Charleston is one of our favorite places, and we looked forward to our stay at the Charleston Harbor Marina. It’s not the cheapest but there are some nice amenities like access to the resort pool & hot tub, fire pits and gym, plus a free shuttle into Charleston. We spent several nights relaxing by the fire and even made s’mores one night, and of course we took the shuttle over to Charleston proper for a few hours. On our previous stay, we couldn’t find any good morning walks, but towards the end of our stay, we discovered a waterfront trail that lead to a pier under the Ravenel Bridge.
A two-week stay meant a weekend to sightsee, so on Saturday we rented a car and visited Boone Hall Plantation, the Angel Oak, stopped by the Firefly distillery, and finished the day with a walk on the beach on Sullivan’s Island and BBQ at Home Team. We also took Jack to his vet, where he got a clean bill of health. But man, was he PISSED – he’s a sweet boy and never hisses, but I got a good, angry growl when the vet brought him back into the room.
The best part of this stop was getting the band back together. Katy and Phil, who we met in Hopetown last year through Lori and Paul, live in the area, and we met up with them for a beer tasting and dinner at Saltwater Cowboys on Shem Creek during the week. On Sunday, Lori and Paul had arrived and we all headed to the beach for a laid-back day of bocce and soaking up the sun.
Lori, Paul, Katy and Phil met us at the marina during the week and brought their friends Alysha and Marty. We all headed up to the Bridge Bar, the resort’s rooftop bar with a view over the Yorktown and the Ravenel Bridge. We grabbed a fire pit, ordered way too much food and a few drinks, and had lots of laughs.
We love the Charleston food scene, so Chris and I took the next night to ourselves and had dinner at Sorghum & Salt. We had the tasting menu with wine pairings, and each dish was better than the one before. My only regret was that we did the four course tasting instead of six.
We met up with everyone for a beer tasting and a final dinner at Grace and Grit, and the food was excellent. Our cruising friends are amazing, and Katy and Phil were so generous during our stay – picking us up for dinner, taking me to the grocery store, offering to drive us around to run errands, offering up the chance to do laundry. I can’t say enough how thankful I am for their hospitality and even more, their friendship.
We obsessively check weather and were not excited to see a late season tropical storm forming. We monitored the storm’s progress and were glad we weren’t in the direct path, but we knew we’d have some blustery days in port as the outer bands passed over us.
There were some intense thunderstorms, and waves were breaking over the dock – it was impossible to walk up to shore without getting wet. With tornado watches all night, I didn’t really sleep, but fortunately no warnings came out of it. After multiple days of 20+kt winds, we chafed through the outer sheath on the spin halyard, and our fender covers took a beating – but that’s what they’re there for.
On the morning of our departure, sunrise came in the form of beautiful golden light peering out from the very last remnants of Nicole. We had beautiful skies and settled winds, and it was time for our next adventure.
One reply on “Getting the Band Back Together”
Beautiful pictures!