Charleston, South Carolina

My parents came to visit about two weeks ago.  It's hard to believe this was their last visit before Robert graduates.  Actually, we don't have any more house guests scheduled to visit until graduation.  Weird!  Of course, we're open to changing that if you want to come and visit. :)  One of the things on Robert's and my to do list of things to do an see while we live in NC was going to Charleston, SC, so while my parents were here we made a weekend trip, and it was great!  Here are some highlights of the trip:

Fort Sumter - I can't say that I'm much of a history buff, but this was still an enjoyable stop.  It took about 30 minutes to get there by ferry.  It was a pretty ride, but it was unbelievably humid.  I'm not even sure why I straightened my hair; I had it up in a ponytail with 10 minutes of the day.

T-Bonz - One of my former co-workers who is from Charleston had suggested several restaurants and attractions.  One of the restaurants Tomeka recommended was T-Bonz, and it did not disappoint.  I got a southern classic of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies.  Delish!  T-Bonz just so happened to be next to a bakery called Kaminsky's.  This place was insane.  We were too full for dessert right after lunch, but we went back that night, and there was a line you had to wait in just in order to get inside to wait in another line, although I was quite impressed that it moved as quickly as it did considering how many people were there.

We failed to take a picture of our own dessert, but here is a pic from their website.  Sinful!

One of my current co-workers (Ryan) is from Charleston, and he recommended The City Market.  It was a lot of fun!  It was kind of overwhelming at times as there were so many vendors and so many people everywhere, but we still enjoyed looking through all the different booths.
 
Our hotel was very nice.  We opted out of a historic inn (too pricey), and really enjoyed our time at the Holiday Inn Express - tasty hot breakfast, a pool, and very clean rooms.  That's all I need in a hotel.

We also made a trip to Folly Beach at sunset.  Gorgeous!

Yet another former co-worker (Dorothy) made another good suggestion for our trip.  Apparently, I only work with people from Charleston.  Side note: Dorothy and I worked together in NC, but she had just moved back to Charleston the day before we got there so Robert and I were able to be her first guests as we stopped by one afternoon while we were in town.  Dorothy suggested that we go to The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon.  We had told her that we wanted to go on some sort of tour but didn't wanted to pay the $40+ that it would take to tour a plantation.  This was the alternative that she suggested, and it was really interesting.  Here's a teaser from the website:

Is the Old Exchange Building a fancy architectural jewel designed to house 18th-century assemblies? Or is it the ghoulish prison of the Revolution, the place where the martyr Isaac Hayne spent his last night? Or is it the place where George Washington greeted his fellow citizens? And there is no question that slaves were sold for close to a generation next to the very balcony from which the Declaration of Independence was read.

We really enjoyed our time in Charleston, and I would recommend a visit if you're in the area.  We're glad we got to go!