Charleston, Charleston

Wow, how quickly did June pass by?  We hadn't had a real vacation in a while, so Dennis and I decided to celebrate year 28 anniversary with a trip to the beach.  But, unlike our last tropical vacation, I wasn't in the mood for just beach...so we chose Charleston, South Carolina.  I'd never been there but I knew there was a lot of history and culture, besides the beaches.  It ended up being the most wonderful trip!

The beaches did not disappoint, and we lucked into the most wonderful weather that week!  Even though it was VERY humid and felt hotter than we were comfortable with, the locals told us it is normally much worse at that time.  So we were happy!  The beach we went to most was Folly, but we also visited Edisto and Isle of Palms.  All of them were amazing and the water was perfect for swimming!

We stayed at an Air bnb (our first time doing that) and it was a wonderful experience.  Hunter Hall Lodge was a historical, older building that once housed Civil War militia.  It was like a studio apartment and we had it all to ourselves.  The location was perfect because it was, like, a 10 minute drive to the beach in one direction and a 10 minute drive into the heart of Charleston in another direction.  I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed the accommodations!

You know how I feel about history and antiques -- well there is so much of that to enjoy in the Charleston area.  And natural beauty, friendly people, and great food -- especially if you are as starved for fresh seafood as we always are!

Beneigts with marmalade and honey dipping sauce

I could not get enough of all the beautiful old buildings...

We toured one mansion that had a large collection of Charles Fraser miniatures, some of which we saw later in the Gibbs Art Museum.  They are so precious!

We also did a ghost tour late at night downtown, for some spooky summer fun!  If you are into old graveyards and ghost stories -- Charleston is your town!

But mostly, it was all about the sun and surf.  We had a fabulous time!

And it's a good thing, because the rest of the summer is going to be a challenge for sure.  You see, the day before we left on our trip, Dennis was laid off from his job.  It came completely out of left field.  Of course, they were well aware he was about to go on vacation.  He was given just 2 weeks severance, and our health insurance ended in June, too.  Of course he's hard at work looking for the next gig.

But, what a shock.  If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know we've been through it more times than I can even count at this point.

Kudos to Dennis for being able to relax and enjoy the trip despite knowing what was waiting for us at home!  I hope your summer is full of wonderful highs and no lows at all!