Hampton Plantation

This past week we took a quick journey to Charleston for the Hootie and the Blowfish Concert.  A light mist gave way to a rare cool summer evening as Hootie took the stage and performed a fantastic set of classics, new music, and vintage covers.  After lunch at one of our Charleston favorites, Five Loaves, with Brian, Katie, Sarah, and Laura, we headed back up to Myrtle along Hwy 17.  Along the way we decided to stop and tour Hampton Plantation.  The plantation was built starting in the 1740s and finished in 1791 for a visit from George Washington.  The home remained in the Horry and Rutledge family until 1971 when Archibald Rutledge sold it to the State of South Carolina.  Archibald was the Poet Laureate of South Carolina and an avid gardener, but was not noted for his maintaining of the plantation house. Once acquired by the State, many archaeological excavations and studies were conducted.  The house as it stands today is best described as a deconstructive preservation.  The plaster walls have been removed in most of the rooms leaving only the hand hewn cypress framing and detailed mouldings. A beautiful contrast of refined decor blended with the rugged structure make it a true delight the architect's eye. The only downside the tour was the mosquito invasion that attacked us until we were able to get some repellent from the Ranger Station.

The Heat and Southerns

I was probably 3 or 4 years old the first time I uttered, "Whew it's hot out," or it may have been the first words I ever said.  Without modern technology back then to provide conclusive evidence, it's really hard to say.  Nonetheless, we, as Southerners, have this long standing love/hate relationship with hot temperatures.  Ask us what we think about moving up North, and I guarantee one of the big negatives would be "too cold."  However, starting in June and stretching through the first of September, the most polite, civil conversation you can have with anyone is to discuss how hot it is outside.
Don't get me wrong, I think half of the year here is absolutely wonderful, and the few months (or weeks) of winter are chilly but still tolerable.  It's just those three hot months we tend to focus on the most.  I love counting the number of Facebook friends that post the temperature reading from their car. The goal must be to find the biggest patch of asphalt to drive the reading even higher.
It's not just the temperature either, it's the humidity.  Ninety degrees is not that bad if you have been out west in an arid climate.  I like to describe the difference as being heat is opening the oven, humid is throwing the oven in the hot tub.  It was humidity control that lead Willis Carrier to invent the Building System for a print shop in Buffalo, NY.  Though I'm confident enough to say once the workers felt that cool blast of air in mid July, society fundamentally shifted.  While the long term environmental implications could fill volumes, the basic fact remains, we are now a society dependent upon the ability to occupy cool spaces year round.  So after a long walk through the neighbor with Dakota, I can't help but mutter God Bless you Mr. Carrier as I feel that cool draft enveloping my body.

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.

Daniel Island

Family Circle Cup

I-526 overpass

Tradd Street property ceiling medallion

Tradd Street property stair detail

The Citadel

Charleston Place motor court fountain

Does that count as being over the property line?

Saltworks exhibit

Charleston

The past few weeks had become a crazy period for both of our jobs and personal lives, so a spontaneous weekend sojourn was much needed. We were fortunate enough to be able to call some friends at the last moment, who graciously offered to host us for the weekend.  Friday night we attended a comedy skit as part of the Spoleto Festival.
Saturday we spent the day wandering the streets of Charleston, exploring its history filled streets. We went through the artist's tents set up in Marion Square and I'm sure we would have purchased serveral works of art if we were able.  Lunch was at a local's favorite, Five Loaves. The huge sandwiches were all local and/or organic ingredients. Definitely a place we will recommend to friends.  Saturday night we had dinner at the Queen Anne's Revenge.  Tucked away in the professional park of Daniel Island, this restaurant was started by a pirate enthusiast who fill the place with authentic pirate artifacts.  The food was delicious including my dish, which was based on a 1700s purloo recipe.  After dinner we meet up with my old Sharon Luggage buddy Cheri and her fiance Lawrence at the Shark Fin Bar at Vickery's.
Sunday we took a long stroll around the Battery and then took a driving tour of the large homes of Daniel Island.  We saw a really cool tree house built overlooking the marsh. This would have definitely been my favorite hang out as a kid.
This was a much needed retreat and gave us some time to enjoying a trip where we weren't book with tons of events to attend.

New housing, following historical models

Chase store front

Kids creating art

Frank Harmon addition to a church

Tree House on Daniel Island

Plantation Tour - Mansfield

Mansfield Plantation was once a rice plantation on the Pee Dee River, but it has been converted into a Bed & Breakfast.  There is a restored slave street as you enter the property.  The house's outbuildings serve as the current guest cottages, and the ceramic roof tiles were imported from Cuba.  The brick walkways also have some interesting designs, especially one of the large patios outside of a larger guest cottage.  The same family has owned the property since 1754.

Guest Cottage outbuilding

Main House

cherub

Pee Dee River

Beautiful Live Oaks

Brick Patio

Plantation Tour - Black River House

Many of you might recognize the next stop on our tour as the house in the movie The Notebook.  This means nothing to me, but Johanna was rather excited.  The house was built in 1919 and is thought to be a Sears Kit House.  Exhaustive research has neither proven nor dis-proven this theory.  The house has a very stately neoclassical facade and is a clear representation of early 20th century ideals of Classicism.  Unlike many of the older 19th century plantation homes we visited, Black River displays a higher degree of ornamentation.  Nonetheless the house is quite beautiful. While walking around the grounds, you can see in the photos the sky got rather dark and it began raining.  We left quickly to try an see a couple more spots before the rain washed out the rest of the day.  

               Old man sitting in a rocker with the American Flag, classic. 

 Front of the house

 Rear of the house was just as nice as the front.

Plantation Tour - Exchange

After Chicora Wood, we visited the Exchange Plantation, yet another property owned by the Allston family prior to the Civil War.  The front portion of the house is the oldest home along the Pee Dee River dating from around 1750-1770.  The two story rear addition was added by the current family in 1946.  The house had a charming rustic, yet refined, feel to it.  The formal front rooms were nicely decorated while the rear rooms were pine board paneling.  The two outbuildings adjacent the main house were quite nice and had their own unique character.

1946 Addition

Original House

Outbuilding