So we made it!! Ten years together. We have seen a lot happen. 4 kids, 2 degrees, 4 surgeries (all mine :0( )- but through it all of it we have had some great laughs, some good crys and some amazing experiences!
Since we never had a honeymoon, we promised ourselves that we would do something special for ten years!
We decided to go to Charleston SC. (Here is a tip for all of my frugal friends. Use Groupon!! We were able to do some great things for super cheap. We saved about 75%)
Anyways-back to the weekend. I found a great B&B right outside of Charleston. It was owned by a woman named Wynch. She is from Norway and was a great host. Her home was beautiful!
It is called the Fox Residents.
This was the dining room where we would have breakfast. (However we did most of our dining out in the large screened in back porch!)
This was the entry way by the stairs.
This was a nice little sitting area.
And another sitting area right outside our bedroom.
The bedroom that we got was very PINK! Garran asked if I had booked it on purpose. We both laughed. It was even a little to pink for me, but it was a nice room.
On our first night we found a gift in our room. It was from Wynch. It said Happy Anniversary and was a hand painted glass (that she makes) with chocolates in them! So sweet. The trip was already off to a great start!
On the first day we decided to take the advice of Wynch and go check out some of the plantations. Such a good choice. We only went to one, but it was the right choice.
However on the way, we had to make a u-turn. Anytime you see something like this on the side of the road, you have to stop.
This guys name was Timbo. And he had been selling these delicious boiled peanuts for the last 25 years. When I say they were delicious, I am not exaggerating! So after our pit stop, we continued on to Magnolia plantation. This was the entry way.
So pretty. I loved all the trees and flowers!
I told Garran I was going to be documenting our trip with pictures when we first got started. This was the face I got. After ten years he knows I am a photo junkie and he still loves me.
Right through the main entrance they had horses and these peacocks just wandering around.
Did I mention how much I loved all the flowers....because I did.
Something funny about having kids but not being on vacation with them is that you realize that unless you take a lot of selfies, there are not as many cute photo opportunities! So sorry for the Garran and Meghan show!
See. Lots of us. But I loved the bridge we were on and the water behind us. After we walked around for a little while an older gentleman told us that we should go checkout the orchid garden in the conservatory. So we did! It was beautiful. If your not a flower fan.. You can scroll past the next few pictures.
These were just a few of my favorites. But it really was beautiful!
After the orchid garden, we decided to do some more wandering around the property.
This is the back view of the main plantation home looking on from the Ashley river.
This bridge is a famous bridge. Apparently it has been in several movies. At least that was what a few different people told is. I would believe it. It is beautiful and looks like it just came right out of a book.
I mean look at this! I could have spent all day here just soaking up all the beauty and lovely flower fragrances.
Some of our selfies aren't the best, but there were not always people around. So I tried to get us and the bridge.
There were so many beautiful places for pictures.
So we left the beautiful bridge and continued to wonder around.
There were so many little places like this that were so peaceful and cool. These provided nice shade from the hot sun. It was great.
I think this was one of Garran's favorite spots. It was in the bamboo gardens.
It really was peaceful and beautiful. It looks like something that you would see in a book or magazine, but it was real and we got to enjoy it!
This was the front of the main home on Magnolia Plantation. This is when we were headed out to go find some lunch.
So for lunch we took the advice of Wynch again and found this little whole in the wall barbecue place. It was on the side of the road and for some reason made me think of the movie "Fried Green Tomatos". Anyways, it was delicious!
So we had some time to kill and so we did some sight seeing and window shopping. While walking around we saw these.
We did not take the tours of these boats but we did have a good time looking at them. It is incredible to see the magnitude of these ships and think of all they have been through.
Our next stop was going on a sunset cruise. It was wonderful and I even got this hat. I told Garran I felt like a true southern lady with it on! LOL
We had a lot of fun seeing dolphins jumping along the ships and just being out on the water. Garran and I really both enjoy that.
The cruise ended with a beautiful sunset over downtown historic Charleston and the Ashley River.
We had heard amazing things about the farmers market in Charleston and it was just our luck that this weekend was the opening weekend.
They had so many great vendors. This place had delicious spreads.
This place made me think of my brother in law so I snapped a picture!
After we toured the farmers market, it was lunch time. We had seen so many great local things that we decided just to get something at the market. It was the right choice!! We got some locally made brie, a baguette, and locally made pickles. Yummy! It was delicious.
See how happy we look enjoying it!
It really was delicious! Locally made is best!!
After lunch, Garran surprised me with this necklace that I had seen while walking through the market. It is beautiful and was such a sweet surprise!
After lunch we decided to just walk around historic Charleston. We like to just kind of wonder and see what we can see. I like that Garran and I are both like that. We don't mind having little adventures.
We were walking down a street and these lilacs were so beautiful and smelled amazing. So I took a picture.
While we were out, we stumbled into this place. Garran has always wanted a straight razor shave. This place did them and it was so nice for him. This was his before.
I had to take a before. I have not seen him without a beard in a while.
We were both excited to see how it would go!
They lady who did the shaves name was Ping and she was very sweet. She did a great job. Garran said he almost fell asleep in the chair. Apparently Ping is just that good. Another lady said that is a common occourance for her.
I was happy. I thought he looked so handsome, but I always think he looks handsome. So no big change in that way! After the shave we were off to dinner.
This would prove to be an adventure. So on our map, it looked like it was a few blocks away. Well maps can be deceiving sometimes. We ended up walking about 2 miles. So a little longer than planned. It was not our original plan for dinner but we were unable to get a table at our first choice.
But as you can see we were still happy when we made it. Long walk and all.
If you are ever in Charleston and want some pizza. This would be a good choice. It was wonderful and they had a fun menu with different choices.
After dinner and walking all day, we decided not to walk back to the historic district. We decided to call the pedicabs! Such a fun and inexpensive way to get around the city.
These nice fellas come on a bike with wagon and pull you around. Our guy was great. Super nice and funny!
It was a fun way to see the city at night.
I convinced Garran that for our last night in Charleston we do something random and fun. So after searching groupon, I found ghost tours. AWESOME!
Charleston is the third most haunted city in the US. I found it more comical than anything. I know some people really get into it, but I just enjoyed the spooky atmosphere that the guide created!
This was us before the tour started. I told Garran he had to look scared. We have to work on his scared face.
This was our guide. An avid ghost believer and has been giving these tours for 17 years. He had many close encounters with ghost and apparently has interviewed many people who have as well.
I will say this. He was a great story teller and had a nack for creating suspense.
This was a haunted restaurant. Poogans Porch. This was where we were originally going to have dinner but could not get a table. Imagine my surprise when it showed up on the tour. I told Garran we missed our chance at seeing the ghost of Zoe who used to live there with here sister and apparently haunts the restaurant to this day. Maybe next time!
We also stopped at a church that supposedly has a haunted grave yard of a mother that had given birth and her baby did not survive and then she passed away 6 days later. The story goes that on June 10th of every year she shows up to mourn the baby that passed away and was buried there.
We were there in April so we missed her to.
Our tour ended on bloody alley where a dual took place over a woman. A young doctor was shot and later died. He apparently haunts the house he passed away in. But, this alley was known as the place to dual back in the day and Is said to often haunt people with loud bangs that sound like gunshots and footsteps as they walk the alley at night. (If you are like me you are wondering why they would walk the alley at night too, but whatever)
So our trip is over and we are headed to pick up our kids, pack up our house and move in two weeks. Life does not stop or slow down. But this was a great way to reconnect and recharge our batteries. I would highly recommend Charleston to anyone. It was great and we didn't even scratch the surface on things to do!
Happy 10th Anniversary to my best friend!
I love you Garran and can't wait for all the years ahead!
