South Carolina

             Friday morning, we packed everything up and left Lake Myers. It was sad to say goodbye to family that had come to visit, but we planned on meeting up at various times during the year for Christmas and such. We drove south to The Oaks at Point South campground in Yemassee, South Carolina; and the drive was several hours, so we were tired when we arrived. It felt good to relax that night, playing Pictionary. Mia and I had never played it before, and we made a great team.

                                              

                              

           On Sunday, we drove to Beaufort, a historic town about a half-hour from Yemassee.  Beaufort was my favorite place we went to while in South Carolina.  We visited several shops with lots of character, like a bagel store with flavors like garlic, cinnamon raisin, and pumpernickel. Beaufort was like my dream town: the perfect mix of a small town on the water and history. Later in the day we drove over to Port Royal to go to the Cypress Wetlands. I definitely recommend the Cypress Wetlands if you love swamp animals.  We saw lots of turtles, and even a baby alligator. 

                                                                The waterfront in Beaufort 

                                              The Chocolate Tree shop featured in the movie Forest Gump

                                        This restaurant in Port Royal used to be a one-room schoolhouse

                                                                    The Cypress Wetlands 

                                                                     🐊   The baby alligator 
                                                            

            On Monday we traveled to Savannah, Georgia.  We went to a pretty park downtown and walked on the shaded paths, then we went to the breathtakingly beautiful St. John’s Cathedral. The stained-glass windows, wood carvings mounted on the walls, and domed, colorful ceiling was something I'd never seen in real life before, and I will never forget it. Later in the afternoon we went to a candy shop where I had my first taste of a praline (a sugary pecan sweet popular in the South).  I loved it, but I knew that if I had more than a little, my stomach would be very mad at me later. All the candy in the shop looked amazing, and we couldn't resist buying a chocolate covered peanut butter cup. After the candy, we boarded a riverboat for a short toured cruise down the Savannah River.  The tour had tons of interesting facts, and the air-conditioned third deck felt amazing after the midday heat. 

                                                            

                                                                    Fountain in the park 

                                                                         St. John's Cathedral

                                                    

                                                    One of the beautiful carvings on the cathedral walls

                                                        One of the glass cases at the candy shop

                                         These steps had a sign that said "Historic Steps. Use at Own Risk." 

                                                                              As you can see, I made the risky decision. . 

                                                        My parents on the riverboat cruise 

We hadn’t gotten everything done that we wanted to in Beaufort, so we went back on Tuesday. We went to Hunting Island, where my mom and Mia climbed to the top of the nearly 136 foot lighthouse. We had a picnic lunch, then went to the nature center where baby alligators, snakes, and turtles lived. The Spanish Moss Trail was our last destination, and the trail was great.

                                                              At the Hunting Island  lighthouse 

                                                  Mia hugging the wall at the top of the lighthouse 

                                                  At the mouth of a tunnel on the Spanish Moss Trail 

            Hilton Head was our destination for Wednesday, and it was a leisurely day.  We rode our bikes through the island woods, relaxed at the beach, and then went to a burrito shop for dinner.  I haven't been to the beach in a while, and it felt great to be back. The sand was soft and comfortable and Mia and I built sand fortresses on the beach.

                                                             In  front of the small lighthouse at Hilton Head 

On Thursday we had rain from the tropical storm, so we stayed home to get schoolwork and other various work done.  It was nice to have an at-home day after the busy beginning of the week.

Mia and I completed several list items while in South Carolina, and my parents created 50 Things to Accomplish While RV-ing Lists as well.  My dad completed See an Armadillo as we were driving one day, which was super cool because we'd just been talking about how it might be hard to find an armadillo. My mom checked off Go to Savannah, Ride a Riverboat, and See an Alligator within just two days!  I finished Try a New Food (I tasted a sun dried tomato bagel at a shop in Beaufort); and Mia did See a Turtle in the Cypress Wetlands and See a Historic Cannon at the Beaufort Arsenal.  Making and completing items on our lists has been really fun, and I plan to create a second list for myself once I complete everything, or most of the things, on my current list. 

                                                                        The Beaufort Arsenal 

             We have had a good time in South Carolina, but I am excited to head to Florida on Monday. We are looking forward to seeing friends in Florida, and have some fun activities planned.  I will post again on Friday, October 1, about our first RV trip to Florida; so be sure to read my new post!