Come With Me to the Lowcountry (Part 2 of 2)
Greetings, friends! I pray you enjoyed our stops in Beaufort and Bluffton, South Carolina last week. This week, we’re heading to the beach and to Charleston. If you’re traveling that way anytime soon, make note of these restaurants! (Lest you think we ate our way thru’ South Carolina, well, we did.)
Third stop: Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Only an hour and a half from Beaufort, we arrived on the Isle of Palms the next day in time for lunch. (Perish the thought we miss a meal! It’d be sinful to miss a meal in the Lowcountry.)
We stayed in a condo’ in The Village at Wild Dunes. www.wilddunes.com Oh, to be at the beach! Lots of families took up very little space on these huge beaches.
The tides change four times a day. When the tide’s out, it’s a game-changer for families with little kids. They can have their own little tide pools, set up tents, games, you-name-it. We walked for miles and miles. Exhilarating!
One of our favorite meals happened at a restaurant with quite the moniker: The Obstinate Daughter is on Sullivan’s Island. Just minutes from the Isle of Palms, we pulled up to a veritable restaurant row. The couple we sat next to also happened to be from Kentucky which made our experience that much more fun. www.theobstinatedaughter.com
If my parents were still living, they’d probably buy that restaurant in my honor and move to South Carolina. This lonely only can be a tad obstinate on occasion!
Restaurateurs will tell you they’re paying homage to the “rich Revolutionary War history of Sullivan’s Island. On June 28, 1776, under the command of Colonel William Moultrie, the defenders of Fort Sullivan foiled the British fleet’s attempt to capture the city of Charleston in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. This first American Patriots victory inspired a London political cartoon of the defiant defenders of Charleston: ‘Miss Carolina Sullivan, one of the obstinate daughters of America, 1776’.” Who knew?
Fourth stop: Charleston, South Carolina
After an indulgent breakfast at the Sea Biscuit Café (www.seabiscuitcafeiop.com ), Hubster and I made the short trek over to one of our all-time favorite destinations: Charleston.
Arriving just in time to hop in a carriage for a tour, our fiercely strong horse, Riley, carted fourteen of us around town. Riley grew up pulling plows in Amish country, so this was a walk in the park for him. Only once did our guide scold him as he’d try to turn in a different direction, knowing a shortcut to the stable!
We had to stop for a minute for our tour guide to receive which course he’d be taking us on. Each carriage must register with the city at a tiny little shack, state the name of the horse, and receive a tag telling us which of the three routes we’d be taking. (This is for the express purpose of insuring the horse’s number of work hours aren’t in excess, as well as for the carriage companies’ legitimate registration.)
Thankfully, we were number one for take off, waiting for the next carriage’s return. That meant there were twenty carriages currently stirring about town. (This was ten o’clock in the morning!)
One moment of awe smacked us in the face before we began our tour. While waiting for the okay, we noticed a very elderly man, clad handsomely in a suit, tie, hat, and dress shoes, walking very slowly across the street.
I noticed him first and said, to John, “Oh, no. He’ll never make it across before the light changes.” Suddenly, everyone in our carriage noticed him. We all became apprehensive.
He clearly wasn’t concerned and kept walking. Barely putting one foot in front of the other. He was carrying something which seemed to be too large for his very diminished frame. And yet, he persevered… As he got closer to our carriage, John said, “Well, will you look at that? He’s carrying a Bible!”
We were reminded of Isaiah 46:4 – “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Beautiful sight to behold.
Movin’ on with Riley, Charleston’s architecture and history captivated all of us. Cameras were clicking as often as Riley’s hooves were on the street.
Afterwards, we landed for lunch at a perfect spot with an equally amusing name as the Obstinate Daughter. This restaurant was dubbed S.N.O.B., standing for Slightly North of Broad. (www.snobcharleston.com )
Hubster has a knack for getting us a table sans reservation which still stuns me. We savored Butternut Squash Bisque and a Grilled Salmon Salad that both were to die for.
The twenty-five minute trip back to the beach flew. We were parked on the beach, half asleep before you could say, “Goodbye Charleston.”There’s nothing like hearing the roar of the waves and watching the tide ebb and flow. For a change, we could be still.
We laughed as we were monitoring our blood pressures (long story). Both readings were uncharacteristically low. We said, “Wow, we’re nearly dead! Wonder if that’s the definition of BEING RELAXED?”
Psalm 46:10 is the best reminder of our tremendous trip:
With summer upon us, I pray your next vacation brings you peace, awe, savory meals (!!!) and stillness to rest in the Lord.
‘Til next time!