The rest of the Edisto trip...

OK, the guilt is killing me. I don't know if I'll ever finish my proper trip report. Here are the highlights of the rest of the trip...

Saturday evening:
- Took carriage ride. OK guide. Rainbow Row. Woo hoo! Pretty. But HOT. Sun beating down on us no matter which way we were facing, and that was with a cover on the carriage.

- Nifty, funny, no, hilarious thing: Toward the end of the carriage ride, we spied a guy with a sousaphone (marching tuba) running toward St. Peter's Episcopalian. Then we saw three groomsmen in tuxedos running toward St. Peter's and loudly complaining about (a) the heat, (b) the parking situation, and (c) the sweat ruining their tuxedos. When we got to St. Peter's, we saw signs that there was, indeed, a wedding taking place. Then after the tour, a parade complete with a Dixieland jazz band and the wedding party totally interrupted traffic all around the Market. And yes, the sousaphonist *and* the groomsmen were all there.

- Wesley's blood sugar dropped and I'm not sure he ever even heard the jazz band.

- We went to Hyman's seafood place for dinner. I've read about it for years, and the concensus in guidebooks is that it's overpriced and overhyped, which is why I've never gone there. The guidebooks were wrong. We walked right in (around 5:30 in the afternoon), were seated in gloriously air conditioned surroundings, and had a completely fabulous meal. Our waiter was somewhat inept, but earnest, and he tried hard. He just isn't cut out to be a waiter. He's probably going to cure cancer or something, though. He was the epitome of the absentminded professor. If you go to Hyman's, take at least three people with you. Order different desserts. And share. There is no way to order just one dessert; they are ALL sublime. Our tab was just over $120 including tip, and it was worth every penny, especially considering the air conditioning.

- We walked around in the waning evening, found Margaritaville (where I appreciated the one chair in the shop and the others bought Parrotheard paraphernalia), visited the bookstore, and then went back to the house on Edisto. Ahhhhhh, air conditioning!

Sunday, August 21st --

- The most truly unique thing I have ever witnessed took place -- we woke up to find Edisto police stomping around in the backyards behind our row of rental houses, looking out into the marsh. There was apparently someone who had done something and had fled into the marsh when the police approached him. While I stood on the second story balcony and looked for the hoodlum myself, I watched two raccoons swim from one marsh island to another.

- It was so hot that there were heat index warnings all over the radio. Woodrow and I went shopping that afternoon, and in one of the shops, the owners had the police scanner on. During the fifteen minutes that I was there, several people collapsed on the beach and ambulances were being called out all over the place.

- Late Sunday afternoon, the wind picked up and Wesley, Woodrow, and I went to the beach. We could not anchor the beach umbrella in the fierce wind that blew. I waded into the ocean and promptly ran into a jellyfish. I kicked. The jellyfish bounced around on my feet, calves, shins, and thighs. That was NOT FUN. I tore apart four cigarettes, wetting the tobacco and applying it to my stung spots. The wind blew the tobacco around. Stupid wind. Getting back into that ocean was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I did it because Woodrow was freaking out.

- The Ruby Seahorse was closed all day Sunday for a company picnic. HMPH!!!! I cannot now remember what we did about dinner, but what I really wanted was another Ruby Seahorse burger. That place was *wonderful*!!!!

Monday, August 22nd --

- We cleaned up and checked out and packed up the car. Sniffle!!!!

- We went to the Serpentarium the moment they opened. I only wanted to see the turtles, and I spent quite a lot of quality time with them. This year I snagged the owner's wife and asked her to please identify all the turtle varieties for me. There's Joe, the African tortoise, who lives in a large area by himself. Joe has more personality than any reptile or amphibian or whatever tortoises are than I have EVER SEEN. He's like a dog. He comes over to the fence and begs to be petted. When the workers go to feed him, he follows them around like a puppy, begging for attention. I want Joe. The other turtles in a large, wet holding area, include soft-shell turtles (leathery backed buggers), Mississippi River snapping turtles, ordinary box turtles, regular river turtles, and then.... the cutest turtle I have EVER SEEN. There are turtles with bubbly-shaped heads and the most darling seafoam green and ivory markings. They had round little bubbly eyes and they followed me around as I walked around the tank, blinking their bubbly cartoon eyes at me. I swear they looked like Dr. Seuss had drawn them. The owner's wife said they were "diamond-back terrapins," and that they are indigenous to Edisto's salt marsh. I have looked up "diamond-back terrapins" online, and the pictures I found are nothing like these darling little cartoon turtles. I tried to take pictures, but none of them do these babies justice. They're just too cute for words. Go see them for yourself!!!!!!!

- Then we drove to Charleston for a tour and a lunch. We toured the Edmonston-Alston House, which is absolutely gorgeous. We toured it with a snooty tour guide and about 8 other tourists (besides our family of four), and frankly, I felt rushed, and I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside. One of the tourists with us was the actress who played Brett Butler's neighbor on her old TV show. Wesley keeps saying, no, that wasn't her. OH, YES, IT WAS. She handed me her camera and asked me to take her picture on the veranda with Ft. Sumter in the background. That was *so* her. I can't remember her name. I should've gotten her to pose for a picture with me. But I'm always too shy, and hey, I didn't know her name. All I could think was, "She used to be on TV with Brett Butler and ... hey, Blake Clark was on that show for a while, too." She's much prettier in real life, and that red hair is her natural shade. Her daughter had the same hair. And, oh, she had the best sandals. I told her I loved her sandals after I took two pics of her with her disposable camera.

- Wesley's favorite part of the Edmonston-Alston House was the Purdy shotgun that was mint-in-box, never assembled, never shot, purchased in 1864, and they had the receipt to prove it. It was gorgeous with a beautifully engraved register. Heck, even *I* thought it was gorgeous. He has since written to Purdy to ask them how much that gun would be worth today. They cannot affix a value to it. That's the kind of stuff they have in that house. If you're in Charleston, go see it. I just hope you have a more generous tour guide who lets you linger more than ours did!

- Lunch was very good at a microbrewery. Wesley was a happy guy.

- We didn't get out of Charleston until very, very late -- about 3:30, I'm afraid. So we drove until very late at night to get home. And oh, the weather was terrible. Big thunderstorms followed us all the way home. At one point, we got off the interstate to get gas, and the city we chose had suffered a blown transformer, so they had no traffic lights. It took us 45 minutes to get gas and get back on the interstate!

The last day was one of the best days of the whole vacation, honestly.

There. That's the end of my trip report! Now I can give up a bit of my guilt!