at least we could duck into the shops to get cool. Especially the Gelato shop, that was very refreshing! And it gave us a chance to check out the Visitor's Center and get all the literature needed to plan our activities for the rest of the week.
SFL introduced me to Anthropologie, which was doing a booming business. We actually have one in G'ville now, but I've not been inside of that one. It was good sister-in-law time and I found a writer-ly shirt that wanted to come home with me. MRL found an awesome haberdashery where he was able to replace his most favorite hat.
I brought my laptop to the beach even though I could do most things from my phone. I thought if I had too many photos I could offload them onto the MacBook. But the real reason was so that at night when our feet were tired and we were all tuckered out, we could relax by watching one of our favorite shows : Once Upon A Time. We brought a Netflix disk of five episodes and strictly limited ourselves to one episode a night. We've been known to watch an entire disk in one night, so that was hard.
Tuesday, the 19th. One of my favorite days of the year - Leandra Day - the 17th anniversary of my adoption. I called Mom from the beach while everyone was swimming. The pelicans were diving for fish and there were dolphins. It was a beautiful moment. D brought me a pelican feather out of the water.
Mom gifted me with a pair of earrings in my Leandra birthstone - Peridot. I had sent her a pair of purple Jade earrings that reminded me of her, they were so bohemian. It did not surprise me at all that we had given each other the same type of gift, one year we sent each other the same exact card! Just shows how in tune our hearts are.
Although I remember all through the year how blessed I am to have Mom,
on this day especially I kept her in my thoughts.
After the beach BBL, MRL and family and D and I all loaded up in the van and drove to Magnolia Plantation and Garden. Founded in 1676, it is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry and the oldest
public gardens in America - opening its doors to visitors in 1870.
We did not actually tour the plantation house, instead preferring to do the petting zoo and the garden and swamp tours. Magnolia believes in the 'romantic' school of keeping the grounds, meaning they are not formally manicured but allowed to grow more naturally. I was happy they sold iced sweet tea in the cafe, it seemed like a sweet tea kind of place.
The animals in the petting zoo were all very acclimated to humans. This chicken was so tiny and so beautiful and let us stroke his back just like a cat would. The deer actually got to the little chute by the door and SFL and I had quite the time coaxing it out of there. I was in love with this donkey, which was in a field where I could not pet him, but I would have if possible. He looks just like Eeyore, my favorite Disney character.
The grounds were just beautiful, so Old South. Nice statuary throughout.
And even though we were all very, very hot and at the end, very, very tired, we still managed to mostly keep smiles on our faces.
SFL was very keen to see an alligator, so while BBL stayed with the girls watching a movie in the van, the four of us ventured out on the swamp tour. In a very eerie moment, D and I realized that the code to unlock the gate was our wedding date. Just as we got inside it started to drizzle but it felt good because we were so overheated. We kept walking, looking out for gators but only seeing an occasional heron.
Then the rain picked up and then it truly, truly began to come down (as they say). We were entirely soaked. Drenched. We must have been quite a sight. D had two emergency ponchos in his pack and we tried to share those for awhile but it really was a lost cause. We spotted a break in the foliage where we could see asphalt and decided to break with the path and get back to the van ASAP. There was one towel in the van for us all to dry off with. At least we have a funny tale to tell.
After resting and having some pizza for dinner, D and I decided to walk down to the beach to see the sunset.
It was breathtakingly gorgeous out. It was so blue, the camera doesn't even half pick up what it was like. It was high tide and there was no sand to walk on, so we stayed up on the stairs and watched the surfers. They were lined up as far as we could see in both directions. It was really, really beautiful.
Pictures cannot convey how huge this tree is. And there is so much debate about how old it is - 500 years, 1400 years - nobody knows for sure. One day when it dies they can take a core sample and find out. But for now, we just enjoyed it's majesty. We didn't notice much moss draped on it, but there were many ferns growing on its limbs. It was beautiful. And we enjoyed the shade too!
Then we hopped into the car and drove to Wadmalaw Island. It was time for afternoon tea!
We arrived just in time to pour a complementary cup and to take the last trolley tour around the plantation. And that's a good thing because they have 127 acres and none of us could walk that! Being that late in the day there were only about 10 of us on the trolley. I learned so much on the tour. That the tea shrub is in the Camilla family. That these tea plants came over from China in 1868, though they were only transplanted from Summerville, SC to their present location in 1968. That when you graft a cutting, it is not considered a new plant but the same age as the mother plant. That when you cut tea for the first time in a season, those leaves have more minerals than the subsequent harvests. In 2003 the Bigelow tea family became partners in the plantation with Bill Hall, who largely runs the place, growing the cuttings and harvesting the tea himself. It was really interesting. That is, until the trolley got stuck and we were out in the middle of those 127 acres with no air conditioning! 
When we did finally get back, we found that they had kept the factory open for us so that we could finish our tour properly. And when we finished that, we saw that the ladies in the gift shop were still there so that we had the opportunity to browse. We made sure to purchase some of the First Flush, the first tea of this season to bring back home. It seemed the proper thing to do.
D found a shortcut going back to the house. We weren't ready to call it a day yet, so we stopped at the Folly Beach Pier to see what was going on down there.
It was late afternoon and quite warm. The pier goes out so far you can look out and see the whole stretch of Folly. The surfers were doing their thing and since the water amplified their voices, we could hear them trash talking each other. I found it amusing. And here's the funny part. As we approached the end of the pier, we noticed a party of three - a photographer and a couple shooting their engagement photographs. It was one of those Really? moments.
Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof
And your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fireproof
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby is where I'll be
Well, there was no blanket. Or towel. But it was still fun taking a quick selfie with D.
Wednesday. August 21st. For lunch we did burgers and corn on the cob. Oh my, summer grilling at its finest! We really did stuff ourselves.
And even though I enjoyed the food, I could hardly relax - I was nearly beside myself over our destination that afternoon. The South Carolina Aquarium. But even better, D had reserved us spots on the tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital! My inner marine biologist was just going crazy. We could not drive to Charleston fast enough.
In fact, we should have left earlier, we were very nearly late. But it turns out there were only two other people on the tour that day, a woman and her daughter. And here's the really neat part. The woman's name was Leandra. The only one I have ever met. And she was there with her adopted daughter from Mexico, Teresa. Wow. Gave me chills. I wanted to call Mom right there and then. But there were turtles to see!
The Sea Turtle Hospital had about 12 patients. They usually see four kinds of sea turtle: Leatherback, Loggerhead, Green, and Kemp's Ridley. People also bring injured land turtles here as well and we saw two who had been hit by cars. Turtles come here with all kinds of problems: boat or fishing injuries, bacterial infections, bowel impactions, etc. Just like a people hospital.
Most were large enough to be in their own tanks. The PVC squares were something for them to rub against if they had an itch or to rest their heads upon. The guide explained that the turtles would not play with the balls in their tanks, but they were there to give them something to look at. Actually, I think we were the entertainment because most of the turtles became quite animated when we approached their tanks. The ones who were feeling well enough, anyway. They were quite pleased to come say hello. And they really kicked into high gear when it was feeding time. The biologist dropped in live crabs for the Loggerheads. I felt a little sad for the crabs, but that's the way the world works. It was interesting to watch. Made me glad we were not allowed to stick our hands in the tank, the turtles might have taken off some fingers!
My favorite patient was a juvenile Green named Eddie. He was found at Edisto Island. He can't submerge, he can only flap around the top of his tank. And he has a thyroid problem that makes him off-color, very pale. He was so adorable. Poor little guy.
The Hospital walls were covered with photographs of previous patients being released into the ocean. So neat to see. I wish I could be there on the beach when the patients we visited go 'home', if they do. Some are not able to be released but they cannot stay at the Aquarium indefinitely. They are only legally allowed to keep one Loggerhead and they already have one in the main exhibit, so all of these have to be released or found other homes. As we left I asked about one of the artworks on the wall. I thought it was done by a school kid but the guide told me it was done by a turtle! They put waterbased paint on their flippers and sell the artwork in the gift shop. I suddenly knew what I wanted as my souvenir. It's not Waterhouse or Van Gogh but the money supports the turtles. They also gave me a free 2013 calendar as the 2014 were now on sale. 
Then it was time to tour the remainder of the aquarium. I was shocked when we came across this pelican. I thought he was fake but then he moved. I love watching the Jellies, it's almost like being in a trance. And we got to see a gator, but you feel so sorry for them in those little tanks.
After a few hours he was feeling much better and wanted to get out of the house. We decided to check out the park MRL and SFL had talked about one day at dinner. I am so glad we did. It was almost deserted, we met just a few fisherman the whole time we were there. And there was a lot of wildlife - blue crabs, hermit crabs, starfish, two turtle nests and birds. We were really impressed at how well Folly is preserving their wildlife.
And it was gorgeous. It's hard to tell from the photo, but this is a tidal pool - the largest one I have ever seen. You can just make out the strip of sand behind it and then the ocean. There were fish in it that would jump. It was really neat to walk around and check it out.
I really wish I knew what this pillar was out there for. We could look out and see the pier in the distance. In the opposite direction was the salt marsh. D thought that was really interesting, he had been at the beach and at a salt marsh before, but never where one becomes the other.
After being in the sun for awhile, D said he had an appetite. Several friends had suggested that we eat at Taco Boy while we were in Folly. D said he thought he could handle it, so we went in. We had just ordered the Cowboy Nachos when LRL called to see what we were up to. They had just finished lunch right across the street! So they popped in to say hello. We couldn't get them to help us finish the nachos. D also had a portobello taco and I had the carne asada taco. It was okay but nothing we would go out of our way for.
After dinner D and I ran to The Pig to get a few supplies. On the way back D suggested that we walk back out to the Morris Lighthouse. We didn't have any perishables, so why not? He was hoping that with the sun on the opposite side of it than when we were there before, that the daymark colors would show better. There is a difference but the sun was too far down to see it well. Still very romantic.
And then D realized that he could faintly see The Sullivan's Island Lighthouse. He started counting to determine how often it flashed and I tried to capture it on camera. It took us several tries, was quite funny really. But we finally got it! Two lighthouses in one frame.
Very pleased with our success and tired of being mosquito-food, we headed back towards the car. That's when D pointed out this little mouse stuffing his face with sea oats. I had never, ever seen anything like that before. It was amazing. He let me get pretty close too.
And our friend the mouse wasn't the only lifeform out at the inlet as the sun went down. We must have passed a dozen people walking out with blankets, picnic baskets, etc. Evidently we had found the nightlife spot on Folly. But we were tired and ready to go to bed. And so apparently were the rest of the family because when we go to the house we were locked out - everyone had gone to sleep! We knocked until BBL finally let us in. Too funny.
On Friday morning D and I decided to do the city proper and headed into Charleston. We were a little excited because we had decided to go on a Pirate walking tour. During our Savannah trip, we had booked a Pirate tour but when we arrived the usual guide was ill and it was changed to ghost tour - our second of the trip. So this was our opportunity to go on a Pirate tour. D found one that had good ratings. The man dressed up and brought his parrot and everything. We hadn't been able to get anyone on the phone but the Charleston Pirate Tour started at The Powder Magazine so we decided to just head over there and buy the tickets on site. I was wearing my Atocha silver and was feeling lucky.
But when the time came, nobody arrived. The man at the Powder Magazine felt really bad for us. He called the tour company and everything. When he couldn't get an answer, he apologized and suggested other things for us to do in the city. Starting, of course, with his own museum. It wasn't expensive so we humored him.
The powder magazine is Charleston's oldest public building. It was very tiny on the inside but that was due to the thick walls, built to (try to) contain a blast should any powder ignite. He pointed out the wooden pegs that held the floor boards down - no metal nails to spark on a horse's shoe. I was surprised at how tiny the cannonballs were. They had a video game where you had to fire shots at the pirate boats out in the harbor, which D enjoyed. It helped to take some of our disappointment out on it over the pirate tour. By golly, D sunk that ship! They also had an interesting light-up map of the city that showed us certain places, including where we were currently standing.
So after the powder magazine D and I were in the city with no particular plans. We decided if we couldn't hear all about the sinners of the city, we'd go visit the saints. Charleston is The Holy City after all. We did our own walking tour of Church Street.
St Michael's Episcopal Church was first. Fitting, as it is the oldest religious edifice in the city. It was built in the 1750s - quite interestingly - on the former site of St Philips Church, which had been damaged by a hurricane and later torn down. It was beautiful inside.
After we went through the sanctuary, we went out back to the Churchyard. Two signers of the Constitution are buried here. I loved the saying at the water fountain but couldn't bring myself to drink from it.
As we were leaving the graveyard, we found ourselves at the St Michael's gift shop. They are closing down the shop so everything was deeply discounted. It's tradition for D and I to buy an angel ornament when we vacation - I was wondering where we would find one this year. Wonder no more! Our St Michael's angel in hand, we ventured further on down Church Street.The French Huguenot Church. It gives Charleston's French quarter it's name. It was stunning - on the outside. It was not open for visitors. I bet it's beautiful inside too.
Both sides of it's graveyards were open though. We saw a news crew filming on one side, so we took the other. Later, as we were perusing the monuments, the pastor came and explained what the excitement was about. One of the footstones from a grave was found in another part of the city. No one is quite sure how it got displaced but it is now reunited with the headstone. He seemed quite pleased at that.
Then we came across St. Mary's of the Annunication. I stepped across the street to take a better picture - see where this photo addiction gets me - and turned around to see another beautiful church. A temple as it turns out. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim. The fourth oldest Jewish congregation in the States (organized in 1749) and the oldest temple in continuous use in the USA. There was a docent standing there and he very engagingly asked us if we were here for the tour. Well, sure, we said. He was delighted, he hadn't had anyone all day. A private tour, oh my! Here we made our mistake. Never tell a guide that you have no hard schedule. He was a very nice man but he talked our ears off. Where to start? The Spanish Inquisition. I do not kid. We were there for over an hour.
I don't have any other photos of the rest of the tour. I felt it was improper inside the Temple. But we did hear some great history about the damage to the building by fire and earthquake. The split between the orthodox and reform parties over an organ. And we got to see the Torah scrolls. Our guide was very put out that someone had left the ark open, it wasn't supposed to be that way. Until the Rabbi and his wife came in carrying several scrolls. One of their scrolls has not conclusively been dated. No one knows how old it is and it is never taken out of the ark because it is so fragile. Very interesting!
By the time we left KKBE, St. Mary's was closed. I was disappointed. Next time.
We really enjoyed our few hours in Charleston. I love beautiful, shabby old cities. And we found a Pirate's Courtyard after all. I'm sure we will return to Charleston again.
It was time to meet up with the rest of the family for some fun and games. We played a round of mini-golf but it was just too hot and no one's spirit was in it. Although MRL got a hole-in-one anyway. Finally we retreated inside to the arcade. Favorite game of all time - Ms Pac-Man. D was a good sport and played with me. He slaughtered me in air hockey though, so I don't feel so bad.
MRL had prepared so much food for us all week long. From pork chops, chicken soup, Swedish meatballs and absolutely divine grilled shrimp and scallops. He didn't feel like cooking that last night and neither did anyone else. It was Bo Time. SFL announced that BoJangles had something new on the menu - little E just loved the box. It's the simple things, right?
After dinner we took one last walk on the beach. Friday's sunset.
We really enjoyed Folly Beach - we even took some of it home, so it's always with us. Actually, I'm not that bad off - I have a craft in mind! I would love to return to Folly but there are other places I'd like to visit too. Maybe someday.
