Georgetown, SC smells like corn. In a good way.

Greetings from Charleston!

Since I updated the blog, we visited Georgetown and returned! You've missed a whole lot! 

The rendezvous was very fun, as always. We got to catch up with old friends and made a few new ones. 

Friday afternoon we went on a tour of Boone Hall Plantation, the oldest working plantation in the country. Or maybe South Carolina. Maybe it was Mount Pleasant. Clearly I wasn't listening. 

There were 7 or 8 slave houses that told different parts of the "story." One explained how the slaves lived, one how they got here, one about the importance of religion to them, etc.

This is the fence surrounding the main house. It's curvy and I thought it was so pretty!

If this driveway looks familiar to you, it may be because you've seen North and South or The Notebook or, apparently, Army Wives.

I could not get over those Oak trees!

Really big me, really small house.

The part of The Notebook when Noah breaks this gate was NOT in the script. They had to replace that gate.

This is my new friend Dick. His wife Pam took the picture. They live in Seattle and work for Outer Reef. 

(Very fun people.)

Don't mind that shmutz on my face.

Friday night was "Dine around Town" night- and since Barry and Alice's son and grandkids were here, they ate on the boat. I went out with friends to a sushi bar that turned into a VERY fun club. 

Saturday afternoon we had lunch and played cornhole (my team won... duh.) before the yacht hop. 

Saturday night, we toured and had dinner aboard the USS Yorktown. SO COOL. I got to walk on the flight deck. Then we toured the barracks, the operating room, the dentist, the bakery, then the ENGINE ROOM! It was huge and confusing and busy.

Sunset from the hangar bay:

On Sunday afternoon, Grace and Leo drove up to visit and stayed on the boat while we traveled up to Georgetown.

(I bought 2 books here!)

I figured out something pretty cool... I speak DUCK! These ducks talked to me quite a bit the past 2 days...

When we got there, a boat we know named Winedown Too was already there (above). And De Onions showed up a couple hours behind us.

We stayed there overnight and left late this morning- about 9:00. 

Now we're back in Charleston. We're staying at a different marina than where the rendezvous was. We love this place- Charleston City Megadock. Fabulous place. Excellent dock hands.

I'll try not to go another week without updating. Hope life is great elsewhere! hugs!

THE Prince Diamond?!

Hello friends and family!

I am writing about our travels from a marina just outside of Savannah, Georgia. We have had two long, but pleasant traveling days so far.

We stayed on the boat Thursday night- here's a semi-sunset picture for you:

Then we left Doctors Lake at sunrise Friday morning and I set my breakfast down long enough to take some pictures- just for you!

Buckman Bridge:

We have had two very pleasant traveling days. I took some great pictures of our trip through downtown Jacksonville.

The Cummer:

EverBank:

Once we got a little north of the stadium, THREE dolphins joined us! They seemed to be enjoying our wake very much. I took 3 pictures and this is the best one. It is very difficult to take a picture of a happy dolphin from a moving boat.

We had a very pleasant encounter with a sailboat named "Prince Diamond."

With a name like that, I feel like we should know who he is. This encounter prompted a lively conversation between Alice and me about the new Liberacci movie. Matt Damon is going to be in it? And everyone's ok with this?
I digress. My apologies.

On a lighter note, Zephyrhills makes sparkling water: raspberry-lime or orange flavored. It is wonderful and you should try it.
Perhaps with a little vodka.
You're welcome.

Friday night, Barry and Alice's friends Grace and Leo joined us for a very yummy supper at the Coastal Kitchen at Morningstar marina. I had blackened redfish. Best fish I've ever had. We'll likely catch up with Grace and Leo later on as well.

Saturday we didn't leave Brunswick until 10 AM because we had to accommodate for some low tides along the way. I spent little time on the bridge; most of today I was working on Hemingway homework. I learned quite a bit: Ernest and Hadley's son John Hadley Nicanor Hemingway was born in October of 1923. They called him "Bumby."

That's all for today, we'll catch up with everyone once we get to Hilton Head!

New places, new weather!

We're in Alexandria, VA. It is beautiful here. When we left the marina this morning it was a good 15 degrees cooler than it was yesterday- Thank goodness!!

wait a second. priorites:

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOMMA AND DADDY!!!!! You two rock. Keep up the good work. Thanks for being the best parents anyone has ever had. ever.

and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY GRANT! Welcome to the world, little guy!

Alrighty, so the last time I was able to post was... Irvington! I was able to tell you about breakfast at that "gas" station... then I got some pool time... you remember all that.
That night (Saturday) we went to supper with Dick and Fran at this place called the Trick Dog Cafe.

We're in crab country. I had crab cakes. life is good.
oh! and I drew a picture! (that's a bird in the top right corner. see it?)



...and so did Fran. she's a natural, huh? she claimed it was a tree.
I told her I wouldn't post it. oh well :)

On the way to supper, I was able to take this really awesome picture... White Fences Winery... how can I not want to drink their wine when they have a gigantic corkscrew at the entrance to the winery? great marketing.

We left Irvington and got close enough to Smith Point light to take some pretty great pictures! (note the potty)

Also, we saw this light... not sure exactly what it was, but it's pretty!

Once we got into the marina, I took a walk to see what I could see... and found some pretty cool boat names!

This one is one of my favorites:

This one is just a really cool boat:

and look who we found again! we were so excited!

Last year while we were kayaking around Block Island, we saw this boat name... it's one of our favorites!

Last night, we got some serious wind... check out the radar!

but it chilled out after a while and we saw a BEAUTIFUL sunset!

This morning, we headed up the Potomac toward Alexandria- it was a great day on the water... like I said, about 10 to 15 degrees cooler, and sunny!

We passed by Mount Vernon:

and this fort-like structure: (feel free to tell me what it was if you know... it was up on the bank just as we approached DC, protecting the city, perhaps?)

We also got our 1st glimpse of the Washington Monument AND the Capitol building!!
so cool!!


When we got to the marina, we knew we were in for a challenge. There was very little dock to tie up to... but we're pros at this. (I say that all the time to Barry... sometimes sarcastically, like when I screw up. But this time I mean it- we made those lines look like ART! more pictures tomorrow... these are just some that Alice took to prove I actually do work on the boat... for those of you who doubt. You know who you are.)



After a rinse-down, I wandered around "Old Town" Alexandria and found a Starbucks (free wi-fi! what up!?)
This is a really neat little town- cobblestone sidewalks and such :)
Will update tomorrow- hope this post finds you well! Thanks for reading!

If you're happy and you know it, leave a comment!