Monday morning sunrise on Hunting Island Beach.
Archive | South Carolina RSS feed for this archive
State Parks Rule
It makes perfect sense that all of the best campgrounds we’ve stayed at have been in state parks. After all, these parks are vacation destinations in and of themselves. What better way to explore them, and the surrounding areas, but from deep inside? And of the state parks we’ve stayed at, Hunting Island is the hands-down winner (so far).
It’s no wonder Hunting Island is South Carolina’s most popular state park, attracting more than one million visitors each year. This 5,000 acre, semi-tropical barrier island gives visitors the feeling of being far from mainland North America, maybe even on the island of Lost. Much of the campground is shrouded in dense foliage and palmetto trees but the eastern edge spills out on to the beach, offering ocean front RV spots. This place rocks!
Another One Makes The List
Downtown Charleston is definitely a place we could call home for a while. The city layers a contemporary cosmopolitan veneer and the vibrancy of a young college town over its old southern antebellum charm. It’s quite an interesting mix. We understand the summer months are dastardly hot, and even now we can feel the strength of the sun. But having a reason to skip town for a couple of months each year to parts unknown has its attractions too.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
I’d have been disappointed if we didn’t encounter an alligator. After all, why take a canoe out into a swamp if not to meet its residents? Sure, the otherworldliness of paddling around giant cypress trees growing out of mirror silver water on a crystal clear day was certainly enough to make the excursion worthwhile. But the far-and-away highlight was spotting a partially submerged alligator just twenty feet off our port side.
He didn’t seem to mind us being there. He just sat, perfectly still, with his reptilian eyes hovering slightly above the water, possibly sizing us up. This wasn’t a zoo experience. We were inside the cage. We watched each other for a long while until we decided to make the first move. With a couple of paddle strokes we started to silently glide past our host, watching as he also slowly started off in the opposite direction, apparently deciding we weren’t worth the trouble.
(the full-sized picture is better, so click on me)
Fast and French
There are few things more oxymoronic than ‘fast and French’, especially when referring to food. But Gaulart & Maliclet Café in downtown Charleston delivers on its catch phrase, offering patrons terrific French inspired food in the blink of an eye. No doubt the French would consider such a place an abomination, but then, we never really cared for French service that leaves you to linger over empty plates hours after you’re ready to leave. No risk of that here. Turnover at the communal tables is quick and service is prompt. We enjoyed a fresh and fabulous lunch of zucchini-brie soup, melon, a toasted croissant topped with goat cheese and tomato, and a glass of wine (naturally) in about 20 minutes. Far superior to fast food. This is superior food, fast.
Meet Brian and Shannon
Fulltime wanderers since 2010, Brian & Shannon are traveling the world on a quest to see everything there is to see . . . at least once.
Travel Reading:
Top Posts & Pages
Everywhere Once 