Isle of Palms, Day 3

So, on day three, we got up early, decided our plans for the day over breakfast and went down to the beach once again.

Karen and I took off on the bikes and went all over. We went over to the restaurant we were planning to go to for lunch, the Banana Cabana, and checked out the specials for the day.

That place makes the best fries!!! So after getting back and getting ready, we went for lunch.

After lunch, Charleston!

Natalie was so sweet as she waited for her chicken fingers

"Where's my food?"

Nathan, Tony, and Karen

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of our plates once they came...I know mom got her usual, fried shrimp, I got a shrimp, mushroom, artichoke quesadilla, Nathan got a personal pizza, Karen got grilled Mahi Mahi...I don't remember the rest. But we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The neat thing was we were able to walk to the restaurant. So we "earned" our special lunch ; )

Next, we all loaded up and headed across the bridge into Charleston.

(Yeah, old picture, I know, same bridge though)

Didn't have anything, really, on the agenda. Well, I wanted to go to "Cupcake", a place that sells all kinds of cupcakes, but that didn't work out too well. It was too far away!

Anyways, we saw the beautiful, historic homes, covered in Jasmine. It smelled so wonderful!

Can you smell the Jasmine?

Everyone had beautiful window boxes on display

Look at all that Rosemary! I ran my hand across the length of it to release it's scent.

This is what they used to use to step out of the carriages. I guess it would've been right on the curb, instead of behind a tree. Interesting little piece of history.

All the Jasmine. What a good way to leave in the morning and come home in the evening!

I love the roses and the real gas lamps are so romantic.

Makes you want to see what's back there, does it not?

How about this one? This makes me think of heaven...we just have to get through the bars and were free...

This gorgeous gate was at a teahouse. It is incredible how realistic it is. Look like bronzed Fuschia.

Ballast stones from the merchant ships make up this road. Neat!

More pretty flowers...

and more...

Argh! So spooky! I was carefully aiming my camera, waiting for this thing to move on me, like in The Christmas Carol, and Nathan comes up from behind and grabs me, making me jump out of my skin!

Daddy says, "Do you see that?" I say, "What?"

What I took for a building was actually a cruise ship!

And after getting some gelato and free salt-water taffy samples...

home again, home again, jiggity jog.

Back at the beach...

Sweet little beach-peach...

Sunset on Day 2

The very best place to go see the sunset is at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Moultrie ) This has been another tradition for us. I don't know how my Aunt and Uncle first found out about it, but it's wonderful.

So, we thought, "Maybe we should get there in plenty of time, since word's probably gotten around about that place." So we got there a little after 6:30, with the sun setting at 7:30.

You see how high it still is in the sky. So we were going to walk around...but it was soooo windy, and chilly, that we were looking for anywhere to get out of the wind!

Nate looking introspective...

We found a dead Puffer Fish!

Karen and Tony got back in their car to wait for the sunset, so did mom and Nate.

Daddy, Natalie and I braved the chilling winds and it was actually lovely.

As we watched, huge container ships went by. It's something to think that those containers are the trailers you see on the interstate! I wonder what they're carrying and where they're going?

Storm clouds began to gather over Charleston...

as we watched...

and continued to build...

as we watched and waited...

we could see rain falling on Charleston, as the sun dropped behind the huge storm cloud.

It almost looks as though Charleston is burning! (which has happened before)

Those clouds were massive and angry!

This was so picturesque...this is actually someone's back yard furniture! Imagine eating dinner as you watch the sun sink beneath the horizon...ah...

Photo-op! Sunny with the sun!

And as we were hoping, the sun finally popped out through the clouds and shined down on the Charleston skyline.

I love how the light was reflecting on the waves rolling in...

Karen and Tony came out of the shelter of their car to see the sunset and to get a picture.

Family picture...you can see how windy and cold it was! My dad's face...

Thinking about how incredible it is that God breathed that very sun into existence so long ago!

Isle of Palms, Day 2

Okay, so on the first full day of our trip, Mom, Karen and I got up to see the sunrise. We made it just in time to see the sun slip up above the horizon. I had determined that I didn't want to miss anything, so I told Karen, "Get me up to see the sunrise with you!". Forgot the camera that morning, but I can tell you it was gorgeous. It is amazing to see that huge more-than-molten ball appear just as God ordained it to all those years ago when He breathed it in to existence. Never has it failed to rise, and it is only a created thing. If the created thing has never failed to do what it was created to do, how much more can we depend on the Creator to keep His promises to us?!

Then we decided what we would do that day over breakfast. We all knew we wanted to go down to the beach that morning.

Karen and Natalie playing ball...

The gorgeous neighborhood, "BeachSide", where we have the privilege to stay...

The fantastically convenient wagon the belongs to the house...

Straight down to the water, with a supervisor close at hand...

Such a good big brother...

Found a cute little friend, we kept it for a few minutes, but returned it to the water...

She was exhausted...I think the beach has that effect on most everyone...

So there was that.

Then Karen mentioned a *free* place we could go that was historical (for me) and educational. It was the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site.

http://www.nps.gov/chpi/index.htm It wasn't only historical and educational, but it was beautiful and a good way to spend the hottest hours of the day.

Going up to the entrance...

Natalie didn't find the movie about Charles Pinckney very interesting...

The beautiful Plantation house at Snee Farm...

I love this picture because you can see the remnants of a tree house ladder up towards the top of the tree. I wonder who put those there? Pinckney's children? Pinckney himself? Slave children?

One of the things I do miss after moving to the mountains...Huge, sprawling oak trees covered with Spanish moss...

This circle is to show where the well used to be. Archeologists have been working on this site and when they locate an outbuilding or whatever, they outline it with bricks, to help us visualize the Homestead.

Sisters getting in some good bonding time...

Nate and I found this memorial to a Pinckney...

Nate trying his hand at climbing a giant oak...

Lovely flower. It's a Camellia, I believe.

My crazy, oh so lovable aunt, Karen, got some moss terribly tangled around her ankle. She is struggling to remove it...; ) (she really just needed some moss for her planter at home)

I love these white azaleas! Do you see the slightest blush at the top of the blossom?

We found Lantern Waste! The wardrobe is just beyond those evergreens in the background!

...and to finish this blogging session, I'll leave you with a cutie-pie picture...

She has to pick a flower or two wherever she goes!