Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina...

...in perhaps a different time of year!

Steve and I are back from our week-long adventure in the South, and while we enjoyed exploring a part of the country we would've never imagined visiting if not for the wedding, it's safe to say that we will NOT be going back there in the summertime unless we really really have to. Averaging a heat index of 100, it was unbearably hot and humid. The heat wave apparently travelled across the country with us. Call us spoiled, but I don't think we had ever been so uncomfortable before. It was a chore just to stand outside, let alone do anything active. With it being 30-degrees warmer outside, I ended up vegging inside the hotel on many of the days. A lot of R&R and luckily not many bugs. I only wound up with one bite and it didn't swell up like usual.

Here's a summary of what we did (I'll leave it up to Steve to post the birding pics in a separate blog):

7/29 - Went directly from Raleigh to Durham and had our first taste of Eastern NC-style BBQ. We thought the vinegar-based stuff was okay, still preferring Bandits over that any time. It was during this meal that we discovered hush puppies. They are like a cross between a donut and corn bread and, as if they aren't sweet or fatty enough, sometimes served with honey-whipped butter. Yum! They are to die for...or die because of.

7/30 - Steve explored Duke Forest while I slept in. We then drove over to the City Market in Downtown Raleigh, and that was a disappointment. Not sure if it's because we went on a Sunday, but the place was a ghost town. Most of the businesses were closed and there was nobody on those reputed cobblestone streets or anywhere else within that Downtown vicinity - just dead. Later that evening, we got our routine sports fix by attending a Durham Bulls baseball game. Not only did they win, I got a ball from their catcher! That, and another picture to add to our growing 'stadium' album:

7/31 - Drove down to Charleston. On the way there, we stopped by Clayton to check out the old Anderson home. On its own, the place didn't look too bad. However, when compared to the other homes in the area, it appeared almost dilapidated, perhaps the worst-looking one in that neighborhood. See for yourself below - ours is on the left and a neighbor's (which is representative of everything else in that area) lies on the right. Somebody will need to confirm whether the house still has its original coat of paint.

Our old house








Neighbor's house








8/1 - Visited Magnolia Plantation, where I took a tour of the plantation house while Steve birded in the adjacent swamp. This was where I got my one bite. The place was beautiful, with its many gardens and riverside views. We were there for almost four hours, and I thought I was melting by the end.

Afterwards, Steve visited another swamp (Biedler Forest) while I explored Downtown Charleston. Unlike its Raleigh counterpart, this downtown was fun. The area consisted of a network of shops (including a Starbucks!) interlaced with historical sites and museums. I walked around, but as much as there was to see and do there, ended up going back to the hotel after a couple hours. This was the day the heat index rose to 102. Apparently, this didn't bother Steve as much, who stayed in the forest until closing time.

8/2 - Headed up to Ocean Isle Beach. Before sunset, we did some 'pre-birding', driving through a list of top local birding spots in preparation for Steve's outing the next day.

We stayed in a spacious four-bedroom cottage right on the beach and pretty much had it all to ourselves. The one person we shared the place with was only around in evening, hanging out at Melanie's the rest of the time. We found it interesting that most of these cottages had names. Ours was called 'Vitamin Sea'.

8/3 - As planned, Steve went birding, mostly around neighboring Sunset Beach. I slept. He came back rather frustrated, citing that most of the premiere spots did not have any parking nearby. His day improved when we drove by Twin Lakes after lunch. There, we found a flock of wood storks resting on a tree. This was a much welcomed photo op for Steve, who had seen a juvenile earlier but did not have his camera ready in time. He started to snap away, and about 10 minutes later, there was a roseate spoonbill landing on the same tree! This was a new bird for him, and hence more pictures. We must have stayed there for at least a 1/2 hour.

Melanie's wedding was at 6. It was an intimate affair - no more than 20 people, almost all family. Appropriately enough, it had an island/beach theme with shells and tropical plants adorning everything. They even played island music during the ceremony. The couple seemed very happy together but also very hot. I was burning up in my sundress, Steve was completely soaked in his T, and they were the ones in formal wedding attire. I did not envy Melanie, who not only had on a full-length gown, but also a thick petticoat underneath.

8/4 - Again, Steve birded at a swamp (this time Green Swamp Preserve) while I slept. It wasn't a very eventful or exciting day.

8/5 - Back home to SD. This ended up being a very very long travel day. The drive from Ocean Isle back to Raleigh took over three hours. The flight from Raleigh to Phoenix departed 45 minutes late and took four hours. After arriving in Phoenix, we learned that our connecting flight had been delayed for at least an hour, hence extending our time in the airport to 2 1/2 hours. When we finally landed in SD, it took a 1/2 hour for our baggage to show up, and after that, we had to wait another hour before our shuttle arrived. Apparently, I had made the mistake of pre-booking our ride with the company that had the lowest rates. You get what you pay for. This company apparently had a limited number of operating shuttles, none available when we called. Since the ride was pre-paid, we had no choice but to wait around for one to free up while at least eight Cloud9's whizzed on by. It was very annoying. We didn't get home until after midnight, 17 hours after we got on the road in Ocean Isle.

In spite of the heat, we're glad that we went. That's two more states to add to my list, bumping up my total number of US states visited to 15. Colorado should be #16 after Mon's wedding next March. Steve wouldn't mind going back to the Carolinas for more birding activities. According to him, April is the best time. I'd like to visit Charleston again. However, with the other 35 states to go, it will be a while.