Southern Charm, Reunions & Some Good News (Finally) – Charleston, SC
Charleston has been on my mind for many years. Its interesting mix of French influence, historic architecture and riverfront charm hits all the buttons of what makes a town charming for me.
It’s the oldest city in SC with roots that stretch way back to 1670 and its history is most wonderfully preserved. Cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and stunning mansions from the mid 1700’s permeate the core. Hip restaurants, water-front dining and a vibrant nightlife add layers on top. Then there are the darker periods of history, slavery and the beginning of the Civil War (Fort Sumter) which add weight to the experience. You feel the mix most poignantly, yet amongst it all you can’t help but be swept away by that romantic southern charm and hospitality.
Yes m’aam, this is a town that will stimulate aaaall your senses.
For RVers there’s a perfectly-placed and thoroughly awesome County Park just ~7 miles from downtown. It’s $$$, but it’s also one of the nicest county parks we’ve ever stayed at. What’s even better is that we were planning to meet-up with good friends here. Chris and Cherie were routing back to us after their brief interlude boat shopping in Wilmington, and good friends Todd and Russ who we caravanned with several years ago (remember their beautiful vintage Wanderlodge?) were planning to come down from Atlanta in their snazzy new Roadtrek to join the fun. The last time we were all together was boondocking in Anza Borrego in 2014/2015, so it was going to be a most joyful reunion.
But we needed to get there first….
3 Days For Radiator Repair In Cedar Point, NC
If you recall, the day after our accident on Hwy 24 we discovered the radiator on our car was bust and it was no longer safe to drive. With only a few days to spare and many hundreds of miles ahead, we absolutely had to get that fixed. So we spent our full 3 days at Cedar Point Campground dealing with nothing but that.
It was a frustrating experience trying to get an assessor out (in record time, no less) and coordinating the repairs & parts overnight to get moving again. Most insurers (and repair shops) just don’t get the concept that you’re “houseless” and literally only have a few days to get things done before you get kicked out of a campground and forced to move on, so I had to push pretty hard to get us prioritized.
Thankfully everything came through in the end, and we managed to get the part replaced but it was at the expense of literally everything there is to see and do in the Cedar Point area. The cute towns of Swansboro and Beaufort? Missed them. Awesome Cape Lookout Lighthouse (the last of the “big 5 lights” on the OBX)? No chance to ferry out and see it. Kayaking around the Intercoastal Waterway? No time to do it. We DID get to enjoy the campground which was superb (large, spacious sites, great hiking trails…) but that’s it. All our other plans for the area had to be trashed. Such is life….
Repair Detail Updates -> All our vehicles have been assessed by Geico now. The bodywork on the car will take ~3 weeks to repair. The RV damage looks to be more minimal. We have to get both vehicles into a proper collision repair shop before the details are finalized, but the claim(s) are moving along.
We Drive Separately & Spend A Restless Night At Calabash, NC
With the car usable but not yet tow-able, we started our drive down south, this time in separate vehicles.
It’s the first time since we got on the road ~7 years ago that we’ve driven separately, and I have to admit I didn’t enjoy it much. A big part of the joy of RVing for us is the fact that we all get to travel together (both us and the paws) in one space. It’s the very reason we RV, as opposed to other forms of travel, and it’s also the reason we have a Class A, as opposed to a trailer or 5th wheel. We truly like being together 24/7!
But hey, I’m thankful we’re mobile even if it’s not ideal. Separate travel will now be our new “norm” for the next ~600 miles or so until we reach FL and can settle down to complete our repairs. Again, such is life…
From a practical perspective, our new driving arrangement means we’ve chosen to split our drives into short(er) segments, staying at overnight spots along the way. For this leg the Elks Lodge in Calabash looked like the perfect distance for us and although the location worked fine, the night didn’t pass at all like we’d hoped. The Lodge was fine and the town was super cute (great waterfront area), but we ended up surrounded (and blocked in) by a rowdy Halloween party that “popped-up” in the wee hours of the morning with heavy drinking, music and fights right outside our RV. Thankfully the police broke it up around 3AM, but it did leave me exhausted and somewhat rattled. Not an experience I want to repeat.
We Reunite And Explore Charleston, SC
After our tumultuous and mostly sleep-deprived week it was with a HUGE sigh of relief that we drove into the wonderfully green and peaceful James Island County Park (review coming), settled into our private & relaxed site and got our first welcome hugs from our friends. For the next 5 days our only goals were spending time together, relaxing & recuperating at the park and immersing ourselves in that quintessential Charleston charm.
And I have to admit we fell in love with the city practically at first sight.
Each district is unique and feels small-town and quaint, yet the city feels huge and serves up the whole gamut of human experiences. From the fabulous historic homes of the French Quarter/South Of Broad to hip and eclectic eateries of King Street, every corner of Charleston oozes depth and soul. And it all mixes together in a comfortable vibe that just fits. Even the smell of horse-poop from the many tour carriages (which is rather pervasive in the historic areas) seems somehow apropos and evokes a certain nostalgia, especially for an old horse-gal like me.
With our short time in the area we didn’t explore nearly as much as we’d hoped, but we managed to get a pretty decent taste of (almost) everything:
Exploring The “Holy City” – There is nary a street in Charleston that doesn’t have some kind of church. With over 400 places of worship of different denominations, many of which have roots all the way back to the late 1600’s it’s no wonder this place is often called the “Holy City”. We pretty much just wandered around admiring them all, but you can also take one of the many guided Walking or Horse Carriage Tours. No matter which way you do it, it’s a wonderful history lesson. Charleston Church Info -> Click HERE and HERE
Shopping At City Market – An authentic City Market that dates back to 1804. You come here to admire the building and peruse local specialties like sweetgrass baskets and other Charleston-made gems. It’s overly touristy (as you’d expect), but it’s a fun little walk-through nonetheless. City Market Info -> Click HERE
Walking Through The French Quarter/South Of Broad – THIS is what Charleston is all about IMHO. The historic homes (many of which date from the mid 1700’s), the old cobblestone streets, the gas-lit lamps, the open iron-wrought balconies. Almost every home here is on the Historic Register and just being here immerses you directly into that history. Again, we just wandered around, but you can also take one of one of the many guided Historic Home Tours. Plus there are several Museum Homes where you can take a tour inside too. Awesome fun!
Beach & Lighthouse Fix At Folly Beach – Located just south of James Island, the laid-back beach area of Folly Beach is a great little place to just hang in the sand. Plus there’s a pretty little lighthouse (Morris Island) too. We took Polly along for this trip and although we couldn’t walk the main lighthouse trail with her (no dogs allowed on that one) we were able to walk along the beach (dogs allowed Oct 1 – Apr 30) to a very nice view of the light. A nice, little side-trip out of the main city. Folly Beach Info -> Click HERE. Lighthouse Info -> Click HERE and HERE.
Food & Libations – There are SO many good places to eat in and around Charleston, SO many!!! We were only able to hit a few, but the few that we did were all awesome. Close to camp we enjoyed some fabulous gourmet tacos at White Duck Taco Shop (dog-friendly outdoor area), as well a superbly tasty grilled cheese at Cory’s Grilled Cheese (dog-friendly outdoor tables), plus we became absolutely addicted to the coffee at Muddy Waters (awesome!!). In downtown Charleston we enjoyed a lovely late afternoon waterfront cocktail and appetizers at Fleet Landing Restaurant, some delicious BBQ from Smoke BBQ, and fabulous craft cocktails + Asian dinner at hip & trendy CO. I wish we had another month here just to EAT!
There’s plenty we missed including Fort Sumter (we just couldn’t fit it in) and a multitude of other museums, plus we didn’t manage ANY of the many awesome local breweries {{gasp}}, but we absolutely LOVED our time here. Good friends, great campground and awesome town. What more could you ask for?
Paw Notes/ We took Polly along for our beach trip and our various outings on James Island, but left her at home for our two downtown Charleston trips. You can definitely bring doggie to walk around downtown, but some of the downtown attractions (like City Market) do not allow dogs unless carried.
And We (FINALLY) Get Some Really Good News
With everything that seems to have gone awry this year, we were incredibly nervous about Taggart’s 1-month post I-131 treatment recheck. The first blood-test would tell us A LOT including whether the treatment had worked and how her body was responding in the aftermath.
Best case she was cured, worst case her thyroid was still over-active OR she’d gone the other way and had become hypo-thyroid (Note/ many cats go through a transient period of hypo after treatment, even if they recover over time).
On the surface she looked really good. Her sneezing had stopped, her coat was feeling fuller, she seemed to be putting on weight and she was showing zero signs of hyper-activity. But there was no way to know for sure without a blood-test.
We got the blood drawn the Monday we arrived in Charleston and by Friday I had the results. Check out this report from the Hypurrcat vet in New York:
CURED!!! AND her pituitary gland is recovering AND her kidney values are still OK. I had to read that paragraph 5 or 6 times before it finally set-in, but what a frikkin awesome result. We’ve still got to re-test her at 3-months to make sure all these levels stay stable, but for now I’m over-the-moon happy. Finally, some good news…finally!
Florida, Here We Come…
Believe it or not this stop in Charleston pretty much wraps up our fall travels along the East Coast. From here we stayed a few days with Chris & Cherie at some buddies south of Savannah where we basically just hung out (we didn’t get to hit town). Then we (sadly) parted ways and motored on down to Florida, where we are now. It’s the end of a trip we never expected to make with a few twists (both good and bad) that we never expected to experience. It’s just been a whole, crazy year all-in-all.
Pretty soon we’ll be settled down for Christmas, doing our usual end-of-year wrap ups and planning our next year. Here’s hoping our repairs get sorted without any additional surprises and that winter plays out a tad more subdued. See ya in the Sunshine State….
We were in Charleston a few weeks ago and hit many of the same spots you did. Sadly, the state Park was closed still because of the hurricane, had to settle for the KOA. Definitely will come back though. Enjoy Florida and good luck with the repairs ( hopefully ours are over with for awhile. Still have the electric step to fix). I think a motorhome is like a helicopter; a bunch of parts flying ( down the road) in formation!
Bummer that the County Park was closed! We had a few cancellations in other spots (from hurricane damage), but we were able to keep our reservation at the County Park. Definitely the place to stay when you come back to the area!
Nina
I’m glad to hear that you were able to make all of your repairs and that the cat is better. I hope you enjoy your relaxing time in Florida.
We’ve still got a ways to go on our repairs. The radiator on our car was replaced in Cedar Point, but we still have all the bodywork left to do both on the car and the RV. Probably another month or so before it’s all done (paws and fingers crossed).
Nina
Fort Sumter (where The War began) would have set you another day behind, but was one of the highlights for us. Thanks for sharing the places we missed! It is indeed a beautiful town that has maintained so much of its past elegance.
We really, really wanted to see the Fort but would have needed another day, like you said. Next time!
Nina
Woohoo Taggart!! She wasn’t about to let Polly be the only super-star :-)))) Love the iron work on the old theater. Such a pretty city to share with good friends.
That theater was a gem. So pretty both inside and out. I wish we’d had time to see a show there.
Nina
We have spent many happy days at James Island — did you know they have one of the most incredible Xmas light shows in the country, staring the day after T-DAY and on til Jan.1st — it is freakin’ awesome! You drive all around the roads, seeing one fabulous display after another! And Charleston….oh my, is there any place quite like it? I love it all…..as well as the islands. And as for Savannah — well, that is just awesome, too……two of my favorite cities. And for a New Englander, that’s saying something! So glad your kitty is doing so well…..we went through a very tough year with our big dog a few years ago, and it pretty much dictated our life for a year! Hope all goes well with your repairs and you can relax, enjoy the holidays and breathe a deep sigh of relief! We have had repairs while on the road, too, and as you say, it’s not easy —we have two dogs….once had to actually rent an airbnb for two weeks to get the work done….Wasn’t in the plan, or in the budget! Life on the road….you never know!
Oh YES the light show!!!! I totally forgot to mention it in the blog coz it hadn’t officially started while we were there, but we were lucky enough to catch the lights being built and tested. We got 3 glorious days of lights before they went dark again. Wow! Most amazing Christmas Lights I’ve ever seen! Official opening was Nov 11th, just after we left.
And so commiserate with the dog issues and repairs. Hope you don’t have anymore of those either 🙂
Nina
I’m here now and the lightshow is in progress. It happens to be a cold wet day, and the super moon is nowhere to be found, so I’m going to hold off on doing the go-rounds until later in the week. They have a train trolley that will take you around for only $3. If you’re staying at the campground the light show is free, it’s normally $20 or so depending on the number of people.
This park is amazing, and primitive/overflow is only $25 ( but only available if they are otherwise booked up. Which they are, because of the light show!
And Yay healthy kitty!!
How lovely to be there during the light show! We did check out the dry camping area while we were there, and thought it would be a great option for a return stop. Cheers for the details on the light show.
Nina
YIPPEE all around. For your fast initial repairs and for Taggart’s excellent bill of health. I can see you doing a happy dance and saying it was all worth it. Where are you in Florida. I’d love to see the paws and maybe you guys too. And if I can manage it, you can tell me how in the world you got google maps to do 105 points of your amazing almost around the entire country on the edge in one year map. I can’t get them to do more than 10 so you must have some inside secret. Hope you’ll spill the beans. This year has been one I hope to see the end of as well. Too many problems but also like you, things are looking up a bit though not on the political scene. I remain dumbfounded.
We’ll be headed to Tampa for repairs and then Miami for Christmas. My family is flying over from Europe and we’re renting a house for a few weeks while they’re here. At least that’s the current plan. Where are you staying?
Nina
So happy for Taggart!! Such sweet news:) You certainly needed good news:) Glad you were able to get your radiator repaired so you could move on. But I do understand how tough it is to travel apart. Hope all goes well with in Florida with the rest of the car repairs:) I was born in Charleston!! It is not a pleasant place to be in July on a motorcycle when it is 99 degree and very high humidity!!
I didn’t know you were born here! I can totally believe that summer would be ferocious. We had 2 days of “heat” (and by that I mean it got up above 80 LOL) when we first arrived and I could tell that was just a taste of how it could really be. Thankfully it cooled down again to mid-70’s right after. Just perfect.
Nina
I look forward to reading about your travels in FL. I suspect you are at or near St. Augustine, FL. That is one of our favorite places in FL. Anastasia SP is a blast for camping.
The Christmas lights at Fort Wilderness, WDW are like nothing else, if you have time.
Good luck with the repairs on your CRV. We tow our 2011 CRV, same color as yours.
You do you folks mount your bikes on the CRV? it looks like a hitch-mount rack.
Vince
That’s exactly where we’ve landed! We weren’t able to get into Anastasia SP (only a few sites there that fit us and they were all fully booked), but we did manage to snag a site at the local Elks Lodge and have really been enjoying our stay.
And yes, we have a bike rack on the back if our car. In fact we just upgraded it earlier this year and really like it. We went with the Swagman XC Cross Country Hitch -> awesome little rack which is super easy to use. Plus we can still open the back of the car with it on.
Nina
Great, thanks for the rack info. Safe travels.
Oh, forgot to mention this, a must visit for you in St. Augustine is the Tini Martini Bar on A1A facing the Intracoastal Waterway. Another fun place is Scarlet O’Hara’s on Hypolita St. Both have nice front porches on which to imbibe and relax.
I am so thankful for the time got to spend together.. thanks for a great recap of the location! Here’s to continued progress on things coming together after your crazy year.
Very happy we got to spend our last month or so with you both. Going to miss your company, but can’t wait to see where your new boating adventure takes you!
Nina
Seeing Taggart look so well made me smile! Teena Kitty has her annual checkup tomorrow and fingers are crossed that she gets a perfect bill of health too (she has always had tummy challenges and we almost lost her once-sooo scary!)
I too love Charleston! I hope to get there next Fall and appreciate the heads up on the county park
Wishing you the very best with the body repairs (I am still having a hard time getting a shop that is interested in my little oopsie from this summer and hoping not to have to go into Orange County for the repair!) Any recommendations for a shop in Vegas, Southern California, or western Arizona (or that general area) would be really appreciated. This hurry up and wait thing is getting old
Unfortunately I don’t really know of any shops out that way. On the west coast we get most of our RV work done in Oregon (Eugene). Have you tried searching on RV Service Reviews (http://rvservicereviews.com)?
Best of luck for your kitty checkup too!
Nina
Yaaayyyy for Taggart! I am so happy that the cat-bag is doing so well.
We were in Charleston years ago and just loved it. It was pre-blog so I can’t go back and look at pictures, but I am enjoying yours.
Enjoy the house and the holidays and the family.
Thank you! We’re very happy too. It’s nice to have some stuff go in the right direction again 🙂
Nina
So happy for you with the good news! Great to hear that you now have an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the slower dynamics of fall and winter. Recovering from a year like this will take some time. I absolutely LOVE those pictures!
Hopefully winter with family will get us back on track. No more repeats of 2016, please 🙂
Nina
Glad you made it to Florida, Hope the repairs go well and great news about kitty
Love that city and you captured it beautifully. Yay Taggart!
Such great news about Taggart! You are extraordinary pet people . I’ve been involved in (dog)rescue and see the worst of humanity so it’s a delight to read your blog and see the very best of humanity. I hope all repairs will go smooooothly. You definitely deserve a break, me thinks. Happy Thanksgiving.
I volunteered in dog rescue for 6 years before we got on the road, including during the time we lived in Asia. So I know exactly what you mean. I loved volunteering, but it was also (at times) very hard. Kudos to you for giving your time to rescue doggies! All our 3 pets are rescue pets, of course…the best kind 🙂
Nina
I used to live in Charleston and I was back there last week. It’s a charming city for sure.
I’m going to be in Florida from later Nov. through April. I will be on the Gulf Coast most of the time (in Cedar Key mostly). I would love to run down to Tampa and take y’all to lunch (or dinner) and get a brew with you one day if your schedule allows it.
After you get settled in, Just let me know when and where to meet you (that is IF you have the time).
We were actually booked to be in Cedar Key this week-end, but had to cancel for our repair work. So wanted to go, but alas it was not meant to be. I’ll ping you as we get down there and our schedule firms up.
Nina
WOW What a roller coaster ride you have had… hopefully now it will slow down so you can enjoy the holidays eith your family…
You have really had quite a year so far! Happy to hear the good news about Taggart. Hope the repairs go well and you get to enjoy some quiet family time in Miami. You deserve a break!
Great to hear about Taggart’s full recovery. When I was there in 2013 I had a great lunch at Fuel Caribbean Cantina, 211 Rutledge Ave Charleston
I’ve been going to James Island County Park Campground for years. Susan, my daughter, and I go either in March or October every year. I make reservations almost a year in advance so I get the site we want. It’s one of the largest and most private. There’s a good place to eat right down the street–The Brick House–started by a couple of young women, reasonable, decorated with everything from thrift shops, as charming as can be and, in my opinion, has the best food in the area (including Charleston). My daughter went to medical school in Charleston so it was practically a second home for us when we had the motorhome. Loved the dog park in the campground, but Folly Beach was our favorite place to take the pups. Campground not so bad dollar wise for me because my daughter and I split the cost. I already have reservations for March. Can’t wait. I see something new every time I visit — so much to see in Charleston. I never get tired of going.
Nice tip on the restuarant! And yeah totally agree that Folly Beach was awesome for the doggie.
Nina
We have reservations at James Island County Park in March as well. Thanks Nina for great write up on Charleston. We will refer back to it in March
You’ll LOVE it. Gorgeous park in a great location!
Nina
What a coincidence, our 2016 has also been filled with “challenges” too. Wil be happy to see the last of this year.
Sorry to hear that. I think it’s been a tough year for a lot of people. I’ll sure be glad to see the New Year in and hope 2017 is much more even-keeled.
Nina
If you’re still there…have dinner at High Cotton downtown. Great food and atmosphere.
So glad to read the good news about Taggart! Here’s hoping that the rest of this year brings ease for you guys. If you’re still in St. Augustine, check out the Ice Plant. It’s one of the best and most creative distilleries and restaurants we’ve been to in our travels (including a very fun tour of the distillery!). I wrote about it on our blog when we were there last winter. I think you would enjoy it.
So glad to hear Taggart’s good news! We’ve had that same problem in an Elk’s Lodge campground before–on the Oregon coast–there was a huge pile (and I do mean HUGE) of beer cans at the neighboring campsite when we pulled in–that should have been our first clue!
I have to admit we’ve not had the best luck with our last few Elks stops. We’ve obviously been missing this signs too!
Nina
Great news! I am SO happy to hear that Taggart is doing so well. Also, great post on Charleston. It is such a great city, and I cannot wait to go back (maybe with the trailer this time). Wow! Looking at your travel details; I cannot believe how far you have gone since I met you in Ketchum. Time flies! So envious that you are able to travel full time. Less than seven years, and hopefully I can “retire” and follow in your footsteps. Until then, I have to wait for summer time to quench my wanderlust. Keep up the great posts! I am keeping a log of dog friendly places to take my pup. Safe travels!
Great news about Taggart! so glad this is behind all of you. We absolutely loved Charleston. Your photos are just beautiful Nina!