July 26-Aug 2: D.C. to Charleston, SC

It's already 35 ºC at 9:00 am as I Uber 2 miles back to Washington Union Terminal. My Amtrak app tells me that Train 89, "The Palmetto", is running on time. No. 89 originates in NYC and runs to Washington DC, Richmond VA, Fayetteville NC, Charleston SC, Savannah GA, Jacksonville FL, Orlando FL, and Tampa/Miami FL. It's route from New York City to Washington DC is over its own high-speed line, the 'NE Corridor', so Amtrak is in charge of its own destiny from NYC to DC. After that, it's onto freight railroad lines, and Amtrak can only run freely to the extent that the freight railroad train dispatchers adhere to the various commercial agreements that Amtrak has with them.

Despite all of this, the air-con continues to work, the 9½-hr run is trouble-free, and I only go to the cafe car for a drink. We arrive in Charleston as the sun sets. The temp is about 38 ºC and--due to the coastal location--the humidity is high and it feels like 45. I call a taxi (thanks to Graeme's phone, which I now have ownership of) and get to my hotel.

The following days are a challenge. There's a heatwave across the southern states (and this is summertime anyway!), but it is what it is so I have to suck it up. I get a rental and take advantage of its air-con to drive around Charleston and its environs. When we stopped here while on the ICW for a day and a half back in April, we had a good look at 'downtown', the museum, and the major tourist rides, but I'd like to see what is out beyond the 'burbs and visit the library as well.

I go out to Sullivan's Island to have a Southern seafood lunch at Sullivan's Fish Camp and on another day I venture out to the Magnolia Plantation & Gardens (which used to be rice plantation and is a cross between Dunedin's Glenfalloch Gardens and a southern state botanical garden replete with alligators in the bayous and Spanish Moss (which we learn is neither Spanish nor moss) hanging from the trees. The location was also the site of military action between the locals (Presbyterians from Scotland, Ireland and France, Congregationalists from England and New England, and various ex-residents of Barbados) and the Revolutionary British troops.

Needless to say, I took the opportunity to fine dine at some of Charlestons world-class restaurants. There were so many oysters, crabs, shrimps, and New York strip steaks with my name on them. I HAD to do something about that.Leggi altro