South to Beaufort

This morning after leaving the hotel we spent a little time in historic Charleston. We walked through the Old Market and then up and down King and Meeting Streets looking at the architecture and poking in a few shops. It's an eclectic and historic setting. But man, we were hot! After soaking through our clothes, we hopped in the car and headed south toward Savannah.

A note about driving in SC and GA. People drive like they are participating in an Indy Car Race. Speed limits are advisory at best. We have found that if the speed limit is 70, the trucks are going 80, and the cars are going faster than that! It's been harrowing at times. The other complication is the way the freeways work. They aren't real familiar with the idea of "exit only" here. You're driving along in the right lane and you don't realize that it's an exit lane until it's almost too late. None of them are labeled with those nice yellow exit only signs. They also don't seem to have access to those reflective arrows to show you a corner is in your future...

On the way to Savannah we stopped in Beaufort. I read in the travel book about a sweet little church called Old Sheldon located just north of Beaufort. It has a wild history. It was built in the 1700s but was burnt by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was rebuilt only to be burned by the famous General Sherman in the Civil War. It stands in ruin now and is used occasionally by a local church. The grounds are beautiful and saturated in the past. Mom took some beautiful pictures. I was focused on my mere survival. The bugs were relentless! I would say mosquitoes but my 17 some bites looked much different. By the time we got back in the car I was nearly scratching off my skin. They bit me through my pants!! For you Tuna fans: "I scratched so hard the doctor made me wear mittens!"

I included our remote picture, and the test one before. I don't know if you can see my face, but it's hilarious. It reads, "Get me out of here!!"

Beaufort is such a sweet town. We stumbled upon a great restaurant called Plums that looked right out on the river. Hmm... Beaufort River, maybe? They have these wonderful swings along the riverside -- maybe 12 in all that you can sit in and look out at the river. So peaceful.

The town itself has homes dating back to 1720. We drove around hunting for specific homes that held more than the average amount of history. It seemed awkward because these are private homes, but I'm sure people are used to it by now! One of the houses we found served as the African American hospital during the Civil War, and Harriet Tubman worked there as a nurse. Imagine living amongst that kind of a legacy!

We made it to Savannah this evening, and it is beautiful! Our hotel is on the river -- no idea what it's called, but I'm guess it has something to do with Savannah! We are right across from downtown. Tomorrow we will take the ferry across and see old Savannah. Or maybe that's on deck for Friday... :)

After the bug bite crisis I chugged some benadryl, and was so tired when we got to the hotel. I fell asleep on my bed for more than an hour. I woke up once and had a fleeting moment that I should take my lipstick out of my pocket. But I didn't!! By the time I had woken up it had basically exploded all over my dress and the white bedspread. And of course it's bright pink -- what other color accessory would I have!!