Charleston, SC architecture-roofs, windows and doorways

December18-21

We toured the city on foot, admiring the architecture and "Battery Row", the area where wealthy residents built their homes up to 3 centuries ago.  We also visited the Farmers Market and the City Market.  I love taking photos of architectural features!

Festival of lights, James Island County Park, Charleston, SC

December 19

This extremely well managed County Park has a Christmas extravaganza each year.  It keeps getting bigger and bigger, attracting visitors from far and wide.  It takes Park staff weeks to get ready and install all the lights.  They have a "train" running through the park, or, as a camper, you can take a shuttle to view the light displays.  There is also a fair where you can meet Santa (...we didn't) and eat various healthy treats..We discovered "funnel cake", a delicious concoction made up of two food groups...maybe three!  Fried dough and icing sugar...Yum!   The park shuttle also makes daily runs into the city of Charleston for $10.00, leaving the campground at 9:00 AM and returning from the city's Visitor Centre at 4:00 PM.  A perfect way to explore the city without parking and driving hassles!

Myrtle Beach on alert!

Our only photo of Myrtle Beach...

Did this make the news in Canada? 

We just drove on through....

Southport NC , December 14

An omission from our itinerary.

 December 14, Southport NC

We took a small ferry from the Wilmington NC area to the small town of Southport.  We saw our first pelicans of the trip and we also saw a few porpoises.  Unfortunately, no photos!

A few images show that we are now truly in a tidal coastal area.  The roads flood at each high tide.  Glad that doesn't happen in Shelburne! 

 

Taking advantage of the flooding....bath time!

Ready for Christmas...

Watch for the signs, part 2, or you know you're in the South when...

The signs speak for themselves...

Yikes!

My favourite!!!

Brookgreen Gardens, Huntington Beach

December 16

While Dave was truly enjoying some R and R at the campground, I walked an hour to get to  Brookgreen Gardens which cover more than 9000 acres.  The Gardens include a vast sculpture garden began by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her wealthy businessman husband Archer Huntington (after whom the State Park where we are staying is named).  The sculptures are mostly made of bronze (many by Huntington herself), others of aluminum, stone or marble.  The collection includes more than 1200 works by American artists from the 1930s to the present.

Much of the land was occupied by rice plantations and one can walk a trail where the life of plantation slaves is depicted.

 Also within the huge property is a zoo featuring native wildlife (several birds, otters, alligators, foxes) and some domestic animals as well as a small sanctuary for injured animals, primarily birds of prey.

 

A most interesting visit, a long walking day and many mixed feelings about the history, the beauty, the stewardship and past and current use of this land. 

 

R and R and wildlife viewing at Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina

December 14-18

We have now entered a completely different ecological zone and are experiencing a heat wave to boot (day time temps in the mid-70s and low 80s, quite unusual for

December) !  Our first palm trees, cacti and various sub-tropical plants and...alligators.  Definitely no bears!

The campground backs onto a beautiful beach and the campsites are within a minute's walk of toes in the sand.  There are walking trails and boardwalks overlooking and penetrating marshes where we were able to see quite a bit of wildlife, including different types of heron (Great Blue, tricolour), snowy egrets, ibis, turtles and ...alligators who have come out of their usual December torpor to sun themselves.