Carolyn in (South) Carolina

I have been lazy about blogging lately. It was nice to have time off and not have to feel like I should blog. I might be taking more breaks in 2010! Our Christmas was great. I made Turkey and all the trimmings. We had some yummy leftovers as well. On Sunday we left to South Carolina where we were going to get away for a few days.

Our first stop was Beaufort, SC. The ride went well until we hit Orangeburg and everything went pear-shaped. The traffic was backed up on I-26 all the way to I-95. We don't know how bad because we ended up getting off the Interstate and taking a smaller road into Beaufort.

We weren't sure what to expect because the main road was just okay but once we turned onto the road that lead to downtown Beaufort, we realized how quaint it was. Downtown Beaufort is just a few blocks long. It's right on the water and very cute. As we drove to find our Bed & Breakfast: The Cuthbert House Inn we could see the water on the other side of the road. We finally found The Cuthbert House Inn and it was beautiful. After settling in, we went down to have a cocktail with the owners and another guest. The guest actually knew where Sylva was located since he has a house in the next town over: Cashiers. Usually no one knows where our little town is.

After a drink we went to dinner at a really nice restaurant called Saltus. Sort of fancy but casual enough that we were in jeans. Luckily, it was only a 2 block walk since it was chilly in Beaufort. The best thing about Saltus was that they had pork belly on their menu. Now if you never had pork belly, I feel sad for you. It is a wonderful piece of pork that is hard to find anywhere. The chef prepared it in a tomato sauce on top of creamy grits and it was delish. Tom had fish since he never gets it at home. I was in heaven with pork belly. YUMMY

We went back to the B&B and relaxed after a long day of driving. Well, only Tom drove. The next day we got up and had breakfast and then went off for a ride.

Beaufort is tiny. But if you get a chance to ever go, you should. It's really a nice little Southern town. I loved it because it wasn't as built up as other places. It was still small and quaint enough. It had big old trees with lovely Spanish moss hanging from the branches. The houses were gorgeous and very Southern.

Beaufort is also on the water and you can take a drive that leads you to other islands and then back to the mainland. The drive was beautiful but short. But somewhere along the way, we came across: Hunting Island State Park. This wasn't on our list of things to do but we decided to drive in and see what was there and boy was that a great idea.

Not only is there a lighthouse but we were able to walk on the beach for a while and it was absolutely fantastic. It was colder than hell but the views were so lovely and the day so wonderful, we didn't care. The beach was great and I bet in the summer it is a lot of fun. There were tons of shells and birds and the water was calm. We stayed a while and walked along the beach and had a great time.

We went back to town and walked around a bit and then had a great lunch. For dinner we went to another great restaurant and had a nice dinner.

The next day after breakfast, we drove to Charleston. Now I LOVE Charleston. If I win the lottery, I would use my winnings to buy a house right in downtown and live there forever. I have no idea why I love Charleston so much but I remember the first time we visited, I was hooked. Walking down those cobblestone streets and walking among the old houses and big trees with the moss hanging down, is like heaven to me. Like I have said a million times before, there is no doubt in my mind that in a past life I lived there. I always feel like I am home when I am there. It is one fantastic town!!!!

We arrived and checked into our hotel: The Meeting Street Inn, which I would NOT recommend to anyone for too many reasons to write about here. After checking in to our room, we went to have lunch at Jestine's Restaurant. Oh boy, Jestine's was fantastic. Great Southern food. We ate fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens and some of the best cornbread I have ever had in my entire life. Oh it was delish. It was worth waiting 30-40 minutes on line to get in.

After that we went for a walk to the Market and the surrounding areas before heading back to the hotel to take a nap. In the early evening, we went on a walk through the residential areas of town down to the waterside to watch the sunset. Then we walked around some more and went looking for a great tapas restaurant we had visited years ago. It was closed down so we had to find somewhere else to eat. We ended up at this weird little bar/restaurant that had the best Thai food.

The trip ended the next day as we made our way back home. We stopped at the grocery store and bought dinner for New Years Eve. The next day I cooked up one the best meals I have ever made. Prime Rib Roast cooked to perfection. I also made creamy mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus with butter. I used a wonderful spice rub I bought on my trip in Pittsburgh on the roast and it was delicious. I also made the best gravy ever. We had some wonderful champagne and had a great night.

Here are some pictures. I had tons more but I didn't want to add all of them. Happy New Year everyone.

Me at the Hunting Island State Park

Me at the Meeting Street Inn courtyard

Old Charleston House - so pretty

Charleston Church

Me in Charleston

Charleston

More Charleston Homes - they are fantastic

Charleston sunset

Charleston sunset 2

Pelican enjoying the Charleston sunset - I love this picture. I didn't take this picture, Tom did. If I had taken it, it would have been stink ass for sure.

Our room at the Cuthbert House Inn


The view from the porch of the Cuthbert House Inn, Beaufort, SC


Another view from the Cuthbert House Inn

The Cuthbert House Inn - It was beautiful


Hunting Island State Park views

More Hunting Island views

Tom found a sand dollar but we left it there

Birds at the Hunting Island State Park

The view from our blacony at the Cuthbert House Inn - look at the moss just hanging from the trees. OMG so Southern.

Tom enjoying a cup of coffee on our balcony at Cuthbert


The Inn at night


The Inn's lobby


Hanging out in the Inn during cocktail hour


Another view from the balcony