I Love Charleston

This morning I left Alexa’s home early…about 6:30am and headed to Starbucks, where I savored a Tall Caramel Brule, while checking my e-mails and preparing a blog post.  I turned around and asked a man seated behind me a question about Charleston and we talked for a few minutes.  He was originally from Cincinnati.  The odd thing was that the day before, while sitting in traffic, with my window down, a man next to me in a vehicle asked if I was from Cincinnati.  He could tell from my plates.  Anyway…he said he used to live in West Chester (a suburb of Cincinnati) and moved to Charleston four years ago for work.  I asked if he liked it here and he said yes, especially the weather, but he missed Cincinnati sometimes.  What’s that saying…”It’s a small world”.

My next stop was the Isle of Palms beach…so I could take photos of the sunrise.  It was less than 10 minutes away, but I had to rush to make it.  I pulled into a public parking lot and ran through a condo complex to the beach.  There was a gate and a code was required.  The sun was beginning to rise as I scanned from side to side, wondering how to get to the beach.  I entertained the thought of climbing over the gate, or going through the dunes and jumping a fence, but my common sense took over.  I ran back the way I came and saw a sign that said “Public Access to beach”!  I ran down the path just in time for this…

 

After taking two photos, my SD card said “Full”!  Frantically I began looking through the photos from my trip to Africa back in May/June and deleted some of them.  (They’re already loaded onto my computer, but I like to have a backup).  Then I was able to take a few more.  Here’s one of them…

Driving across a bridge I had to stop to take a photo…

I parked along the Waterfront and started walking…

There were people scattered around the Downtown area painting…

A cool cat must live here…

The devil’s in the detail…

I think everyone loves cobblestones!

I enjoy stark–contrasting–colorful photos!

I’ve never taken a photo quite like this…I like it!

After walking for a few hours…I made my way back to the car and took a final parting shot…

It was lunch time so I drove to a recommended restaurant named “Taco Boy” and sat outside sipping a margarita and eating fish tacos!  I had driven across the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge coming from Downtown Charleston going to Mt. Pleasant (where Alexa lives) and wanted to take a photo…so I found a spot and used my zoom lens.

And this photo…

Later that evening, Alexa and I went out to eat at a restaurant called “Rita’s” at Folly Beach.  I had Shrimp and Flounder with Grits…yum yum!  Then…we went to a Couchsurfing event at someone’s house.  It was mostly 20 somethings.  Someone even called me “Mam”!  There was a fire pit out back and we stayed for about an hour.

Join me for my last day in Charleston tomorrow before driving to Savannah!

Charleston at first glance

I arrived in Charleston from Asheville, N.C. shortly after noon on November 2nd and stopped at the Visitor’s Center to pick up maps and information.  Finding a reasonably priced place to park can be a challenge.  Luckily, Alexa, the Couchsurfing girl I’m staying with told me about free parking at the Battery, located right on the waterfront.  I began walking from there and was so excited to begin exploring all of the beautiful architecture and landscaping!

Here are some of the treasures I found…

Paths are so intriguing…you never know where they’ll lead…similar to life!

I absolutely LOVE all of the pink hues in Charleston…

This photo is interesting to me because it’s a building with dead vines, a lit lamp, a reflection in the window and in the background to the left…a tree!

The gray, white, and black make a nice combo…

There were lots of large homes to take photos of…but more often than not…I was drawn to other buildings…

The Crape (or Crepe) Myrtle tree is found everywhere in Charleston.  They remind me of camouflage!

If you haven’t figured it out yet…I really like vines growing on buildings!

I love this outdoor lamp!

As I was walking along, a man in a suit saw my camera and commented that there was a lot to photograph in Charleston.  I agreed with him and asked if he was in real estate.  He said no, I’m an Attorney, but please don’t hold it against me.  He sounded just like Forest Gump.  When I showed him my walking tour and my next stop, he said he could walk with me part of the way, to show me where it was.  Like they say, people in the South are extra friendly!

I believe this first church is St. Philip’s Church…it had a nice cemetery!  Charleston is known as the “Holy City” because there are so many churches.  I’m told by Alexa that there are no buildings in Historic Downtown Charleston that are taller than the church spires, by City ordinance!

I had a self-guided walking tour map with me, but mainly referred to it for directions.  I’m not a big history buff, so for me it was more about taking photographs.

Alexa wasn’t getting home from her 2nd job as a dance instructor until 9pm, but I headed to her place to go through my photos, eat some soup for an early dinner and rest.  The combination of driving, walking a lot, and sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings contributed to me feeling tired!

I’ll be taking another long hike through the streets of Charleston tomorrow…see you then!

Historic Grove Park Inn

Karen…the lady I was Couchsurfing with…recommended visiting the Grove Park Inn.  I’m glad I did!  It reminds me of one that I saw at Glacier National Park in Montana.

The entry way is massive…

The views from the back were swept with beauty!

I stood by the stone fireplace to warm my hands.  You could fit a few people in there!

I saved the best for last…my “artsy” photo!

I went down to their spa thinking I may get a massage…wrong…$190!  Meet me in Charleston tomorrow!

Asheville’s Amazing Architecture

Asheville, N.C. has it all!  Amazing art, architecture, scenery, four seasons (but winter’s not too long), and friendly people!  A couple of days ago, I took a walking tour of downtown and posted about the street art.  Now…I’d like to highlight some of the architecture.

The Basilica of St. Lawrence has the largest elliptical freestanding dome in North America, unsupported by wood or steel.  An ancient Moorish technique was used to build it!  After photographing it, I crossed the street and a homeless guy said, “If you haven’t been inside you should go…it’s beautiful!”, so I went and he was right.  Plus…it gave me time to warm up and say a prayer!

I don’t always need to know the name of something to like it!

The center structure is the Vance Monument and stands tall as a symbol of tolerance!   The history behind this is truly remarkable and interesting…but lengthy…so if you’d like to read about it…here is an article!

Through the mirror of my mind…Time after time…I see reflections of you and me…

The City Building has a pink roof…how cool is that?

You can’t tell from the photo…but this is like an amphitheater…there’s seating!

I wasn’t able to visit Pack’s Tavern…but I’m sure it’s a favorite of the locals!

The Asheville Art Museum looks very “artsy”!

This building says…I can touch the sky!

I wasn’t planning on going into the Grove Arcade…but I needed a restroom.  I’m glad I did…multi-level…lots of quaint shops!

Like this one…

I spent a couple of days here and really enjoyed exploring the Town!  Tomorrow we’ll take a quick look at the historic Grove Park Inn!

Downtown Asheville Street Art

Asheville, North Carolina has some fun and funky street art!  Armed with an Urban Trail/Public Art Map from the Visitor’s Center,  I parked in the Wall Street lot (free for the first hour…75 cents ea additional) around 8:30am and set off to explore.  These photos aren’t in chronological order.

This is a flat iron and reflects the architecture located behind it…

Musicians busy making music…

I love entry ways…

This mural really looks like a street…

Sculpture at the Federal Building…

Sooo whimsical…

This sculpture on Haywood Street is called “Shopping Daze” and represents the time in history when Haywood Street was the region’s fashionable shopping district!

This wasn’t on the map…but it’s quite eclectic!

Richard Sharp Smith, the supervising architect of the Biltmore House, is honored by this bench and sculpture…

The following murals were also not on the map…but they’re lovely!

Last…but certainly not least…nature’s street art!

Asheville definitely has an artsy…hip vibe!  Tomorrow we’ll view some of Asheville’s amazing architecture!

River Arts District

The River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina reminds me a bit of the Pendleton Arts Center in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.  There are studios, galleries and restaurants located near Downtown Asheville, along the French Broad River.  Many of them are in converted warehouses.   After visiting the Biltmore Estate yesterday, I stopped in this area to check it out.

As I wandered through the buildings/studios, I would ask before I took photos.  The artists seemed to appreciate that.

These are some of the paintings that caught my eye…

If you’ve followed my blog for a while…you know I like fire escapes!

Because I’m taking such a long trip…I’m trying to be smart with my money, so I’d like to try to eat out for lunch only.  Lunch is less expensive than dinner when dining out.  Yesterday, I ate lunch at the Clingman Cafe and enjoyed  one of their special sandwiches.  It was yummy!  Then…for dinner it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I stopped in Downtown Asheville to see the sights and take photos…but I’d only gotten a few streets over before my camera’s battery went dead…so that’s where I’ll head today.

Next Stop…Sacramento

Leavin on a Jet Plane…to Sacramento today!  This will be my third trip to California this year.  I’ll be interviewing with about 20 tour companies for a position as a Tour Director, along with hundreds of others.  We’ll also get to go on a couple of fun day trips.  Tomorrow is a City tour of Sacramento…followed by a wine tasting in wine country.  On Thursday, I’ll be headed to Yosemite for the day.  I went hiking in Yosemite back in 2006.  I was there by myself touring around California via Amtrak trains and buses.  On the bus ride from Napa to Yosemite, I met a girl from England and she and I hiked together the following day for nine hours…about 14 miles…with lots of elevation changes.  It was harder than hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up…which I did by myself back in 2007.  Here are a couple of photos from that trip:

This career change is exciting but also makes me feel a bit apprehensive/nervous.  Public speaking was never my thing, but I joined Toastmasters back in November and have given two 5 minute speeches already.  I think it takes courage to make big changes once you’re older and I’m proud of myself.  I’m trying to get comfortable with being uncomfortable!

To change the subject…an update on the care packages for the homeless that I made and distributed.  I gave a pack to about 6 of my co-workers and about 10 other family/friends.  So far, I’ve heard that two of them have been distributed to people at street corners.  I’ve given out two of them.  I was stopped at a light and there was a guy holding a sign that said, “Veteran…Need help.”  He saw me rolling my window down and starting walking over with a smile on his face.  When I said I had a care package for him, I could tell it wasn’t what he was expecting, but he thanked me.  A guy came into the office (which is an old home in a semi-residential area) and was looking for donations for the shelter that he stays at…for people with drug/alcohol problems.  He had a printed up card with the name, address and mission of the facility that he handed to me.  I had donated $20 to a guy from the same place, a couple of years ago, who stopped me in a grocery parking lot.  Anyway, I told him about my care package and he accepted it with a “thank you”.  It’s fun to hear about how the others are distributing theirs and I can tell it makes them feel good doing so!

Other than that, I’ve been making lots more recipes from Pinterest and am taking my new work-out clothes (from Christmas) to Sacramento to jog/exercise in while I’m there to keep my body and attitude in good shape!  I’m excited about reading a new book I downloaded to my I-Pad to read on the planes, etc….”The Help”.  I haven’t seen the movie yet and like everyone else, usually enjoy the book better than the movie.

I’ll have lots of photos to post when I return and stories!  Hope everyone has a peaceful, fun and inspired week!

~Sherry~