Charleston, SC

On Thursday, August 3rd, I boarded a plane headed to Charleston to visit Katie!  First time for me to fly alone - I've always traveled with other people - so this was a little different.  I had really short layovers in Atlanta both going and coming home and that was my only concern but Atlanta, even though it is huge, is such an easy airport to navigate that I had no problems at all getting to my gates on time.  Oh, it was so wonderful to see my girl and spend five days with her!!  I landed at noon and we headed straight for Sake House by the airport for some sushi.  Katie said she had been wanting some sushi but none of her new friends liked it so she got her fix first thing.  Afterwards, we headed to her apartment to unload my stuff, visit with the cats and take a little break.  We didn't stay still for very long and we were off to walk through Battery Park and then for a drive through historic downtown.  The architecture is amazing and Katie was looking for houses she sees on one of her crazy "garbage TV" programs.  We stopped in for what turned out to be one of our favorite meals at Charleston Crab House.  Great atmosphere, service, food, craft beer and view of a busy downtown street.  After that, we walked through a downtown marketplace and checked out there wares.  Katie found a hat for the beach so she was happy.  We headed home for the evening and got up Friday morning to stormy weather.  That never stopped us and off we went to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum where we got to tour the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, USS Laffey destroyer and the USS Clamagore submarine - all were WWII vessels and were the coolest things to wander around and check out.  Since it was pouring down rain, we went below deck on the Yorktown and checked all of that out first.  The rain apparently scared everyone away for the day because we pretty much had the run of the ship and NO CROWDS which was wonderful!  Later in the day when we had toured all three ships, the throngs of people flocking in were unbelievable.  We were so glad we didn't have to try to see everything in those cramped quarters with thousands of other folks.  We left Patriots Point and went to Red's Ice House on the shoreline and had another wonderful meal of fresh seafood.  After lunch, we went and toured the Nathaniel Russell House in downtown.  Beautiful historic home with a floating staircase.  When it was built, the staircase was an architectural wonder because it wasn't anchored to the wall anywhere.  Now they have it stabilized but it was still cool.  We went and chilled at the apartment for a while then on to Toast of Charleston, a restaurant Katie has heard a lot about and was anxious to try.  It turned out to be our least favorite place of all.  The food was mediocre and we didn't even eat our shared seafood dip which is unheard of - Katie and I always eat everything!!  Saturday morning we got up and headed to the Farmers Market in downtown.  Lots of vendors selling their wares, vegetables and cooking up fantastic smelling foods.  We were going to eat there, but Katie didn't see anything she wanted so we were going to find a restaurant, but never did so we just went on to the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island for a tour of their processing plant then a trolley tour of the tea fields.  Very interesting place - it's the only place in the United States where tea is grown!  With all the rain they've been having, the fields were really muddy and our trolley got stuck.  Along came the big green tractor to pull us out though and we were on our way.  On our way back to town, we stopped by Johns Island to see the beautiful 400 year old Angel Oak Tree.  How cool it was to see something that's been alive that long!  Coming out of Johns Island, we just happened to spot Gilligan's Seafood Restaurant and we were REALLY hungry since we hadn't eaten breakfast so Katie made a quick turn and we ended up having another one of our favorite meals there!  I had a fabulous spicy Bloody Mary there that was loaded with vegetables and a bacon wrapped shrimp.  After lunch, we went and toured the Warren Lasch Conservation Center where the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine, is housed.  It was commissioned in 1863 and in 1864 it became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship during wartime.  It sits in a vat of special solution that is drained into a holding tank while they work on scraping all the buildup off then the solution is put back into the holding tank while they are not working on it.  Eight men sat in a row and turned a crank to move the thing and the explosive charge was put on 20' long beam, or spar, on the front of the submarine and they rammed the enemy ship, the USS Housatonic.  Amazing history.  We headed back to downtown to tour the Joseph Manigault House.  It was completed in 1803 and is a National Historic Landmark.  Very interesting, beautiful home and there were only four of us on this tour so it was easy to see everything and spend some time inspecting the home and the grounds.  After the tour, we went to the apartment to relax before heading to The Noisy Oyster for dinner.  The food was OK but the service was about the worst I've ever had anywhere.  They definitely need new management, but we still had fun!!  Sunday was all day spent at the beautiful beach of Sullivans Island!  A lot of the nurses that aren't working gather there every Sunday and spend the day chillin' on the beach or in the water, fishing, kite flying and drinking beer.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and perfect for the beach.  We ended up a Perlz Little Oyster Bar and had a wonderful meal and a great visit with Justin and Arianna...and, of course, Gus the mutt!  Monday morning, Katie and I both woke up to some pretty bad sunburn - hers on her back and shoulders, mine on my feet where my flip flop straps go.  Made for some difficult walking through the airports, but I made it home safe and sound and the burns are finally healed...three weeks later!!  Thanks, Katie, for my wonderful birthday weekend - you were an excellent hostess and tour guide!!

Made it to Charleston!

Sushi served in a boat!  There was some strange blue lighting in this place...

Katie's hospital...

...and apartments

 

The kids!!

Battery Park.  This was some sort of protected bird - they were everywhere!

A Confederate statue that will probably be removed in the near future.

One of the many cannons in "cannon row".

Beautiful views from the park.

First of many seafood dinners - YUM!!

I loved these doors!! 

A travel nurse's apartment is pretty sparse - never in one place long enough to even hang pictures!

USS Yorktown in the rain...a little rain NEVER stopped us!!

This platform represents the pitch of the deck of the sinking ship

So thankful we got to tour the ships with no people!  The rain scared them all away.

Throw 'er in the brig!!!

Katie is part of the nursing corps

Taking a break and watching a movie in the pilots ready room

The flight deck is huge!

Arthur Ravenel Bridge from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown

 

They said this aircraft carrier is 1/3 the size of the ones they have today - incredible!!

The USS Clamagore

Inside the submarine

Katie and I wouldn't have made good submariners. I can't imagine running and jumping through these little doorways!

Umbrellas were for rain; now for sun!

The USS Yorktown and the USS Laffey

Katie checking out her workspace on the USS Laffey

 

Oh, my...just look at that seafood!!  My first lobster roll and it was fabulous!

One of the dozens and dozens of beautiful houses in downtown.

Right in the middle of town.  Wish I could've wandered through it-OLD headstones!

Nathaniel Russell House

 



No peace in this house...:)

They love their treats!!

 

Farmers Market

 

Headed out to the tea plantation.  Reminds me of a Louisiana road.

With the tea plantations frog mascot

Our trolley coming to pick us up

The processing plant - another picture I couldn't get to turn the right way!

The greenhouse

 

Angel Oak Tree

My yummy Bloody Mary and snack food!

The H.L. Hunley in its solution tank...this totally fascinates me.

This replica is actually a little bigger than the original.

Those poor guys operating this thing didn't have much room!

Can't believe the charge they had to ram with - craziness!

I've never seen an entryway building like this going into a home.

This medallion and all the detail work in this house was gorgeous.

LOOK at this crown moulding!!  Wow.

 

My happy girl...:)

Natalie casting out.  She was the only one who caught a fish this day.



Arianna, Justin and Gus

 

There were more pelicans here than there are in Louisiana!!

Bringing in the lines

Gus was happy that Justin and I ordered raw oysters - he licked every shell clean!

Such a sweet puppy

Wonderful last evening of an amazing trip

Trip was "helping" me pack!