Charleston Getaway

Courtesy of the Philosophy Department of the College of Charleston, which invited Justin to give a talk this past Friday, we took a little family trip to Charleston.  We arrived Thursday afternoon to a gloomy and rainy day in the port city.  The weather, however, did not dampen my spirits, as I was treated to THREE, yes I said THREE hours of alone time, courtesy of my darling husband.  That night there was a slight mixup with our accomodations, so on Thursday we had a little "slumber party"!  And let's just say that Zola was more than happy to join us in our bed.  We spent most of the night trying to ensure that Milo and Calder stayed blissfully asleep. 

Friday morning we headed to the South Carolina Aquarium, which is a lovely spot on Charleston Harbor, across the water from Patriots Point.  We watched the otters frolic at feeding time and baby alligators move slothfully about their tank. Milo and Calder touched sea urchins and star fish, but expressed strong apprehension about touching the velvety skin of the stingrays. The boys especially enjoyed watching the dive show in the Great Ocean Tank. Calder even "high-fived" one of the divers from outside the tank. 

While Justin gave his talk in the Philosophy Department Friday afternoon, we just hung out and met up with him later in Marion Square Park.  At the park Zola and Milo vied for my hot chocolate, and Milo tried his hand at break dancing (the latter may have been the result of the former). 

Saturday morning we took a tour of the salt marsh around Folly Beach with Captain Anton, a coastal geologist.  Albeit a little windy and chilly, our boat ride around the salt marsh was terrific.  We were able to closely observe dolphins swimming in pods, as well as tons of pelicans, osprey, herons, and other birds.  Captain Anton cast a net and the boys got to touch a shrimp and a tiny fish before he threw them back into the water. 

At one point we climbed ashore onto a giant sandbar, where the lighthouse was situated.  The sand was alternatively hard packed and mushy. The boys loved dancing in the mushy sand and Zola dug away using her hands as shovels.  We collected some sea shells and then were on our way back onto the boat. 

We capped off the weekend with a trip to Christophe Chocolatier and then headed back to Columbia.  It is so nice to have a break from the daily routine every once and a while.