Marshes, Ice Cream and Wrought Iron

Pausing for a photo on our marsh walk. The light and colors were so amazing at dusk.

The scenery and the people were equally photogenic, so it was hard to choose just one.

Charleston by far was one of the most architecturally beautiful places we visited while on our trip. Long ago, my Dad taught me the art of looking up and I have continued to do so ever since. I loved the wrought iron, the colors, the window boxes and the attention to detail....even the street signs imbedded in the street were worthy of a photo.

Although I have never been to New Orleans, many of the streets we walked through in the French Quarter were reminiscent of what I might see there.

Street lamps, shutters and lanterns were just all part of its charm.

To think that at one time, not too long ago, the sale of another human being took place here really send chills down your spine and shows how far we as Americans have come.

A Valentine photo in Beaufort, South Carolina.

The longest cable stay span bridge in America.

They live in a three story...... oh wait a two story house.

The trolley tour was a good way to explore Savannah's 270 years of history.

Wrought iron was a sign of wealth.

Vic's came highly recommended by a friend and also happens to be where the locals like to dine. We were able to have lunch with our friends we had met in Costa Rica last year, which was a real treat on our trip.

Leopold's was a must see as the famed lyricist Johnny Mercer lived a block away and got the inspiration for "Tutti Frutti".

South Carolina on Dwellable

Boone Hall

With my trusty Fodor's guide in hand, I like to set out on vacations with a purpose in mind. It is not merely to take a break and relax for a week, but a chance to absorb all the information I can about a particular region or place. I like to think of my vacations as educational field trips and if only my mind could remember everything I read, for then I could surely go on Jeopardy. One of the most interesting and educational places we went was Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

Boone Hall is one of the oldest and most photographed plantations, along with being the site in which several movies such as The Notebook were filmed. We were able to tour the old slave quarters and learned endless insight into the lives of the slaves at that time. Forbidden to read, most slaves spoke in a manner to protect themselves, often misunderstood as ignorance, this lack of articulation was rather protection against their masters finding out they were becoming educated. Many hundred year old Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss line the walks at the Boone Hall Plantation.

Mr. Blake sang, danced and taught us all about the Gullah, it is not only a name for a people but a religion and a way of life. Gullah is a dying language in which many people today are embarrassed to speak it in fear of being persecuted or thought to be uneducated. Mr. Blake is doing all he can to preserve the Gullah heritage and is currently writing a book about its people.

We learned much about the way of life when cotton was king, but based off of what is hanging in my closet it seems as though cotton is really highly favored today. I have never seen cotton fields in person and it was exciting to see rows and rows of cotton balls.

South Carolina on Dwellable

Snow day

During our travels we lucked out by missing every possible snow storm as we made our way East, but upon arrival we were able to experience a rare phenomenon in South Carolina- snow. The locals said it has not been this cold for twenty years and that the last major (four inches plus) storm they had was ten years ago. Although we were anticipating sixty degree weather during the duration of our trip, the snow ended up adding an added element of fun. While we were in Maine this past Fall, I was envious of the beach snow photos I saw and now I had the opportunity to capture some of my own. Come morning, the snow quickly melted and it was gone as fast as it had come.

Cameron took this opportunity to make the cutest little snowman, complete with a coral scarf and seashell eyes, it is easy to see how fast friends they became.

We did not construct these snowmen, but I thought they were too clever and too cute to pass up.

Myrtle Beach on Dwellable