The Farm

A couple of months ago (about mid May), I decided to try my luck growing some tomatoes, zucchini, basil and bell peppers. I didn't want to plant them into the ground because I have watering issues on the side of my house, so I bought these cheapy containers to plant the vegetables in. I'm so sick of getting vegetables at the grocery store that have NO FLAVOR! I had forgotten that vegetables actually tasted good, until I went to the mediterranean two years ago and had fresh veggies everywhere I went.
We no longer have real Farmers Markets here in Orange County. Nothing ripe and fresh, so I've started "the farm".
It is growing like mad! I've already gotten some zucchini and I have tomatoes galore! I have about 6 bell peppers and the fresh basil is to die for. I got these little boxes at Home Depot, they are a bit flimsy, so I lined them with a trash bag and kept the plastic on the outside to help keep the moisture in. The farm is so fun to visit each day and see what is new. I can't wait until the tomatoes ripen. I have a feeling it will be while we are on vacation!

Charleston

In Charleston, we stayed at this FABULOUS hotel. It is called the Vendue Inn. The staff was extra friendly, they had free breakfast that was made to order, ice cold water all day, wine and cheese at 5:00, cookies and milk at 9:00 and free beach cruisers to tour the city. We had a deluxe jr. suite for $169.00 a night. Great value! It was right by the ocean too.

This was our bedroom.

This was the living room in the suite, it had a fireplace and tv. The sun was coming in the other side of the suite so I couldn't get a good picture. It also had a full kitchen.

These beautiful wreaths were hung on all the hotel windows down the sidewalk.

We used these free beach cruisers to cruise the town and it was the highlight of the trip. We had so much fun. The town has hardly any traffic and it was totally safe.

The view from the dock by our hotel.

A local, he was fishing.

All the kids were playing in this fountain. You can't see them in this picture, but under the bottom tier, there were 4 kids swimming around. Kids were everywhere!

I found it fascinating that the trees grew right over the curb. It California, they would have taken this tree down.

They had some of the most beautiful, gigantic houses I have ever seen!

Some were 4 stories high and were incredibly beautiful.

Once again, they all had these amazing gardens behind their wrought iron fences. The more wrought iron a home had, the more wealth the family had.

Pretty little planters everywhere.

Wonderfully inviting doorways.

A lot of beautiful architecture.

Charleston is some times referred to as the "Holy City" because of all the church spires.

Unfortunately, we only spent one full day in Charleston. Had I know how beautiful it was, I would have stayed longer. We tried to cancel one day in Savannah, but the penalty was too high so we headed back. Charleston wasn't as hot and had cool breezes. I would have liked to visit a home or two, but there wasn't enough time. The shopping was way better than in Savannah and more restaurants to choose from.

Savannah

Right across the street from our hotel was Forsyth Park. This beautiful fountain was less than a 5 minute walk. It is a symbol of Savannah. The days were hot (102) plus humid. We were sweaty and sticky but we kept on going. We had bottled water, fans and umbrellas. It was a good 10-15 degrees cooler in the shade. Now I know why they have so many trees in Savannah!

Just the sight and sound of the water was cooling.

Beautiful old homes were on every corner. This is the Mercer house. It had a beautiful sunken garden and it was decorated in a more up to date style. We saw the Sorrel-Weed home where Robert E. Lee visited and was a personal friend of Mr. Sorrel. All the homes had wonderful landscaping with planters, window boxes and hidden gardens.
The town has 22 squares and each is used by the local people for rest, lunch and escape from the sun.

This is St. John's Cathedral. They had just had a huge mass and the ordination of a priest. We waited patiently for the crowd to clear and then went through the front doors. We gasped as we entered the church.

It was the most stunning, incredibly gorgeous church I have ever been in. It just underwent a $2 million renovation. It took our breath away!

We took the hop on - hop off trolley tour and it was worth every cent. Here is a picture of City Hall.
We went to the Central Market and had the most delicious ice-cream! This used to be where they would buy and sell slaves. So sad, but a reality.
We then descended these super STEEP stairs to the River Front. I'm glad I walked down them and not up them!
The River Front used to be run down and abandoned. They have revitalized the area and now it is full of restaurants, shops and beautiful old buildings.

Here you can take a river cruise.

More of the river front. The cotton exchange is here.

The cotton brokers used to stand on this bridge and count the bales of cotton coming in and going out.

Beautiful architecture everywhere.

Here is a picture of Paula Dean's The Lady and Son's restaurant. We were going to eat there, but on our first try, we couldn't get a reservation until 9:30pm. After talking to locals, we decided to skip it. No one seemed to like the food.

Another shady square where we rested.

All the trees dripped with Spanish Moss. Although, we were told many times it is not from Spain and is not moss. It is a bromeliad (air plant) and it is related to the pineapple.
We often peaked through gates and found many treasures. This one in front of the house that General Sherman occupied during the Civil War.

This was the local cemetary. We never made it to Bonaventure. Those brick tombs held up to nine people. I think they look like beds!

This was one of several beautiful windows on this house. I loved them.

This is a private residence with a gorgeous entry and porch. Loved it.

Secret Garden behind the gate.

Everything was so beautiful! The town was full of history, plant life and beauty. It ran at a much slower pace. There were hardly any cars, we could always find a parking spot. The people were friendly and we always felt safe. It was a wonderful adventure.