Not Raleigh

What?! NOT Raleigh! That's right! We packed up our house [er, camper] and headed south instead of north. I think our friends and family were beginning to wonder if we even knew our way home.

Mike really wanted to have a vacation where he didn't work at all. It didn't really work out that way, but we still had a fun week in Charleston, SC. Well, besides the rain. We really have had a great summer as far as weather goes, but it finally caught up to us. It rained every day in Charleston with downpours and thunderstorms and the whole shebang. But, unlike Ohio, even when it rains the sun always seems to come out, too, and bring a rainbow! It was super humid, though, so I was like Monica in Mexico:

But that's what hair ties and bobby pins are for.

We stayed at the campground at James Island County Park. Wow! What a great campground! There was a small water park there (which we had promised the kids but didn't get to with all the rain), lots of trails for runs/walks/bike rides, and a giant - GIANT - dog park. We could have stayed there and never left!

But Mike and I like history way too much for that, so north 15 minutes to Charleston we went. Can you believe we had never been to Charleston before? Crazy. I have a secret though: I like Savannah much better. Don't tell anyone. Charleston was pretty amazing and for all we thought we knew, we learned a lot more about the south, its history, and America's history. What an interesting time to be learning about the south and what interesting perspectives we are getting. Our hearts are breaking for the violence and hate we see around us. Seriously. Stop reading right now and go hug someone. Tell someone, "thank-you." Ask someone how they're really doing. And listen. I'll wait.

OK, did you get a hug? I know you think it won't change the world, but those are the first easy steps in the right direction.

Anyhow. Even though we've been spoiled by Savannah, Charleston was pretty awesome and we'll be back for sure. It just seemed... Bigger. Busier. A little tiny bit less friendly and welcoming. Maybe people were grumpy about the rain. And the humidity. I get it. I promise.

And we did meet some pretty amazing, kind, and friendly people. The first place we visited was Ft. Sumter. I had no idea it was still active in WWII! We explored City Market and the Old Slave Mart Museum. It was the first time I realized that slave auctions remind me of car dealerships and my heart broke into a million and one pieces. I can not even wrap my brain around how wrong that is. We also visited the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. I am begging you that if you do make it to Charleston, visit all 4 places and learn their history. It put pieces of our country's history puzzle together for me like never before.

We also ate at some pretty great places in Charleston. We had lunch at Hyman's while a thunderstorm blew through. The day after that, we were heading to one restaurant that Google suggested. It ended up being packed so we kept walking, knowing we'd find something. Well, it started raining again so we ducked into the very next place we passed and ended up eating at our favorite restaurant of the trip: The Blind Tiger Pub. Wow. Cool, historic atmosphere. Great service. Incredible food.

One evening Mike and I wanted a little time to ourselves so after we got the kids ready for bed we went to Gala Desserts for, well, coffee and dessert.

It was the perfect way to end our day!

Our last evening in Charleston left the kids begging to stop at a beach since we were so close, so we headed out to Folly Beach for a quick visit. And we fell in love. So, to end the trip well, we got up bright and early the next day and spent two hours at sunrise at Folly Beach playing in the waves and being awed by God's amazing creation and reminded of His promises to us.

Finally, though, two weeks after we set out, it was time to head back north. We had mixed emotions because North Carolina really does feel like home at this point and with school starting we knew it would be awhile before we would all be back. But we were also a little excited to sleep in our own rooms again and get back into a routine. We all need some routine. To break the trip up, we stopped overnight at Tamarack again and set off for Ohio in the morning. Ah, home sweet home.