Middleton Place

Yesterday was beautiful, and I took a drive out Ashley River Road following it some 15 miles or so.  There are three plantations, centuries old, authentic and charming that sit back off the two lane road. Magnolia Plantation, Drayton Hall and Middleton Place are all on the National Register of Historic Places and offer up more to see and do than anyone can do in an afternoon. Since the weather was perfect, the afternoon begged to be an outdoor event. I decided on Middleton Place for my self-guided tour.  It was easy to stay in the gardens and meander the grounds since the house was burned by the Yankees and what was left standing was toppled in the devasting earthquake of 1886.  So, I wandered the maze of the formal gardens that were laid out in 1741, and looked for alligators on the banks of the rice fields.  The stables and barns were quiet and the entire scene was peaceful and harmonic.  I was there for two hours and only saw two other people.  Pretty relaxing way to spend the waning hours of daylight. 

Weekend Guests

Jenny and Kate arrived via Amtrak for a family fun-packed weekend.
They tout the train as the way to travel..coming and going it was  A+.
We had georgous weather and spent most of Saturday outside. The highlight was a carriage ride up Meeting Street, past Rainbow Row and down the Battery with many a side street slipped in.  Our well informed guide made the hour round-trip lots of fun and we learned a lot of Charleston history...from the rice days, through wars and pirates, earthquakes and hurricanes.  Known as the Holy City, Charleston's skyline is dotted with church steeples and was founded with complete religious freedom.  There's something for everyone....and more Episcopal churches then any other denomination. The straw market, shopping on King Street, an outside lunch on East Bay Street and a leisurely walk through the college campus were all part of our busy day.  George, ever on the lookout for music venues, bought last minute tickets for the Charleston Jazz Orchestra's season opening, so Saturday evening found us on the back row of The Charleston Music Hall.  This fellow, Charlton Singleton, is getting to be a household word around our apartment.  We've seen him perform 3 times in our few weeks here.  He's something.  Dinner didn't happen.  We wandered the streets peering in restaurant windows and reading posted menus, but just couldn't decide (or come to an agreement).  So it goes.  We went to Harris-Teeter, bought wine and take-out and went home.  So it goes.  
A top drawer, first class weekend (in my book).  We Jacksons know how to have a good time.



City Market



The Dog Park

Friday was a big day.  Yes friends, this is a picture of our favorite canine friend Woody discovering the pleasures of The Dog Park.  What a time he had.  What a time we had.  This outing was virgin territory for all of us....George, Woody and me.  I must admit that coming out the gate, I was curious about how everyone would interact.  Would some big bad buster pick on meek and mild Woody?  What were we getting ourselves into?  We took the plunge.  It was glorious.  Must have been 25 dogs romping around without any mortal hassling them (for the most part) and they all had a blast.  Sniffing and "touched you last" and just plain fun.  We'll definitely do this again.  Just a tad bit hard to find, this dog park is on James Island at the county park.  The park has all kinds of other amenities, from camping to water sports and biking trails.  Anyone for anything?  This park has it all.

Charleston In the Slow Lane

This is a daily sight from the front porch of 164 Wentworth Street.....our abode.  We live on the NW corner of Wentworth and Rutledge Streets in a mansion (converted to a gazillion apartments, albeit very nice) that dates to 1835.  From our Victorian Italianate, bracketed corniced, elegant fluted columned front porch (lifted from the tour guide) we can take in all that comes and goes both ways.  This is the perch from which Woody spied his first horse and carriage...shoot, I think it's the first time he's ever seen a horse.  Now he gives us a heads up when he hears the clip-clop from a block away.

 It's not good form to do much barking in a close quarters apartment house.  Fortunately Woody has lots of canine friends on site so barking is well understood.  There's Sailor, Bandito and Max for starters.  They all get along and romp up and down the entrance steps with great abnadonment to locate their patch of grass.  PC, our landlord, is most tolerant.  I plan to take Jenny and Kate on a spin around the city on Palmetto Carriages this weekend.  They allow dogs on board.  We'll see.

Flip-Flops

  I've been paying attention to people's feet these last two weeks.  No, I don't have a "thing" about feet; rather, I have to look down to keep from stumbling on the cobblestone sidewalks.  So, it's a given that I take in a lot of footware.  The selection runs from coeds through tourists to local fashion debs, and styles are all over the place.  Boots are in and hot.  Short ones with shorts.  Long ones with pants tucked in or out.  High heel or western or Ugg....from stylish to downright ugly.  But, here's the deal.  The ones that aren't sportin boots are wearing flip-flops.  I concede the weather has been unseasonably mild since I've arrived in Charleston, but come on folks....it is January!  Call me old (I am) or out of touch (maybe) but my mother taught me two shoe rules: 1- no white shoes after Labor Day and  2-flip-flops are for the beach, dorm showers and island vacations.

Cannon Park

            Warm temperatures made it easy to take several walks today, and feeling a bit adventurous we deviated from our normal route.  A few blocks west landed Woody and me at Cannon Park where he met Little Bit.  Little Bit was having a blast running and fetching a ball that was being hurled from a sling-like apparatus that took it great distances.  I've witnessed this at the beach before, but Woody never has payed attention to it...until today.  You see, Little Bit was running and bounding about without a LEASH!   "What's this all about"!  So we gave it a try and set that plan in motion.  Boy was it fun.  Woody got the bounding about part down pat in no time....drool was slinging around as he darted up one side and down another.  He wasn't the slightest bit interested in fetching any kinda ball.  He left that up to his new friend and Woody had himself a Little Bit of fun.

Phyllis does Charleston

My dear friend Phyllis visited this weekend.  She rode in on the train Friday evening and our feet didn't stop moving (unless they were tucked under a bar stool) until her train pulled out this morning.  Good times were had by all.  We (husband included in most of this) tried out 7 restaurants/bars in 3 days.  Not a bad one in the bunch.  Even though it is Restaurant Week at area restaurants we discoverd that we could sqeeze in at the bar.  This worked every time.  Just lucky?  I don't know.  Started out at Coast on Friday and had a  terrific dinner...then moved on to first class at the Charleston Place Grill where a jazz band was playing.  They didn't have a bar so we settled for a table up front.  So close we could chat with the band memebers and we did!   All this was with much laughter and fan-fare.  More eating and shopping-shopping-shopping on Saturday, lunched at a French cafe Gaulart & Maliclet or G&M (I insisted it was B&M but Phyllis said that wouldn't sound like a restaurant's name) turns out she was right.  Then out for music and drinks on Saturday night.  Ended up at Hank's bar.  We did eat..yummy chowders and crab cake salads.  Sunday we got in a bike ride and brunch (Hominy Grill) and spent the afternoon cruising the art galleries.  Ended up at a jazz concert where we KNEW half the musicians from Friday night.  (we own this town) Other notable mentions for eating destinations are Henry's for the shrimp tacos (thanks Kate for the gift certificate) and Caviar & Bananas for coffee and cookies.  In between all of this we walked Woody.  Feet moving the entire 72 hours.  We had a great weekend and I can't wait for her next visit.  She promises to come soon.
I am mostly comatose today.

Biking Around Town

Charleston is a perfect town to explore by bicycle.  The clouds parted this morning and I took off on my new cruiser.  Headed up Wentworth, crossed St. Philip and at George St. I stopped in at Caviar & Bananas for a latte (and cookie) and then crossed King to Meeting St.  Checked out the Indigo Inn for my friends who are coming for a visit in a few weeks.  Nice place and right next door to a one of Charleston's best restaurants....Fig.  Continued on down Meeting to the Post Office and then over to Tradd.  I'm feeling pretty good by now, you know, beginning to gain confidence.  I know this town.  I'm a local now.  That was until I started repeating the streets and houses.  Uh Oh.  This ain't right.
Better stick with walking Woody around the cement pond.

A Rainy Day

So it does rain in Charleston, but even that doesn't dampen my enthusiasm for this place. Woody got a run in this morning with husband so I didn't partake in the AM ritual.  I did get to the gym - don't know that I've ever in my life been 3 days in a row.  From the vantage point of the treadmills, you can see across a beautiful campus fountain to a  church spire.  Towering over rooftops, the tip top steeple is adorned with a simple cross.  I figued my quest today was to find that steeple and see what chuch it is attached to.  So I did.
On the way I happened upon the Book Mobile parked along St. Philips Street and decided to pop in and take a look.  Just as I cracked the door, 12 preschoolers began filing out with their books and smiles and were hustled into an adjacent building.  The building...is a church school....the church is Grace Episcopal...my destination found.  Grace Episcopal sports the impressive steeple that I view from my treadmill every morning.  Go Episcopalians!  God is good.  All the time.  I will post a picture when I can figure it out.
For now.  That's it.

Tuesday's Outing

This weather is really something to brag about.  Our landlord tells us not to get accustomed to it, but oh my, it sure is nice while it lasts.  Our morning out was splendid.  Around the cement pond in record time and home before my coffee got cold.  Woody has learned to wait at the corner for the light to change.  He would make a good seeing eye dog except for his bad habit of continually crossing back and forth in front of me as we walk.  We're working on that.
He took a nap while I went to the gym and rode my bike down to the bicycle shop to trade out my handlebar grips.  The ones that came on it felt like tractor treads.  Checked out the post office and the old gym where my first yoga class meets this afternoon.  Gotta get my bearings.  Waiting for my internal compass to kick in. 
The only wrinkle (cussable moment) of the day came when I rode back downtown to the post office to get some stamps and my bike lock wouldn't work.  I mean it just wouldn't work.  I felt right foolish standing there spinning those tumblers around and around and nothing was happening.  Two old (er than me) women were sitting on the steps watching me.   Just grinning.   "Gotta push it in more".  Well, I bet those old ladies haven't ridden a bike in five decades, much less used a lock for God's sake.  I kept my repose...put the lock in my backpack, and rode home.  Never did get my stamps. 
Tomorrow's another day.
It's five o'clock.  Time for yoga.

Here we go!

Okay.  We've been in Charleson 4 days and we're starting to get the hang of this new lifestyle.  There's a lot to it.  Woody's catching on fast.  For starters, you're best off not driving anywhere in the district.  Well,  not parking in the district.  These guys are serious about their NO PARKING signs, and FEED the METER signs.  We have chalked up 2 tickets already.  4 days...2 tickets.  That's $24.00.  I bought a bicycle today.  Think I'll leave the car alone. 
Our digs are terrific. We live in Harlston Village, close to shopping, the college, the gym and the park.  Woody and I have established a bit of a routine..subject to change when this summer-like weather takes a turn.  We leave the apartment aroound 8:30 for our first (of 3) outings and head to Colonial Lake.  I call it the cement pond.  It's the tony place to walk and Woody already feels right at home.  He's quite comfortable leaving his mark several times along the half mile stroll.  We have lots of company...all shapes and sizes.  The dogs are all types of breeds as well.  I must admit I have never been a pooper scooper.  Never had too.  This is a whole new ball game.  The first time I stooped down and wrapped my hand (safely bagged) around that mound of stuff, I was amazed.  Well, enough said about that.  Most of you are probably seasoned scoopers.
We are thrilled to be in this marvelous city...life is slow and good.