23rd Anniversary
October 20, 2017
State of South Carolina
Kiawah Island
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
Day One
It was an early morning good-bye to Seattle as we flew all day to Charleston, South Carolina. During our drive from the airport to Hilton Head, a nearby island known for lovely beaches, golf, boating, tennis, and general leisure, we were christened with a welcoming thunderstorm. After dinner and a quick walk around the pools at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, we retired to enjoy the movie, Their Finest, in our room.
Day Two
We woke to a stunning view of the ocean and the pools of the resort, so we started with a long walk on the soft, sandy beach enjoying the splash of the warm waves and the cover of a mostly clear morning sky. The inviting hot tub in the enormous resort outdoor recreation area won us over for a soak before we headed inside to prepare for the day and grab a quick breakfast. Leaving the resort, we stopped for an informational tour of the Harbour Town Lighthouse which is an iconic lighthouse tied to Hilton Head's history. Continuing our journey back towards Charleston, we couldn't pass up The Kazoobie Kazoo Factory where we not only learned fun facts about the history of that funny little noise maker, but we also got to make our own kazoos and play them along with our fellow tour-mates in a rousing rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. There was much giggling and, thankfully, no recording. This is the only remaining plastic kazoo factory in America, and similarly, the Charleston Tea Plantation, is the only plantation growing tea in America, clearly our next stop. We learned the growing, harvesting, and drying processes for tea and were shocked that black, oolong, and green tea all come from the same tea plant. The difference is simply in the air-exposure time, black tea spending the longest exposed to the air before heat drying seals the flavor. The tasting room was TEAlicious! Upon arriving again in Charleston, we checked into our Charleston lodging, Wentworth Mansion, an historic house of the Rodgers family from the late 1880s. Stunning architecture with amazing craftsmanship were met in great detail everywhere you look. Julie enjoyed the family history library and the story of the people. Eric appreciated the rooftop cupola with epic views of the city. After getting to know other visitors at the hospitality hour over wine and hors d'oeuvres, we walked into downtown for dinner at the Low Country Bistro where we tasted the famous She Crab Soup which was scrumptious! Charleston is apparently known for its fantastic food, and we quickly understood why. Hearing some fine and relaxing music as we passed High Cotton, we ducked in for some more tasty treats and a leisurely unwind. A delightful day together!
Day Three
To learn Charleston's origin story, we ventured to Charles Towne Landing just across the Ashley River where the first British settled. We boarded a replica of an early colonial wooden trading ship and were impressed at how it would have been packed and manned for regular six-month travels up and down the coast for delivery of goods, a pre-curser to today's UPS truck. The town remained at the tucked away location until the larger port across the river was deemed defendable from attack. This move allowed the shipping of goods to flourish and expand the city's significance. Our next stop was The Citadel, a military college established before the Civil War to train citizen soldiers. One of Eric's co-workers was a graduate. It's architecture is intriguing since it maintains a castle-like exterior. The traditions and functioning of the school reminded us keenly of our visit 13 years ago to VMI. We then caught a boat to Fort Sumter, an island in the Charleston Harbor, where the first battle of the Civil War took place. The ferry ride was filled with sights of the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, steeples lining the city of Charleston, and the striking Arthur Ravenel Bridge. After hearing much about the significance of Fort Sumter to the start of the Civil War, it was interesting to learn how completely demolished it was by the end of the Civil War after four years of constant bombardment. The number and size of the cannons was surprising as was the seemingly short distance from Fort Moultrie where the attack originated. With the ability to see five miles back to Charleston, we realized that the strategic location of the fort was pivotal in the defense of the area. We wrapped up the evening with dinner included at the Wentworth Mansion at their special restaurant, Circa 1886. Eric had an incredible entree of antelope which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Day Four
We began the day with a Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Tour. To our great surprise, our guide was Elliot, a young man we had met two days before at the Wentworth Mansion where he was also staying on a brief vacation. Elliot was a fantastic and skilled guide. His horse, Buddy, fought him continually throughout the tour since Buddy was new to the tour business and not patient with or obedient to traffic or its signals. It was comical, but Elliot handled him and the tour with the grace of a southern gentleman. We learned about the plethora of disasters that have befallen Charleston in its history. Seriously, they've had it all in great repetition: fires, earthquakes, civil war, and hurricanes. There are still earthquake bolts previously placed through homes to raise them back up after major earthquakes. The SNOB (Slightly North of Broad) and the SOB (South of Broad) are two distinct neighborhoods with historic homes sometimes strangely oriented sideways on their lots with pristine gardens. The price tags of the homes in the SOB area rage from $7 to $11 Million with stories to match from previous owners. We saw where George Washington and Robert E. Lee stayed as well as other illustrious Charlestonians. Some other highlights were the Four Corners of Law, the site of the secession vote in 1860, historic churches, and the public market complete with the high water line from hurricane Hugo. Charleston is hardy as they have had to rebuild and reinvent themselves numerous times in their history. It was then time for lunch at 82 Queen where we enjoyed a Living in History Lunch Lecture on "Charleston's Endearing Gardens" learning about the stunning gardens and planters so prolific in this area. Many of them maintain an Italian form and date from early Charleston both in the design and actual plant heredity. As the city is tightly built without lawns of note, small private gardens are the respite of necessity between the homes. We came away with some fabulous ideas for window boxes and plantings for our own home. Then on our way to larger expanses of land, we drove to Drayton Hall, owned as a private residence for a rice and indigo plantation family in the 1790s. It is now maintained by the Preservation Society to keep in stable condition. It was built in the Georgian Palladian style with lovely attention to symmetry but that went so far as to have fake doors over brick walls to achieve the look. Never modernized, the house presented how the families lived and welcomed guests progressively into more formal rooms culminating in the grand ballroom upstairs where they would dance the night away with their guests. While the slave quarters were not still standing, there were some specific records of individuals and the life they were subjected to including the recently discovered slaving branding iron. All of the plantations along the Ashley River, save Drayton Hall, were burned at the close of the Civil War. Leaving Drayton Hall, we made a brief stop at Middleton Place without enough time in the day to take the tour, so it was time to retire to the The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. What a stunning place of leisure on the ocean! Julie was wowed with the balcony ocean view and stellar accommodations! After a long, romantic walk on the beach enjoying the warm water and soft sand on our feet, we jaunted over to the Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House and quickly learned that even as the bugs were mostly gone for the fall, there were a few flying guests on the porch that wanted to nibble on us as much as we wanted to nibble our dinner! We returned to rose petals on the bed from the anniversary welcome. So romantic!
Day Five
We were so enamored with the beach and peaceful area on the island that we ditched our plans to return to Charleston for home tours and, instead, declared it an island refreshment day! After breakfast at the Jasmine Porch, we rented two beach cruiser bicycles, thankfully nothing like the road bikes that Eric and our boys ride for hundreds of miles together. Julie enjoyed the big cushy seat and upright padded handlebars. There was a paved path around the island that toured past magnificent homes, marshes, alligator ponds, and golf courses. Eric entertained all who caught a glimpse with his graceful and humorous bicycle ballet moves. Julie almost fell off her bike laughing. We cycled our way to the Ocean Course, famous for hosting PGA Championships and the Ryder Cup, and circled back by way of the beach where the sand is hard-packed enough to bike easily beside the splashing waves. It was fantastic to cruise along on the sand of the beach with the warm sun beaming down upon us! After 15 1/2 miles on the bikes, we exchanged them for lounge chairs by the pool and ocean where we utterly relaxed in the hot sun only to be refreshed by the water as we bounced between the pool and the stunning light waves of the ocean. Time to get gorgeous and more formal! Then it was back to the beach to meet the officiant of our 23rd anniversary ceremony, Mr. Doug Farmer from the Circular Congregational Church in Charleston (where John Newton heard the sermon about the evils of slavery and later converted and wrote Amazing Grace). His words carried important reminders and his charges were powerful for us both as spouses and as parents. The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary took elegant care of us during our three-hour dinner full of rich conversation, laughter, incredible food, and personable staff. A happy anniversary celebration, indeed!
Day Six
After our final breakfast at the Jasmine Porch, we set off for Boone Hall Plantation, known originally for its indigo crops. While it is now privately owned and has been used as a location for many movies (North and South, The Notebook), the main house is not original to the 1700's. Too many times destroyed and sold to new owners, the property now sports a large home in the style of the late 1700's but not the same in size or floor plan. It does showcase the stunning extended entrance road lined with live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss that has come to symbolize the Southern plantation in our minds. There was a fantastic presentation within the Slave Street on the land where slave housing still stood which educated about slave life and traced the Gullah through to today's South Carolina area population and the handcrafted baskets they used on plantations and now sell as beautiful baskets for home decor. The gardens were particularly impressive and shaped like butterfly wings on both sides of the entrance to the home. Interestingly, the ancestor of the triple crown winners Secretariat and Seattle Slew was born and bread at Boone Hall by a Georgian Prince who owned the property at the time. (It will be fun to take that information with us when we visit Kentucky, Maryland, and New Jersey!) It is now that we mention the book we chose to listen to on our driving sections. Yes, another mystery, The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins. Due to less road time, we will have to complete it upon returning home, but it serves a riveting story that we enjoyed very much. We drove north to the border of North Carolina to a place called, South of the Border. Now, a little backstory if you will. Eric grew up taking vacations from Virginia down Interstate 95 to Florida to visit his grandparents in St. Petersburg. Even in Virginia he remembers seeing signs every few miles for South of the Border, all of which kept him entertained on the long road trip. Some would tell jokes. Some would tell stories that lasted for several signs. It passed the time with giggles, yet his family never stopped at the actual location which always looked like a fun place to him. Fast forward to 2017, we stopped and stayed the night at the notorious South of the Border. Lots of color, lots of neon after dark, lots of cheeky, and lots of embarrassing if taken seriously. We laughed until we almost split! It was time to get driving again to Myrtle Beach for a concert that also touched our childhood memories, The Oak Ridge Boys. While very fun to sing the old songs and remember being kids, we proved almost the youngest ones there. The performers were mostly still able to sing on pitch but covered well enough and made for a fun evening. We grabbed a bite for dinner and made it back to South of the Border for the night.
Day Seven
Up early to get back to Charleston for church, we made it for worship at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Wentworth Street. Hearty worship with God's people and a strong sermon to a congregation who has seen God's hand carry them and who are rolling up their sleeves to do the work of the kingdom was just the way to begin our week and end our journey in South Carolina. We hit our last few sites in Charleston walking by Rainbow Row and touring Provost Dungeon, historical site from the Revolutionary War used both as a customs and trading house and an actual dungeon by the British for Patriots. The signal that it was time to head back to Seattle came from the clouds in the form of familiar raindrops. We ducked into Henry's for a yummy lunch and then it was off to the airport to fly back to our kids and cool rainy Seattle.
October 20, 2017
State of South Carolina
Kiawah Island
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
Day One
It was an early morning good-bye to Seattle as we flew all day to Charleston, South Carolina. During our drive from the airport to Hilton Head, a nearby island known for lovely beaches, golf, boating, tennis, and general leisure, we were christened with a welcoming thunderstorm. After dinner and a quick walk around the pools at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, we retired to enjoy the movie, Their Finest, in our room.
Day Two
We woke to a stunning view of the ocean and the pools of the resort, so we started with a long walk on the soft, sandy beach enjoying the splash of the warm waves and the cover of a mostly clear morning sky. The inviting hot tub in the enormous resort outdoor recreation area won us over for a soak before we headed inside to prepare for the day and grab a quick breakfast. Leaving the resort, we stopped for an informational tour of the Harbour Town Lighthouse which is an iconic lighthouse tied to Hilton Head's history. Continuing our journey back towards Charleston, we couldn't pass up The Kazoobie Kazoo Factory where we not only learned fun facts about the history of that funny little noise maker, but we also got to make our own kazoos and play them along with our fellow tour-mates in a rousing rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. There was much giggling and, thankfully, no recording. This is the only remaining plastic kazoo factory in America, and similarly, the Charleston Tea Plantation, is the only plantation growing tea in America, clearly our next stop. We learned the growing, harvesting, and drying processes for tea and were shocked that black, oolong, and green tea all come from the same tea plant. The difference is simply in the air-exposure time, black tea spending the longest exposed to the air before heat drying seals the flavor. The tasting room was TEAlicious! Upon arriving again in Charleston, we checked into our Charleston lodging, Wentworth Mansion, an historic house of the Rodgers family from the late 1880s. Stunning architecture with amazing craftsmanship were met in great detail everywhere you look. Julie enjoyed the family history library and the story of the people. Eric appreciated the rooftop cupola with epic views of the city. After getting to know other visitors at the hospitality hour over wine and hors d'oeuvres, we walked into downtown for dinner at the Low Country Bistro where we tasted the famous She Crab Soup which was scrumptious! Charleston is apparently known for its fantastic food, and we quickly understood why. Hearing some fine and relaxing music as we passed High Cotton, we ducked in for some more tasty treats and a leisurely unwind. A delightful day together!
Day Three
To learn Charleston's origin story, we ventured to Charles Towne Landing just across the Ashley River where the first British settled. We boarded a replica of an early colonial wooden trading ship and were impressed at how it would have been packed and manned for regular six-month travels up and down the coast for delivery of goods, a pre-curser to today's UPS truck. The town remained at the tucked away location until the larger port across the river was deemed defendable from attack. This move allowed the shipping of goods to flourish and expand the city's significance. Our next stop was The Citadel, a military college established before the Civil War to train citizen soldiers. One of Eric's co-workers was a graduate. It's architecture is intriguing since it maintains a castle-like exterior. The traditions and functioning of the school reminded us keenly of our visit 13 years ago to VMI. We then caught a boat to Fort Sumter, an island in the Charleston Harbor, where the first battle of the Civil War took place. The ferry ride was filled with sights of the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, steeples lining the city of Charleston, and the striking Arthur Ravenel Bridge. After hearing much about the significance of Fort Sumter to the start of the Civil War, it was interesting to learn how completely demolished it was by the end of the Civil War after four years of constant bombardment. The number and size of the cannons was surprising as was the seemingly short distance from Fort Moultrie where the attack originated. With the ability to see five miles back to Charleston, we realized that the strategic location of the fort was pivotal in the defense of the area. We wrapped up the evening with dinner included at the Wentworth Mansion at their special restaurant, Circa 1886. Eric had an incredible entree of antelope which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Day Four
We began the day with a Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Tour. To our great surprise, our guide was Elliot, a young man we had met two days before at the Wentworth Mansion where he was also staying on a brief vacation. Elliot was a fantastic and skilled guide. His horse, Buddy, fought him continually throughout the tour since Buddy was new to the tour business and not patient with or obedient to traffic or its signals. It was comical, but Elliot handled him and the tour with the grace of a southern gentleman. We learned about the plethora of disasters that have befallen Charleston in its history. Seriously, they've had it all in great repetition: fires, earthquakes, civil war, and hurricanes. There are still earthquake bolts previously placed through homes to raise them back up after major earthquakes. The SNOB (Slightly North of Broad) and the SOB (South of Broad) are two distinct neighborhoods with historic homes sometimes strangely oriented sideways on their lots with pristine gardens. The price tags of the homes in the SOB area rage from $7 to $11 Million with stories to match from previous owners. We saw where George Washington and Robert E. Lee stayed as well as other illustrious Charlestonians. Some other highlights were the Four Corners of Law, the site of the secession vote in 1860, historic churches, and the public market complete with the high water line from hurricane Hugo. Charleston is hardy as they have had to rebuild and reinvent themselves numerous times in their history. It was then time for lunch at 82 Queen where we enjoyed a Living in History Lunch Lecture on "Charleston's Endearing Gardens" learning about the stunning gardens and planters so prolific in this area. Many of them maintain an Italian form and date from early Charleston both in the design and actual plant heredity. As the city is tightly built without lawns of note, small private gardens are the respite of necessity between the homes. We came away with some fabulous ideas for window boxes and plantings for our own home. Then on our way to larger expanses of land, we drove to Drayton Hall, owned as a private residence for a rice and indigo plantation family in the 1790s. It is now maintained by the Preservation Society to keep in stable condition. It was built in the Georgian Palladian style with lovely attention to symmetry but that went so far as to have fake doors over brick walls to achieve the look. Never modernized, the house presented how the families lived and welcomed guests progressively into more formal rooms culminating in the grand ballroom upstairs where they would dance the night away with their guests. While the slave quarters were not still standing, there were some specific records of individuals and the life they were subjected to including the recently discovered slaving branding iron. All of the plantations along the Ashley River, save Drayton Hall, were burned at the close of the Civil War. Leaving Drayton Hall, we made a brief stop at Middleton Place without enough time in the day to take the tour, so it was time to retire to the The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. What a stunning place of leisure on the ocean! Julie was wowed with the balcony ocean view and stellar accommodations! After a long, romantic walk on the beach enjoying the warm water and soft sand on our feet, we jaunted over to the Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House and quickly learned that even as the bugs were mostly gone for the fall, there were a few flying guests on the porch that wanted to nibble on us as much as we wanted to nibble our dinner! We returned to rose petals on the bed from the anniversary welcome. So romantic!
Day Five
We were so enamored with the beach and peaceful area on the island that we ditched our plans to return to Charleston for home tours and, instead, declared it an island refreshment day! After breakfast at the Jasmine Porch, we rented two beach cruiser bicycles, thankfully nothing like the road bikes that Eric and our boys ride for hundreds of miles together. Julie enjoyed the big cushy seat and upright padded handlebars. There was a paved path around the island that toured past magnificent homes, marshes, alligator ponds, and golf courses. Eric entertained all who caught a glimpse with his graceful and humorous bicycle ballet moves. Julie almost fell off her bike laughing. We cycled our way to the Ocean Course, famous for hosting PGA Championships and the Ryder Cup, and circled back by way of the beach where the sand is hard-packed enough to bike easily beside the splashing waves. It was fantastic to cruise along on the sand of the beach with the warm sun beaming down upon us! After 15 1/2 miles on the bikes, we exchanged them for lounge chairs by the pool and ocean where we utterly relaxed in the hot sun only to be refreshed by the water as we bounced between the pool and the stunning light waves of the ocean. Time to get gorgeous and more formal! Then it was back to the beach to meet the officiant of our 23rd anniversary ceremony, Mr. Doug Farmer from the Circular Congregational Church in Charleston (where John Newton heard the sermon about the evils of slavery and later converted and wrote Amazing Grace). His words carried important reminders and his charges were powerful for us both as spouses and as parents. The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary took elegant care of us during our three-hour dinner full of rich conversation, laughter, incredible food, and personable staff. A happy anniversary celebration, indeed!
Day Six
After our final breakfast at the Jasmine Porch, we set off for Boone Hall Plantation, known originally for its indigo crops. While it is now privately owned and has been used as a location for many movies (North and South, The Notebook), the main house is not original to the 1700's. Too many times destroyed and sold to new owners, the property now sports a large home in the style of the late 1700's but not the same in size or floor plan. It does showcase the stunning extended entrance road lined with live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss that has come to symbolize the Southern plantation in our minds. There was a fantastic presentation within the Slave Street on the land where slave housing still stood which educated about slave life and traced the Gullah through to today's South Carolina area population and the handcrafted baskets they used on plantations and now sell as beautiful baskets for home decor. The gardens were particularly impressive and shaped like butterfly wings on both sides of the entrance to the home. Interestingly, the ancestor of the triple crown winners Secretariat and Seattle Slew was born and bread at Boone Hall by a Georgian Prince who owned the property at the time. (It will be fun to take that information with us when we visit Kentucky, Maryland, and New Jersey!) It is now that we mention the book we chose to listen to on our driving sections. Yes, another mystery, The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins. Due to less road time, we will have to complete it upon returning home, but it serves a riveting story that we enjoyed very much. We drove north to the border of North Carolina to a place called, South of the Border. Now, a little backstory if you will. Eric grew up taking vacations from Virginia down Interstate 95 to Florida to visit his grandparents in St. Petersburg. Even in Virginia he remembers seeing signs every few miles for South of the Border, all of which kept him entertained on the long road trip. Some would tell jokes. Some would tell stories that lasted for several signs. It passed the time with giggles, yet his family never stopped at the actual location which always looked like a fun place to him. Fast forward to 2017, we stopped and stayed the night at the notorious South of the Border. Lots of color, lots of neon after dark, lots of cheeky, and lots of embarrassing if taken seriously. We laughed until we almost split! It was time to get driving again to Myrtle Beach for a concert that also touched our childhood memories, The Oak Ridge Boys. While very fun to sing the old songs and remember being kids, we proved almost the youngest ones there. The performers were mostly still able to sing on pitch but covered well enough and made for a fun evening. We grabbed a bite for dinner and made it back to South of the Border for the night.
Day Seven
Up early to get back to Charleston for church, we made it for worship at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Wentworth Street. Hearty worship with God's people and a strong sermon to a congregation who has seen God's hand carry them and who are rolling up their sleeves to do the work of the kingdom was just the way to begin our week and end our journey in South Carolina. We hit our last few sites in Charleston walking by Rainbow Row and touring Provost Dungeon, historical site from the Revolutionary War used both as a customs and trading house and an actual dungeon by the British for Patriots. The signal that it was time to head back to Seattle came from the clouds in the form of familiar raindrops. We ducked into Henry's for a yummy lunch and then it was off to the airport to fly back to our kids and cool rainy Seattle.