South Carolina Vacation Part 2

     After spending some relaxing time at the beach we loaded up and headed into the city (Charleston). This historic city is such a wonderful place to see. Their is history, fun, and it really is small for a city. We got to discover so much while we were there,  We went to the Aquarium which was cool for Rylan. It was fun to compare all of the fish and crabs at the Aquarium to the ones we had seen at the beach. If you ever have the opportunity I would go there just for the 4D movies, that was the coolest part.

     We wanted to see more of the small towns that surrounded Charleston so we drove over the bridge to Folly Beach. This was another lowkey little town like Sullivan's Island. Lots of really relaxed, laid back people who were friendly and talkative is what we found there. We ate lunch and then walked the small downtown area. Then we headed in to go check into our hotel, swim and eat dinner.

     The next morning we went to go and explore the downtown Market. This was neat to see, especially after we had heard so much about it. They sold lots of local cookbooks, seagrass baskets (Gullah baskets as the locals call them), herbs, local art, and so much more. It is also very cool because it is right by the ship port. Lots of restaurants are nearby, as well as some beautifully preserved historic buildings. Just walking around downtown was a treat for us. Down each alley appeared to be a secret garden, it was so clean and pretty. I loved to see the brick and cobblestone streets and alley's.

     We of course had to visit a local brewery for my beermyster of a husband. Tyson loved this part of the trip, this was one thing he wanted to do. The beer was good and the food was delicious. South Carolina BBQ is some of the best I have ever had! After visiting the brewery we went to the Pineapple Fountain that is near a beautiful park. The fountain was right near the water, and apparently all the locals go there. There were kids everywhere soaking up the summer rays. As well as walking around downtown we would take advantage of the car naps by just driving around and seeing what this Lowcountry city was really like. Fabulous was our conclusion.

     We stayed at a hotel that had a swimming pool so we ventured out during the early mornings and returned for the afternoons so Ry could swim and we could all rest. We took advantage of everything we could while we were there, but there is still plenty to do on our next South Carolina vacation!

Rylan and Daddy looking for Sharks.

Rylan and Daddy posing as sharks.

Rylan and Daddy posing with their glasses we had to wear to watch the 4-D movie. We all loved this part!

St. Phillips Cathedral. This steeple was just gorgeous. As hard as I try to be a photographer I am not. But, I did think this picture was cool.

This is an alley street, and it wasn't the only alley that looked like this.

This was a gate that labeled the name of an alley. I took this picture to blow up and put in Rylan's Pirate Room.

Someones front door in an alley. How cool is this?

Rylan getting to see where all the beer is stored at the brewery. This was when Daddy had the camera, can you tell?

The babes and I in front of the Pineapple Fountain.

The Pineapple Fountain

A look at all the Yachts near our hotel.

South Carolina Vacation 2012

South Carolina Vacation Part 1

     We just returned from a fantastic getaway to South Carolina! We had decided that we were going to go on a family vacation, and we wanted it to be somewhere we had never gone before! So my obsession with the Carolina's led us to South Carolina. Neither one of us have ever been on the East Coast and we were anticipating our trip with much enthusiasm. Yes, we did take our kids. I can't yet be apart from my little Reesey Cup, and we couldn't deprive Rylan of the water. We left on a Saturday and returned the following Friday. Before you begin thinking what about the flights with those babies? I will tell you it went great. Rylan was so excited about the plane and getting there that the flights were not a problem (plus we had plenty to eat and play with). Reese did great on the plane, she was great and greeted everyone with her huge smile.

     Arriving in South Carolina was so exciting for us. The weather was beautiful, the people were so friendly, and we were so anxious to see this part of the country. Our vacation will come in two parts. Part one is our beach house stay on Sullivan's Island, and part two will be our stay in Charleston. We chose a house that was right on the beach. With our five minute attention span Rylan I figured being right there was the best way to allow him to come and go at his own pace (it worked out great). We chose Sullivan's Island because it is smaller and really very quaint. The first 3 1/2 days were spent on the beach. We relaxed, took naps, played in the sand, played in the water, watched it rain a beautiful rain, I read my book on the porch and listened to the ocean, Tys and I sat on the porch after the kids went to bed and enjoyed the evening, we hunted for crabs, we picked seashells, we fed the seagulls, we watched kite surfers (they were really very entertaining), ate locally (oh my goodness), shopped locally, visited with locals, and just tried to be locals.

     We did have some rain and a little wind due to Tropical Storm Beryl. But coming from West Texas we are used to wind and we welcomed the rain, because we don't see it much. Despite the rain and wind we had two really fantastic days at the beach. The third day we went and explored Boone Hall Plantation. The Plantation was beautiful, and the story there was so very humbling. We took a tour and learned a lot about the Boone family, the plantations history, and how life was for the slaves on the plantation. Walking in the slaves homes was the most somber, sad, and silencing feeling. I love the history behind the plantation, the movies it has been in (The Notebook for one, which is my all time favorite movie), and that it is still so well kept.

These are my babes from the porch of our beach house. We woke up to this every morning, and were out there by 8:00!

Our little bathing beauty. Don't you love those curves?

The Purdy's on the beach in South Carolina.

Our second night there we at Vickery's which is on Shem Creek Park. From our table when we looked out this is what we saw. I love the impending storm rolling in.

We actually captured one picture where all four of us were smiling.

The boys building a sandcastle.

The entrance to Boone Hall Plantation, remember this from The Notebook?

Every night when we returned back to the beach house from dinner we would walk the beach. We fed the seagulls, searched for crabs, hunted seashells, and just enjoyed the view and the fresh ocean breeze.

If this picture had a caption it would be "Free", which is exactly how the beach made us feel.