Charleston SC

August 2022
A short but fine adventure by I-Travel with Kunnala Read more
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  • The Jasmine House

    August 4, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    After a 7 hour road trip we arrived in Charleston and at our home away from home for the next few days. We couldn’t have picked a better place! Not only does the decor and architecture of it personify the old South, but the amenities are wonderful. We were welcomed with a basket of snacks and a refrigerator full of compliments drinks! Every evening we get a choice of wine and/or Prosecco and an assortment of cheese, salami fruit and crackers, followed by macarons later in the evening (and more drinks if you so wish). The breakfast is just as lovely with cheese, ham and turkey meet, rolls and pastry., and of course Mimosas on Sundays! In addition to a huge front porch, there is a large balcony and a shaded courtyard! I could have just spent all weekend in this lovely Bed & Breakfast!Read more

  • Day 2

    Cypress Gardens and Magnolia Plantation

    August 6, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Cypress Gardens is a 175-acre swamp garden about 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. The gardens were originally a freshwater reserve for the nearby rice plantation, Dean Hall. We walked through the Butterfly House, however it pales in comparison the the butterfly garden in Gainesville. But I enjoyed the Swamparium, where large tanks feature fish, amphibians and reptiles native to the South Carolina Lowcountry, and I took a great video of a Boa Constrictor yawning! The highlight of our visit definitely was the guided paddle boat ride through the swamp and listening to our guide ‘Cowboy’ as he pointed out the spots that were used for filming scenes of The Notebook, Cold Mountain, The Patriot and other Hollywood movies.

    As we still had some time to spare we decided to drive to the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens to spend the afternoon there. The plantation was founded in 1676 by the Drayton Family. It is the oldest tourist site in the Lowcountry and the oldest public gardens in America. The current building dates back to 1873 and is the third home on the site. The two former homes were destroyed by fire during a raid on Union troops. The plantation has remained in the same family for three centuries. We walked through the house which is furnished with early American antiques, porcelain, quilts and other Drayton family heirlooms, strolled through the historic gardens, spent time in the petting zoo, rode on the nature train, and I got lost on the self-guided Audubon Swamp Garden tour (thank you GPS for guiding me back to the car!).

    For dinner, Bob had made reservations at Virginia’s on King where I ordered the Charleston specialty - she crab soup - and deviled eggs as an appetizer, followed by their specialty: Fried Chicken with collards and red rice! Bob had the meatloaf which also was amazing!
    With 16,000 steps for this day, we set a new trip record!
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  • Day 3

    Middleton Place

    August 7, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Middleton Place is a 65 acre, 18th-century rice plantation. The plantation is the birthplace of Arthur Middleton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The plantation is now a National Historic Landmark and home to America’s oldest landscaped gardens. The Middleton Place House Museum was built in 1755 as the gentlemen’s guest quarters, and is the only structure still standing of the original three-building residential complex. The buildings were all burned by Union troops two months before the end of the Civil War. The building still present today was the least burned and restored to provide living quarters for the family. We really enjoyed walking through the grounds which provided some awesome picture opportunities with old oak trees full of Spanish moss looming over the water’s edge, sheep grazing in front of the manor, and stepping into the workplaces of a blacksmith and a cooper in the 18th century.
    Back in Charleston we took another stroll through King street before boarding the Schooner Pride for a very relaxing sunset sail in Charleston Harbor. Bob had made reservations at ‘The Tempest’ a very fine dining restaurant, but I was so exhausted from the day, I was unable to eat anything. Bob savored his ravioli and with the bill I was handed a red rose, Bob received a cigar and we both were offered a sip of cognac. Definitely a place to remember and to keep on the list for our next Charleston vacation.
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  • Day 4

    Charleston to Tierra Verde

    August 8, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    45,000 steps and about 1,000 miles later we made it back home. Our spontaneous vacation was certainly one for the books that we will remember for a long time. I definitely want to go back again in the springtime when the azaleas and camellias are in full bloom and maybe also spend a few days in Savannah to get the full ‘Old South’ experience that is still living up to its name.Read more