Saturday in Charleston

Amazing Dan was back aboard dumping the clean laundry he had already finished washing and drying on the settee when I tumbled out of the bunk this morning! I folded. We headed into Charleston (our marina is across the Cooper River from the city proper) on the water taxi this morning at 11. That got us there in time to get an early lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon adventuring. We stayed as a group through lunch and then went our separate ways to see the sights and do a little shopping. Dan and I visited the market downtown and then went on a search for a hardware store (we're talking Dan now, you understand) as we had already determined that there wasn't a West Marine anywhere nearby. We did find one, but discovered we had almost everything it had to offer! Our next stop was Harris Teeter, which rivals Whole Foods for being an enjoyable grocery experience, and bought much too much to have to carry back, but we managed. We caught the complimentary 4:15 shuttle back to the Charleston Harbor Marina & Resort in order to be back in time for the CCYC southern branch Italian Dinner. Besides the eight of us CCYCers, John and Betty had invited their friends, Dick and Jean Citron. They are living aboard their 79' power cruiser Absolutely and we had met them in River Dunes. They are veterans of this migration stuff and had lots of tips for us. All in all a very enjoyable evening. We are off early tomorrow in the hopes of re-creating our coup of two years ago ----tying up with the shrimp boats at B&B Seafood where we got the best and freshest shrimp we'd ever had.

~~~_/)~~~M&D

The ride over to Charleston on the water taxi was worth the price because the guys running it recommended this great restaurant. We enjoyed great southern and seafood dishes at Fleet Landing, a converted Navy depot turned trendy eatery. I had a Fried Green Tomato BLT, not like anything I'd ever eaten! Amazingly delicious.

Dan was up early and captured some birds. I don't think the two seagulls are overly impressed with the audacious display by the cormorant. Here is an ibis, looking very snooty. The reason the crane has his beak open a bit is he is busy swallowing a silvery minnow which unfortunately didn't show in the picture.

You can't imagine how disappointed I was to find that this was the best example of gum sticking I could find as we walked around Charleston this afternoon. The phone pole I pictured two years ago was CLEAN!!! So I guess some traditions do die.