Charleston and Savannah

     If you've never been to Charleston, SC, put it on your bucket list. Wynn and I had a wedding to go to in Savannah, GA so we went a week earlier and spent five days in Charleston first.  The city is rich with early American history, (slavery, Civil War), beautifully preserved buildings , (homes and plantations), art galleries and amazing food.  Wynn's brothers, (Michael and Bruce) and their wife (Debbie) and significant other (Tracey) joined us there. We didn't enjoy a lot of sunny days, but we did enjoy spending time together. I'm the one all bundled up...cancer often makes me cold.

     For some reason, I naively thought that native Southerners would be somewhat sheepish, or even embarrassed, about their history of slavery.  Although I wouldn't characterize the feeling as "pride", I definitely got the sense that Southerners certainly aren't ashamed of their slavery past. They're very matter of fact about it.  This was my first trip to the "South" and I learned so much.  Being a Northerner all my life, my sensibilities on the subject are so different.  It was good to learn about another perspective, despite feeling like I was on another planet. The walking tours, house and plantation tours, and museums, (slavery, Civil War, etc.) were great.  

      Unexpectedly, we found ourselves surrounded by great restaurants.  It turns out that Charleston is a well known destination for good food...just not known to us.  Some restaurants were fancy and expensive, while others were down-home cafes that served fried green tomato sandwiches, grits and stewed okra. Seafood choices were abundant, fresh, and prepared both traditionally and in new and unusual ways.  Although sometimes a little on the rich-side for me, (many dishes are fried and served with creamy sauces), we really did enjoy eating our way through the city. 

      Savannah is an equally historic city.  The city trolley tour was fun and interesting. Because we were there for a wedding, we didn't get a chance to experience as many restaurants.  The homes in the historic district are amazing and the tree-lined streets are beautiful. We had a great time at all the wedding festivities and spending time with friends.