Goodbye Charleston Area, South Carolina, USA

It is time to say goodbye to the Charleston area and start heading back towards home in the Northeast.  It has been a great two months of weather, experiences, and people.  I hate to stereotype but, folks in the south are different - not in such a hurry, more friendly, more willing to smile, not so quick to honk their car horn and/or give the one-finger salute - it's a nice place with nice people.

Here are some last photos from the trip - sort of a "catch-all" of images that I didn't fit into any other blog post.

Mt. Pleasant has a very pleasant park on Pitt Street with views of Sullivan's Island, Charleston Harbor, the distant Ravenel Bridge, and the saltwater marshland adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway. A nice place for a walk, jog, saunter, mosey, amble, or kayak - or to just sit a spell and enjoy the sunset.

A clever bumper sticker seen in Mt. Pleasant.  It is available for sale from an animal rescue and adoption proponent, LoveYourBuddy.com.

"Timbo's Hot Boiled Peanuts" roadside stand - I won't ever see that in New England.

These are some brightly colored shoes.

Why so many metal roofs in this area? Seems like using metal is more common than using asphalt shingle.

At least you won't see this sign beside any New England lakes and ponds.

I like towns where shopkeepers put out water bowls for thirsty dogs - and it's only February.  That suggests lots of water bowls when it really gets warm.

An entrance door on an alley in the French Quarter.

A restaurant, Husk, in downtown Charleston. Outdoor tables when the weather permits. I don't know about the food - we didn't eat there - but I like restaurants in old houses.

Among Azaleas, Spanish Moss, and Crepe Myrtle trees,  this Unitarian Church cemetery in downtown Charleston looks like a beautiful place to spend eternity.

Low clouds during a storm.

I have a feeling of connection to this area - through two months of wandering and visiting, talking and walking.  My visit was enriched in very large part by concurrently re-reading three of Pat Conroy's novels during my stay, "South of Broad," "The Great Santini," and " The Prince of Tides." He is perhaps the most powerful writer of fiction I've ever had the pleasure of reading.  And reading him again while walking the very streets and towns where he lived and where many of his themes and ideas originated has made for a more complete local immersion. By almost any criteria, Charleston and the "Lowcountry"are great places to visit on this planet.  Goodbye!!