It's Been Fun, But We've Got To Go

Charleston  

We've been in Charleston for more than a while and tried to make the most of our days. We were finally able to get out and stretch our legs with a good walk around town. We took the road most traveled and hit some of the high spots, starting with Rainbow Row. This series of 13 colorful historic houses on East Bay Street is one of the most photographed areas in town. Valentine's Day decorations had been hung on a tree, reminding us that January is about over. The horse-drawn carriage tours were running with the passengers bundled up against the chill and breeze.

Many homeowners had covered up their window boxes to protect the plantings from nightly frost. We made it over to the pineapple fountain for the mandatory "When in Charleston" tourist shot. The fountain froze over a few days prior and the water had since been turned off. Then, when least expected, a glimpse of spring caught my eye. We returned to Crossroads in time to catch a colorful sunset over the treetops along the Ashley River. Turned out that we walked over six miles, by far more than the sum of all walks done since moving onboard. 

Thursday was laundry day. We had scouted out the facilities and jumped on the opportunity to wash our sheets and towels, along with the usual daily-wear items. We loaded up our two bags and made our way, like Santa Claus, to the laundry room. A new twist to this adventure was that the machines are operated by an app on my phone. So download app, load account with money, and scan the QR code. Voila, three machines running at once. Sure beat the other option of feeding in 48 quarters. In under two hours everything was done, folded, and back onboard. It was a beautiful day looking out the window. The wind continued to howl and the temperature crept to the 40s. Barry and Don (My Cat) once again took the courtesy van to West Marine because they could. I managed to get my workouts done onboard, although I had to work around Barry when his engine-room duties occupied my mat.

Friday dawned and there was talk of snow on Saturday. We did what all southerners do and braved the weather to get to the grocery store. Harris Teeter happened to be beside West Marine, so we both went in for "one final thing" before picking up our standard grocery provisions. While in the van, I got a text that our Amazon order had been delivered to the hub at the marina. Scan the barcode and the door magically opens. Not a bad system. 

The snow did come as predicted on Saturday morning. For about five minutes, it came down pretty hard and when viewed against the blue hull across the dock from us, looked much worse than it was. It was still snow though, and reinforced the fact that we are nowhere close to being far enough south. I got my exercises done while Barry worked to get our Coast Guard safety inspection. We passed and got our stickers for the year.

The afternoon was all about live streaming my aunt and uncle's funeral service. We had originally thought we'd be in Florida, and the drive would be too much for me to go up and back. Then we got stuck in Charleston and I second-guessed my decision not to return. As it turned out,Winston-Salem also got hit with ice and snow Saturday morning. My family had convinced me to not travel and to watch the service on my laptop. My sister and mom had ordered the basketball arrangement. I settled in and joined the family on the front row. Rev. Ginny gave a moving tribute that included pointing up to the seat in the balcony that Uncle Olon and Sydney had occupied most every Sunday for over three decades. Many of Uncle Olon's former players were in attendance, and three spoke. Jeff Denny provided the eulogy.

Jeff was my favorite North Forsyth Viking and went on to play for North Carolina. His stories of "Coach" were a great tribute. [Sorry for all the detail, but this section is for me when I look back on this trip.] Following the service, I spoke with both my mom and then Aunt B to get the rest of the story. We ended the day with dinner aboard My Cat.

The wind was still whipping this morning (Sunday), blowing us up against the dock. I brought out all the spray bottles and gave the place a good cleaning, then prepared lunches, grilled chicken, and baked another batch of carrot cake muffins. We WILL peel ourselves off the dock and leave tomorrow morning. We must get this show back on the road and its always good to have meals at the ready when underway.

We took one final stroll around town, this time on roads less traveled. The bluebird sky and bright sun made up for the blustery wind. We enjoyed checking out the architecture, live oaks, doorways, and gardens.

Other classic Charleston sights were the gas street lamps, many churches, and Spanish moss in the trees.

Palms grew in odd places and colorful pansies peeked out of window boxes. We took one last walk down the MegaDock to marvel at the huge vessels tied up with us. The flags were still stiff when we got onboard.  

Two football games later, the wind is beginning to lay down. It is always nice to spend time in Charleston, but we've got to go. We will peel ourselves off the dock at dawn with a destination of Saint Augustine, FL.