Charleston 2012 (2 of 2)

#2 It had just the right amount (not too much, not too little) of Great Adventures~

The Trolley– one night we took the resort’s trolley over the Cooper River Bridge to/from Charleston for dinner and downtown exploring (this was a major highlight of the trip for the bambinos!)

The Water Taxi– another night we took a water taxi out on the open ocean to/from Shem Creek for dinner (and the boat captain was super accommodating to the bambinos, driving “super fast!” and making a “huge wake!” and letting them “drive the boat!”)

Hermit Crabs– every morning we’d search for hermit crabs on the shoreline by the resort (we found many, of many sizes, in many various shells, and they were so fun to play with!)

#3 Food: Adventures in Eating!

One of the greatest parts about us vacationing in the Charleston area is that we know exactly where to go for great grub! And this time around we also had the pleasure of discovering our new favorite Lowcountry restaurant — Page’s Okra Grill — a real treat if you’re ever looking for a feast in Mt. Pleasant!

Southern Cuisine– Just for the record (yet again), I need to document the incredibly huge amounts of food our boys consume– our first night (at Sullivan’s) Owen ate a full pound of crab legs and Kyle ate a 14-ounce ribeye steak, both complete with salads and sides; our second night (at Sticky Fingers) Owen ate a whole rack of bbq ribs and Kyle a whole half a smoked chicken, again both complete with salads and sides. These guys are learning to love the Lowcountry! Over the course of our short stay we ate shrimp; oysters; grits; okra; collards; butter beans; baked beans; sweet potato casserole; macaroni and cheese; chicken fried steak; chopped brisket; hush puppies; boiled peanuts; banana pudding; key-lime pie… we don’t mess around when it comes to eating the regional fare of the places we visit.

Picnic Lunches on the Beach— a delight in its own right– watermelon, sandwiches, and excellent live entertainment (dolphins playing just offshore and shooting their whole bodies up and out of the water — we have never seen anything like it! it was quite the lunchtime show!)

Meera woke up first every morning, and she and I savored our early breakfasts alone in the hotel together each day– and she fell asleep first each night, which sometimes gave Kyle and Owen opportunities for alone-time with Mommy–

In fact, Meera fell asleep out of sheer delicious exhaustion a few times on this trip– here she is sound asleep in a makeshift bed next to our table in Sullivan’s Restaurant (below), and a couple of other interesting sleeping spells–

#4 Family Bonding (that which it is all about)

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We drove over the bridge, and began our trip back north, knowing that we had made the very most of every minute.

And although it was a short vacation, we came home feeling rejuvenated. It was just what we all wanted/needed.