08.14.07

On The Isle Of Palms

Posted in General at 10:10 pm by brmeyer

Vacation is one of those rare occurrences in life in America. For those of us who work hard all year, the week or two that we are afforded provide an opportunity to relax, have fun, and spend time with those that we love. Unlike the weeks or even months that working individuals are granted by employers in foreign countries, the American vacation is short and must be cherished. It was with much anticipation that I patiently worked away the long hours to reach the last week in July. I felt fortunate enough to be able to go on a great vacation with my beautiful girlfriend. We chose the Charleston, South Carolina, area several months ago. It was somewhere that neither Jess or I had been to before, and for her, it was a chance to finally spend some time on an Atlantic Ocean beach. For me, it was an opportunity to visit a historic southern city with many links to the Civil War era. I was more than game for it!

The decision of where to stay in Charleston was daunting. There are many beaches and islands on which to rent a property or find lodging in a hotel. On our search, we discovered Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Sullivan’s Island, and the Isle of Palms. After much research, Jess and I found a great set of condominiums for rent on the Isle of Palms. These condos - collectively called the Sea Cabins - were situated in the middle of the Isle of Palms almost nearly on the beach. The result for us was an affordable condominium with a great balcony view overlooking the ocean. The condo itself was small, but we definitely did not care. We had a great view, easy beach access, and seven days to spend with each other. Because we had the opportunity to do so many things on our trip, I decided to break the events of our trip up into a mini-diary as shown below. We spent many days visiting historic sites, eating at different restaurants, soaking up the sun at the private pool, and laughing and joking because we were just happy to have the time together. I have to say that it was the most consecutive amount of days that Jess and I have spent with each other, and I absolutely loved it.

Saturday, July 28 - Our trip began in the early morning as a daunting 663 mile drive awaited us. We anxiously awoke at 3:30AM and, having already packed the car the night before, set out on our quest by 4AM. Jess was remarkably awake for not having any coffee until about two hours into our drive. The trek through West Virginia was the longest, but there was so much breathtaking scenery to take in on the roads. We spent nearly an hour at McDonald’s in Beckley, West Virginia, attempting to get breakfast. Yikes! So much for fast food. The break from driving was nice though. The drive was relatively easy until we reached the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina. The amount of cars increased dramatically, and by the time we reached the Isle of Palms, we were tired and ready to be out of the car. Jess and I unpacked the car and took a short drive to BiLo to pick up some food essentials for the week. Our plan was to eat lunch at the condo each day to save money, and it worked out well. On our return, Jess made pizza, and we enjoyed the view from the balcony for the rest of the evening. This would become one of our favorite pastimes during the week.

Sunday, July 29 - This was our first full day at the Isle of Palms. After spending a bit of time at the pool, we went to some of the shops that are collectively known as the Pavilion and across the street from our condo. We found some souvenirs and scoped out some restaurants that we wanted to visit during the week. I planned our first outing which was to view the C.S.S. Hunley submarine that was undergoing conservation efforts in North Charleston. After briefly getting lost, we found the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in a run-down looking section of the city. The C.S.S. Hunley submarine was the first to ever sink an enemy ship in combat as the Confederate crew accomplished the feat in February 1864. The vessel was recovered in 2000 from Charleston Harbor. I wasn’t impressed with the view however. The submarine sat in a large tank of water to desalinate so one could not really see inside. We also could not take photographs since National Geographic has the exclusive photography rights for the project. For a tourist, not being able to take pictures is a killer! After viewing the submarine, we made our way to downtown Charleston. We made our way through the vendors of the famous market district then took an hour-long carriage tour of some of the downtown streets. Jess and I loved the town and were impressed with the architecture of the buildings. In the evening, we stopped to eat at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) at Mount Pleasant, a small city just a few miles from the Isle of Palms. After a long tiring day, we sat on the balcony and enjoyed each other’s company the rest of the night.

Monday July 30 - This was one of the most interesting days of the trip. It was cloudy most of the day and rained briefly in the morning. In the late afternoon, Jess and I made our way to Patriot’s Point, an area across the harbor from downtown Charleston that is home to the famous U.S.S. Yorktown carrier from World War II. That was an impressive sight! We bought tickets and boarded the General Beauregard to visit Fort Sumter in the middle of Charleston Harbor. It took us a half hour to get there, and the clouds became ominous as we reached the fort. Fort Sumter was the location where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in April 1861. We toured the run-down fortification for an hour just as the storms began to unleash their fury on us. We boarded the boat to return to Patriot’s Point, and on the journey, the rain came down mercilessly. Many people went down onto the first floor of the ship which was sheltered, but Jess and I decided to stick it out to feel the mist of the ocean on our faces. Yes, we were nuts. When we returned to the Isle of Palms, many areas were flooded, including a large portion of the parking lot. When we got out of the car, we were about up to our ankles in water! We got a change of clothes and headed a few doors down to the Banana Cabana restaurant for some much needed food. The rest of the night was spent on the balcony watching the water draining away.

Tuesday, July 31 - The clouds cleared, and though it appeared on the previous day that it would never happen, the sun came out. We spent some time at the pool, and in the evening, returned to downtown Charleston to visit the Battery. The Battery is a park at the tip of the peninsula on which Charleston sits. It was considered to be the last line of defense for the town during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. We strolled through the park, adored the ocean view, and then decided to partake in some of the incredible architecture on the narrow, cozy streets downtown. The homes were simply beautiful. People from Barbados first came to Charleston in the 1600s and so many of the homes were coated with lightly colored stucco to reflect the heat of the sun. Before leaving, we chose a quaint little Irish Pub called Tommy Condon’s to eat at in the city. Located near the market, the restaurant had a nice covered outside area to sit and enjoy our food. It was hot and humid, and we sweated a bit, but we enjoyed the food. Our evening at the condo was spent with each other, again relishing the view and attempting to stay cool.

Wednesday, August 1 - A sad day for those in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who were hurt or killed when a bridge collapsed. We saw the news later that night after starting out our day getting some much needed sun at the pool. Jess was quite happy. She got some great sun, enjoyed the coolness of the water, and got some reading done. I laid there and attempted to get some sun with little luck. In the afternoon, I ran out to BiLo to get a few more grocery items, mainly some drinks for our relaxing nighttime bliss! We both got prettied up - Jess more than I - and headed to the California Dreaming restaurant along the Ashley River. We waited for forty-five minutes, but it was well worth it. We had a table with an excellent river view and were able to watch the people dock their boats on the river and walk into the restaurant for food. Quite a novel transportation method! We had an excellent meal. Jess had a prime rib sandwich, and I had a New York Strip steak. Jess had a strawberry daiquiri while I enjoyed a chocolate mint martini. We both left quite full. It was a romantic, quiet dinner, and as always, Jess made me feel lucky to be with her. We returned to the condo, took a brief nighttime swim, and ventured onto the beach. The latter was a short adventure once I saw crabs scurrying across the beach. After being somewhat tired from being in the sun, we spent the remainder of the evening enjoying the view from the balcony and dozing off into dreamland.

Thursday, August 2 - This was the most relaxing day of our vacation. We spent many hours by the pool at the condo. Jess laid on the inflatable raft that I had bought for her the previous day at Walmart. Needless to say, she got too much sun and looked like a lobster by the start of the evening. I got burned on my shoulders, but my chest and back simply would not tan or burn. I think my skin became immune to sun after not being in it for so many years. We later took a walk a few doors down to Coconut Joe’s restaurant. I bought Jess and myself some drinks, and after a brief wait, we enjoyed dinner in a screened room overlooking the beach. The food wasn’t as delicious as the night before, but I savored it and the time I got to spend with my beautiful girlfriend. As I enjoyed the view of the ocean from the condo balcony that night, the thoughts began to creep into my head about leaving on Saturday. I quickly pushed them aside and decided to enjoy the next and final full day that we would have on the island.

Friday, August 3 - Our last full day on the Isle of Palms was quite dreary and rainy. Had it been sunny, Jess and I would have definitely forgone sitting in the sun by the pool as she was already in some pain from being burned the day before. After some quiet time together, we headed to a place called Drayton Hall which is located nine miles north of downtown Charleston. Drayton Hall was the site of a rice plantation that functioned in the 18th and 19th centuries. The home was never updated with modern conveniences and is in original condition. It had even been determined that only three coats of paint had ever been put on the walls since the house was created. It was a beautiful sight despite the clouds that hung over the day. Jess and I returned to the Isle of Palms after two hours or so at the plantation. We braved the rain again to eat at the Acme Cantina restaurant which was a street over from the condo. It was our least favorite place to eat during our trip. We picked up a few more souvenirs at the Pavilion shops then headed back to the condo to pack some things. We spent some more time on the balcony. We attempted to delay our inevitable departure by staying up late and watching The Family Feud. Cuddled up on the couch with Jess was the perfect end to the vacation.

Saturday, August 4 - Though the drive to Charleston took twelve hours, the return trip took a little more than eleven hours. We left at 10AM after Jess paid an emotional goodbye to the beach. I tried to comfort her by telling her we would return soon as I enjoyed it as much as her. I think it helped a bit, but I was just as sad as her to leave such a beautiful place. Pittsburgh pales by far in comparison to Charleston. It was difficult being the only driver on this vacation, but Jess performed her job well and kept me awake and alert on the way home by playing some games with me. She made a list of things we had to find along the highway, and for each thing we found, we got points. I had the most points at the end of the ride, but only because Jess missed all of the things on the list while talking to me. We arrived home in Pittsburgh around 9PM. After getting some food at Wendy’s, we passed out. And so our vacation was over.

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