Charleston, SC

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore". I guess I should say New England but it is very clear that we've entered a new and very old territory. Charleston, in many ways, is similar to Boston. The bustling harbor is full of fishing boats, car carriers, sail boats, naval ships and vessels of all kinds. The shopping is endless and the restaurants are fabulous.

We parked the camper just outside the city and toured around in the truck. We wandered around the streets of Charleston on the first night, checking out a few bars and tasting our way through happy hour. Side note: happy hour is the best thing on this planet. Our friends, Wes and Caitlin, recently visited Charleston for vacation and recommended Poogan's Porch for dinner. It was an awesome combination of southern and American cooking. We split a bottle of chianti and Brian had the roast duck with sweet potato gnocchi and I had the seared scallops and shrimp with grits. We left fat and happy.

The next day we wanted to hit the beach so went checked out Folley Beach, otherwise known as "the edge of America". We took a walk on the beach to view the lighthouse then visited a rooftop deck and threw back a couple raw oysters and cocktails. We drove back to Charleston to do a little more exploring and found ourselves signing up for a sunset cruise to see Fort Sumter. It was the last cruise of the year so we thought we better jump on this opportunity. Fort Sumter is now a National Monument but more importantly, it is where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired. So, we learned a little history, enjoyed a nice boat ride, toured the fort, then enjoyed a cocktail and some appetizers on the ride back. It was really a lovely time and a perfect way to spend an evening.