Charleston, You’re My Kinda Town
Okay, for real this time, you can get a free Kindle download of In Between. But just for a limited time, so hurry and download that thing now!
I just got back from a week in lovely Charleston, South Carolina and Asheville, NC. It was a very hot time, but I had a great time. Sometimes you see a local landmark and just instantly bond with the town.
I found the store where Scarlett O'Hara buys her t-shirts.
Charleston is a beautiful town. So much history there. We toured a bunch of historic homes, ate at some great places (don't think I didn't pre-research every single spot and have a flow chart of our options). We started off the visit with a carriage tour of Charleston. I was really impressed with the ambiance in the stable.
I could tell those horses really appreciated the Japanese lanterns.
Be jealous of the cute boy who sat in front of me.
Check out his cheeks. This baby was hot. Carriage rides do not have air conditioning. Or air fresheners.
Our car didn't qualify for this parking spot. Again, horses had priority.
We went to a famous plantation where lots of movies have been filmed, like the 1980s mini-series North and South. (Patrick Swayze at his best?) Recognize this famous driveway?
It's been in a ton of films.
We happened to be at the plantation when Army Wives was filming. Apparently the woods of Charleston are perfect for recreating. . .Afghanistan. (I know the heat was certainly reminding me of the Middle East.)
I think this made the trip for my friend Kim. She loves her some Army Wives. So of course that meant. . .we had to stalk them.
These men had the nerve to block the road and give us “go away” eyes.
When they stood in the path with their arms crossed, we decided to turn around and leave. But we totally could've taken them.
We took a two hour sailboat ride, thinking it would be so fun. It was everything I could do to stay awake. By the last hour, I couldn't even stay upright.
We walked downtown through the market. The picture quality here is horrible, but this is a girl after my own heart.
You can buy these downtown.
I was excited to try these peanuts. I mean can you imagine what it must taste like–a peanut with an edible shell? I had to eat one! And…… it tastes just like you're eating the dang shell. I was spitting that stuff out for a good hour. My friends were like, “What did you expect?” Magic. Peanut magic.
Saw this bumper sticker and for some reason it resonated with me.
Pork Trifecta. I'm going with bacon, sausage, and ham. But I don't know. I don't want to slight Canadian Bacon either.
We ate at the best restaurant, Slightly North of Broad.
When you go in the bathroom, it's decorated with framed prints of autographed book covers of books based in Charleston.
Sue Monk Kidd!!! I got to pee next to her book cover!
And Pat Conroy of course.
His inscription says, “Jenny, I'm so glad you can stare at my million dollar signature while you're having a tinkle.”
Christian fiction was even represented. Here's fellow Thomas Nelson author Nicole Seitz's book.
Conroy even has his own drink on the menu.
Well, my next book, Save the Date, is set in Charleston, and I'm hoping to see my name on a menu too. Preferably on the dessert menu. With something frozen. And chocolaty. And artery clogging. It would be an honor to be associated with something that has absolutely no nutritional value.
At one plantation property, there were some beautiful gardens.
It reminded me of Disney's The Princess and the Frog. Kim's eyes got wide, and she said, “I think I just saw an alligator.” Uh-huh. Right. On private property. Where thousands of tourists walk. “No, seriously, I saw its eyes peeking out above the water.” We just laughed. Even a stranger walking with us laughed. . .until ten minutes later when the stranger saw something herself.
Can you see him? Sure enough, there were at least two alligators. Not sure how many tourists they eat a year. I left before I could ask him.
I hope you have a great week. I'm still on summer hours, so I'll see you next Monday.
Committed to the Pork Trifecta,
JEN
