Charleston

Our recent trip to Charleston, SC for Phil's residency interview at MUSC:

I knew when our hotel was flanked by a Starbucks and a Dunkin' Donuts that our trip to Charleston was going to be a good one. When we arrived, we spent the day walking around down town, perusing the outdoor market, walking along the water, and gawking at the old "town houses" (mansions), and yes, taking a carriage ride.

Be it known that neither Phil nor I have ever taken a carriage ride in any city--ever. We prefer to blend in in new places, to look like a local even when we're tourists. I do realize the substantial amount pride and illogicality of that, but it's true nonetheless. However, the history buffs in us won out. We were dying to know the stories behind the buildings, the houses, and the various military forts, so what better way to do that than a carriage ride through the city? Granted, we were the only ones under 60 on the carriage, but it turned out to be quite an educational experience. We sat in the very back and just as I finished whispering, "I hope they don't make us all go around and introduce ourselves," our tour guide had the grand idea of having us introduce ourselves, starting with us, in the back. Phil voted for telling everyone that we were Jan and Kenneth Jorkins, but I introduced us before he could go through with it. When I said we were from Alabama, our tour guide, Matt, said, "Roll Tide," and we were quick to interject that we weren't those kind of Alabamians (Go Dawgs!). Below are some pictures taken during that memorable carriage ride:

Throughout the old part of the city, there were private gardens everywhere, and while we couldn't walk through them, we enjoyed peeking at them through iron gates. It literally felt like some parts of the city were frozen in time.


One of my favorite older houses had an old boot scraper outside the front door and I loved the wrap around porches everywhere!




I broke my sunglasses several weeks ago and bought some new ones at the market--finally!






That evening, we were wined and dined at a delicious seafood restaurant where we met some wonderful people who justified why Charleston is known as the "kindest city in the nation." On Friday, Phil had his interviews while I went back downtown to window shop and take in the water that I love so much. We finished our Charleston experience with a late afternoon trip to one of the beaches there. The fog was rolling in and the sky was beautiful--dream-like gray--and we enjoyed walking and discussing the day's experiences. Although we didn't pack for the 78 degree humid weather, we certainly loved the city and Phil really liked the program. It's definitely in our "fav five."