(6/6-13/2015)
Day One: I arrived last night at a sweet little 3-bedroom Airbnb on James Island after leaving my R&R in the country. It’s located in the southeast Charleston outskirts off the road to Folly Beach. I had told the owner I was handicapped and she offered to help bring my gear inside. I travel with an oxygen concentrator, cooler, backpack, reading pillow and a few small bags of other necessities so this is no mean feat! Rashaunda was a delight and it was a pleasure meeting her and having a good chat.
Picked up Julia and Audrey at the airport midday and whisked them away for adventure after a quick bite to eat (at fast food. Lol! I know, there’s tons of good food here, but we had an agenda!) Side note: my new SCAD student-designed apron I picked p in Savannah is a marvelous bib to wear in the car because it covers everything and can hold napkins! The “Car Dining Poncho” is the only way I eat in the car now because I’m VERY grotty.
Arrrr me bucko! Now pirates come with cameras in their left hand to document their misdeeds.
We headed downtown. I do research for upcoming places on the fly right before I get there (mostly) because planning the trip before I left involved so many big picture items so I didn’t have time to do both, even though I’m retired! Where does the time go? So, I had found out that SpoletoUSA and Piccolo Spoleto were wrapping up that weekend and I booked us into a short play called “Pirates! The Revenge of Colonel Rhett”. Arrrr me bucko!! It was the true story of how Charleston was a pirate haven that held the upper hand with the small, official British presence until the redcoat’s numbers increased. Serious dialog from the Colonel led to a shanty song, swaggering pirates, mirth and an eerie ghost story. Them thar bones of dead pirates arrrrr still a-rollin’ in the salt marshes where they be flung, after the hangman was done with ’em, so be aware on yer visit here! True actually.
Sweet 82 y.o. woman
Next up, the South Carolina Aquarium and we decided to walk because we had free parking at the “restaurant only” parking lot. A sweet 82 y.o. lady attendant decided we were worthy. The Handicap Advantage scores again!
On the way we met another interesting woman and a man weaving palm frond roses which are a typical tourist offering along with the beautiful Sweetgrass baskets woven by African Americans who identify with the Gullah culture here in the Low Countries. The baskets can be expensive because they are exquisite, but I’m a cheapskate so the few dollars for the roses was more appealing then $40 to hundreds of dollars.
Our first attraction at the Aquarium was a 10 minute, 4-D Predators of the Deep! film. That means you wear the supposedly 3-D glasses, (fuzzy, scratched plastics more accurately) then in appropriate moments feel a bit of wind, spritzed with sea spray, surrounded by soap bubbles when you’re undersea, your seat will shake a bit and occasionally give you a vicious poke from a shark. We loved it! I did not like the poke. It hurt because I’m too skinny.
Aquariums are awesome these days and this one had the two-story, big sea creatures tank. Best part was the huge turtle in there interacting with Julia. Highlights for me were the tiny frogs, the rescued sea birds, the albino alligator and petting the little rays. But my favorite was the Madagascar exhibit raising money to save it. They had a lemur enclosure. I love lemurs! There was a plexiglass dome a small person/child could crawl through a tunnel to get to that put you into the habitat. Audrey was lucky enough to have two lemurs come sit on the dome and hang out when she was in there. So cool!
Tired, because it has been a big day and we were walking around a lot, we found a restaurant back in the main downtown area, and sat down in time to see the last bend of the Belmont Stakes and American Pharaoh take the triple crown. Timing! Had to Google what all the whooping was about though.
We had some coconut shrimp, crab cakes, fried green tomatoes, etc. and took off for the house to collapse. I said before that we were walking, but ha! I was in a scooter! I paid for the fried food later. Something else I’m learning on this trip. Fried food is hard on one’s system, and I’m so lightweight that I feel it’s effects pretty soon. Our poor gall bladders! Ok, too much information. Lol.
The first engagement of the Civil War was watched from the houses on the harbor.
Day Two: Today we steeled our resolve to get up early and drove back to town at 9am to take a “Free Tour of Charleston”. Scott worked only for tips and it was fabulous. Still, Charleston is kinda brutal for handicapped. The sidewalks at most corners are ramped but the old building styles create a 1″ to 2″ stone lip to surmount or dismount. Then there’s the occasional brick street, and the brick and slightly uneven old slate slab sidewalks. Man, the scooter and I were shaken and stirred by the end of the day. Oh well. C’est la vie. Ain’t gonna not go!
Sunday seer sucker suits and white shoes are still the norm for the Charleston elite.
Charleston is a nice old town, but it lacks the buzz of Savannah, with its SCAD students keeping it lively. I saw mostly vacationers and an older set drawn in by the performances staged with SpoletoUSA, like high quality opera, theater and dance. The core of downtown was smaller, more staid and seemed more wealthy, although I admit I didn’t get to outlying suburbs of either cities to judge.
A little privacy, please.
Our guide pointed out an interesting architectural feature that I hadn’t noticed elsewhere. On two-storied homes there were porches on both levels to cool oneself in the heat of the day, and although these places were built before air-conditioning, I bet on nice nights they are still used. The porch on the lower level had a bit of wall sticking out from street-facing side of the house and had a full door built in it so that one had privacy to sit a spell without the street passers by seeing you. We also learned this town has long been called the Holy City, so named by sailors coming up river because from the sea they could spot all the church spires which once dominated the skyline.
Scott recommended the Bull Street Market for lunch and I had the best Croque Madame ever, because there was a small ladle of cream gravy poured over the grilled ham and cheese sandwich before the egg was placed. Totally made the dish for this southern gal!
Next up was the Boone Plantation just east of town over the estuary. Neither Julia nor Audrey had ever been to a plantation. I’ve been to many and can say it had popular features like the alley of oak trees leading to the mansion, and a formal garden but it also has an intact stables and an old cotton gin shed. There are slave-made brick cabins for the skilled slave craftspeople and domestics, as opposed to the much smaller wood slave shacks with no hearth that the field hands had near the fields.
At the last cabin a shaded, simple amphitheater had been built. We were treated to a historical soliloquy and songs from a Gullah woman in period costume. She was powerful and rich with information and held us in thrall. One thing I learned was that mostly Angolan slaves were brought here and from the word “Angola” came ‘”Gola” and then “Gullah”.
These East Africans knew how to cultivate rice and not only helped their white owners survive but to become wealthy on the backs of their labors and expertise. She did not sugar coat the narrative but she did made us laugh sharing the almost incomprehensible Gullah patois which enabled them to talk about people outside their culture unawares. It also is the root of the speaking styles of many African Americans today, with “dem” replacing “them” and “axe” replacing “ask”. The show was our favorite part.
Long day again but we grabbed some snacks and headed for Folly Beach to give everyone some beach time. We picnicked and J&A frolicked in the waves while I cruised the pier and gift shop. All those oceanic negative ions gave us a very positive sleep.
Day Three and Four: Off to Asheville, NC, our overnight stop before entering the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. You get a sense of why the coastal regions in the southern states are called the Low Countries. The subtle landscape changes as you move to a higher elevation. The old sea bed 65,000 years ago, according to SCAquarium, came up to the city of Columbia which is mid-state, about 120 miles from the sea. Rolling hills and creeks replace meandering sloughs and sweet grass or thick jungle flatlands.
As is our wont, we laughed and sang and reviewed the delightful time we had in Charleston and the good times to come. I pondered the depth of upcoming “Attractions” signage. Attractions. Places we are attracted to and want to see. What abundance of curiosity we have as a species. Not just us; we share that with many other animals. Maybe it’s a planet-wide thing for the higher cognizant creatures. The rest are just interested in eating and getting laid.
We battled a fierce rainstorm but eventually skirted Asheville to head a bit northeast to our Airbnb. What we did see in that town was very interesting and we decided to go back in the morning before we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Didn’t see any bears that night although the owner said a mama and her two cubs roamed the area. The sensor light did go off at midnight so who knows what prowled the woods near the next door creek in this cute little valley we’re in. Audrey and I did see lightning bugs, much to our delight.
Also delightful was Asheville the next day. The downtown is very vibrant, similar to other towns recovering from the recent depression. Artists and musicians and relaxed attitudes reigned here. I saw two lesbian couples walking around the groovy center of town so you know it’s unjudgemental here. A visiting potter we encountered called it an island of blue in a sea of red. Ha! My kinda place–creative, playful, intelligent. Let the good times roll!
After a tasty sushi repast downtown we got a super late start at 2pm on the Blue Ridge Parkway and almost immediately stopped at the Folk Art Center. The upper floor was a museum split into traditional crafts like basketry, cloth weaving, and carving, and a contemporary display of craftspeople doing exquisite furniture, jewelry, and other fine arts. Below you could purchase a wide array of craft and art offerings. I especially liked the quilts.
The Park Ranger there said we were 9 hours away from our already booked hotel in Roanoke that night. “Oh nooooo!” said mental Mr. Bill. I knew the speed limit was 45 mph but forgotten from my only visit 20 years ago that the speed limit sign is there to mock you. Curves and hairpins and must see overlooks slow you right down to about 20-25mph. That is the beauty of the commercial vehicle and truck-free two-lane road, but also makes it hard to judge how much you can go in a day, especially with all the places to walk trails or do things like go hear Appalachian music.
Luckily, my booking portal, Hotels dot com, was able to get the Roanoak place to cancel without penalty and rebooked me at a more feasible destination. It would mean a hell of a drive the next day and missing some of the Parkway but it also meant we could relax and enjoy what we had today.
First blooms
It’s so beautiful in these mountains. Green and lush, sweeping vistas as we tooled along the crest. The bonus was the just blooming rhododendrons. They’ll come in fully in another week or two but they added splashes of pink, white, lavender, purple and a bold orange that embroidered our experience.
At twilight we grabbed some JJ’s Deli items, a new chain store for me, and headed for our hotel. We dumped our bags and headed straight for the indoor hot tub. We had the place to ourselves as we ate and later drowned our road weariness in the hot waters. Upgraded suites added to our nightcap.
Day Five: Lovely to still be in the cool mountain air of the Appalachian range. Very friendly crowd at the free breakfast area. We were all friends by the time we went our separate ways. Left the small town of Boone (as in Daniel) happy and ready for a long drive to our old schoolmate, Stacey. Too happy. Excited lead foot got Jules pulled over 5′ from our hotel. But the handicap advantage comes to the rescue again! The trooper understood it was the fault of my diuretics pressuring us to find a loo and escorted us a short way up the road and went in to get the bathroom key for me. While I obligingly took myself off to the as yet unneeded bathroom (heh heh, great excuse, huh?) he checked J’s license and they had a tearful big-heart session in deciding to just give her a warning. I love this guy! And this after licking his chops at her high speed and California plates. Big softy.
Quite giddy now we barreled down hazy interstates and did state line mambos into Virginia, West Virginia (“A Wild and Wonderful State!”), back to Virginia, then into Maryland until exiting into more human, smaller routes through charming old villages to get to our destination in Damascus.
Almost…there.
Thrilled to arrive at Stacey’s nice house backing up to a large, wild parkland and reunite with our dear friend from grade school. Laughter, stories, snacks and a good nights sleep was had by all.
Day Six and Seven: Not much to say about Day Six as I rested up. Missed my “rest every third or fourth day” rule again so I was pooped. Stacey took Julia and Audrey to Baltimore, an outing I was fine to miss since I will be staying with a friend there all next week. They did Fells Point and crafted glass souvenirs at McFadden’s Glassworks. Looked neat!
Stacey BBQ’d that evening and we had nice chats on the deck overlooking the forest that comes up to her house. The birdsong and frog chorus was a welcome balm from our long road journey here.
Day Seven: Today promised to be very hot and humid with a heat advisory. Plans to cruise the old village of Frederick were scrapped and Stacey took us the the enclosed and air-conditioned National Air & Space Museum instead. Wow! What a place. A huge airplane hangar packed with everything from early balloon baskets to the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Remember Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
But wait! There’s more!! The museum had an IMAX theater. Not just any IMAX but one with a six-story screen. It just happened to be showing the opening day of…Jurassic World! In 3-D!! Whoo-hoo!!! The acting was a bit silly but the plot did a pretty fair job linking to the originals and it was fun even if the ending was wobbly.
We stopped at a very nice restaurant then headed back to rest up for the sights of D.C. next day, J & A’s last before returning to Big D. 😦
Day Eight: Cooler than yesterday’s 100° but the humidity and blazing sun baked me anyway. We came to the D.C. Mall in two cars as Stacey was taking Julia and Audrey to the airport later in the afternoon and I was going to hang with another school friend, Cherie, for 24hrs.
Tried to find handicapped spot by the WWII Memorial between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument (Ol’ Spike) but none was to be had so we unloaded me and the scooter at least. Then a Secret Service guy took pity on us and let Julia park the van behind the bathrooms! Lol. Whatever works.
By the way, I think the van has whispered her name to me. Esmeralda popped into my head. I thought also Esme for short. Then the very next day Stacey happened to speak of an older friend of hers who also has Scleroderma named Esmerelda or Esme. Well, the synchronicity was very strange, and I love that kind of serendipity so I took it as a sign.
We made a fair go at the Mall but it was bloody hot, Stacey hadn’t found her own special secret service parking space so we threw in the damp towel, reloaded and took off for Alexandria down river to meet a a couple more UA alumni pals for lunch.
It was hilarious that we agreed to meet at Austin Grill in Alexandria. You can take the girl out of Texas but never Texas out of the girl. We met up with Cherie, Loretta and Loretta’s two sweet daughters. I hadn’t seen these two old high school gals in forever! It seemed like no time had passed at all, as it is with friends, but we had lots to catch up on and this brief window closed quickly. Stacey whisked Julia and Audrey off to the airport and I took off with Cherie. It was fabulous to see Stacey after ages. Many thanks my friend for hosting us in your comfy abode!
Much love and thanks to Julia for salvaging this leg, as the person who was going to do it had work obligations crop up. We already knew we loved hanging out and exploring together and this trip was a blast! I feel bad that she sustained an injury a couple days ago but she is indomitable and so selfless that we didn’t hear too much about it. My hero. A bright joyful soul. And Audrey is a delight. Sweet young lady! It is with much sadness I had to let them go.
Sequitur Journal 