Two days:
Charleston, SC mile 469.3 to Hilton Head Island, SC Mile 554.8
We are docked at a marina for the next two nights. I think Mattias needed an anchoring break...last night we settled into a very peaceful river but the wind was blowing. When the anchor alarm went off, Mattias went on deck to check and saw the boat was spinning around. We were sitting in a whirlpool spot and the anchor line wrapped itself around the keel. This morning while pulling the anchor up and out, he noticed the steel Danforth had bent! We had a good motor to Hilton Head and saw many dolphin, one in particular gave a nice show for the girls. Tonight we are at a marina in Hilton Head Island. We are sitting in a "fishbowl" of Rice Krispies. The krill, small shrimp, are nibbling away at our boat and it literally sounds like Rice Krispies crackling beneath us! The first time our friends on Patience heard it, the almost dismantled their whole boat looking for cockroaches and the like. Then remembered, ah, krill!
More later,
Carrie

Last Day in Charleston

The last couple of days have been pretty relaxing as we extended our stay in Charleston. Yesterday Mattias was suffering from cold symptoms and stayed at the boat. This gave Liv and Hanna the opportunity to play, read and nap. Mom enjoyed a nice nap and read in bed! What luxury! In the afternoon, Liv and I shuttled downtown and window shopped, stopped at a book store and looked at Christmas trees, holiday decor and model train exhibit in the large hotel. After a stop at Starbucks for a little pick me up, we called the shuttle for a drive back to the boat. Hanna stayed with Mattias on the boat and both girls enjoyed alone time with one parent.
Today, was a sunnier and warmer day than the sprinkles yesterday. Mattias was feeling better so we set out walking to a restaurant his friend Mike recommended, Hominy Grill. Looking at the framed postings we saw it had been highlighted in the NY Times, Gourmet, Bon Appetit etc. We had a delicious lunch. I ordered the Shrimp and Cheese Grits which the waitress said was popular breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mattias enjoyed a steaming bowl of Gumbo while Liv and Hanna each ate safe grilled cheese and blt's sandwiches. We skipped on dessert (not sure why) but were tempted by Buttermilk Pie and the popular Chocolate Pudding! I purchased a cookbook and hope to introduce some Swedes to grits!
Back on foot and Burley, we walked miles around Charleston today after lunch. Back to the historic neighborhoods of the trendy King St. close to Charleston College; Bay St. (the Battery) and Market. Our little dogs (feet) and girls were tired and the shuttle came just in time to take us back to the boat. We made it an early night as we are setting out tomorrow for more fun on the water!
More later,
Carrie

More Snapshots of Charleston

 

 

 

 

Snapshot of Charleston

 

 

 

 

Charleston Aquarium, Plantation and Dock Pics

 
 
 
 

Charleston, SC Days 1 through 3

 
 
 
 

Day 1
Mattias was working on the boat so I took the girls to the Charleston Aquarium today. It was a beautiful setting right on the harbor with a bridge that rivals the Golden Gate in beauty. Sorry the picture doesn't give it justice. We had an enjoyable several hours there, had a bite to eat and then walked to the library just a few blocks away for a little quiet time. Heesook, Christopher and Don showed up there as well and we hung out in the kids section while the kids were busy on the computers and/or reading. We all went back to our boat for a cup of tea and later took the shuttle to the historic area for dinner. We were heading to one Thai restaurant and little did we know that our driver was moving to Thailand to start and orphanage with his wife so he steered us to a place he recommended and we had a delicious meal.
Day 2
It was plantation day today and it was my choice to decide which one to see and I was down to three. I selected Magnolia after reading reviews online, a recommendation from Charles Kuralt in the guide books, and thought it would be a good one for the kids since they had a petting zoo, the variety of tours etc.. After lunch, an informative tram ride, house tour and nature boat tour, we decided that we could have skipped all but lunch and the tram ride! The home itself was a little disappointing but we saw some beautiful gardens and alligators lurking around the lake! This plantation is still run by the family who lived in the home until 1975 and probably does not have the national budget like Middleton or Drayton Hall, my other choices.
We did some grocery shopping, had dinner out and arrived home after 8. Don and Christopher surprised us on the dock and invited us for wine and cheese since they moved their boat to the marina for one night. We got the girls in jammies, popped them in the Burley and motored down the mega dock which is like, "pack a lunch long"! I took a nice picture of the biggest yacht here. You too could own this 19 million dollar beauty if you were the attorney winning the tobacco settlement of a couple of years back. I guess he pocketed $100 million. So, this yacht has fenders taller than Liv, and its own monogrammed golf cart! One of the dock guys says he wants to tell her (the yacht) how beautiful she is since she doesn't get used nearly enough. And apparently, the mega rich owner has her registered in the Bahamas where there is no tax. This attorney ain't no dumb box of rocks!
Day 3
This morning, I took the girls with Heesook and Christopher to the park to burn off some steam. Mattias actually drove us there before he went for errands as long as we still had the rental car. He picked us up and after lunch our family went to the Children's Museum while Mattias continued to work on the boat. He changed the oil and did some other messy things while we were out of the way. Because we lost a day for repairs and errands, we decided tonight to stay an extra day here in Charleston to do and see more before we leave. It is a beautiful city--and there is so much to see and so much history, plus it is miles ahead of Minneapolis/St. Paul in the trend quotient...something I never realized! I'm afraid if we don't take advantage of seeing the sights while we are here now it'll be a century before we get back again!
More later,
Carrie