Dispatches from the Backporch: Charleston II

This past weekend, we were back in Charleston for Colby & Jon's wedding (one of Johanna's college friends). Brian and Katie were gracious hosts, and we were able to stay at Brian's place on Daniel Island.

When we arrived Friday evening, Katie and Brian took us on a stroll along some of the trails on Daniel Island, and we had covered a lot of ground until we began to be attacked by no-see-ums (small, pesky mosquitoes to you Northerners). We had some delicious wood-fire grilled pizza at Vespa for dinner, and we capped off the night with the all-American movie, King of Kong. This documentary shows the struggle between two Donkey Kong arcade competitors to be the best of the best. I thought this was really going to be boring film, but it was actually quite comical. We spent the rest of the weekend cracking one-liners from some of the ridiculous comments that these arcade junkies were saying. The terms DDG and Kill Screen will be revealed if you watch this film.

Saturday morning, we got up and headed downtown to Tradd Street for an estate sale. This was an excuse for all of us to check out a Charleston home, while perusing over some books, furniture, and miscellaneous home items. We all left empty handed, but it was a beautiful home with detailed and intricate woodwork. It's also for sale at $2.9 million if you're in the market. The rest of the day was spent preparing for the wedding. Before the wedding, Ben was able to explore the Citadel grounds and take some photos. Having never been there myself, it was great to see another piece of Charleston that I had never explored before. We had a great time at the reception, and we enjoyed eating good food, dancing, and hanging out with some of my college friends. It was great being with all of them again.

Sunday morning, Ben and I rode with Katie and Brian into downtown. While they attended Catholic Mass at the Cathedral, we took to the streets to explore. Sunday mornings are a great time to go through downtown Charleston, especially if you are a photographer. With little car or pedestrian traffic, we were able to leisurely make our way through the streets and appreciate our surroundings. We met up with Katie and Brian, checked out the Saltworks exhibit, and had some lunch. After a failed attempt to go to the apartment complex pool, we played a quick game of Monopoly Deal (a faster, card-based version), and then it was time to head back home and retrieve Dakota from camp.

I always enjoy going down to Charleston, and now that we are working in Pawleys Island, I am hopeful that we can have more of these little get-aways. I have been down to Charleston so many times, and yet, each time I am there, I see something new I never saw before. The Holy City certainly has put a spell on me.