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Oct. 13 - Charleston, SC

The Harborage at Ashley Marina

The boat is finally in its winter home. What a marathon the last eleven days have been...670 miles from Baltimore to Charleston. We were lucky to be able to travel each day, not that every day was a perfect day on the water. Stan did have some fog, rain and a few days with high winds, but Stan felt the conditions were all doable. He enjoyed seeing a lot of wildlife on the way, including three bald eagles. Today the winds were 15-20 MPH making the trip across Charleston Harbor and docking at Ashley's a little more of a challenge, but Stan looked like a pro backing into the slip.

My drive from Georgetown was about an hour. I went down Hwy.17 into Mt Pleasant, part of the highway is called "Sweetgrass Corridor", because it is home to more than 60 sweetgrass basket stands that display the craft of the Gullah-Geechee people of the Sea Islands and Low Country. Sweetgrass baskets are hand-woven by local artists who follow a weaving practice that is over 300-years-old. The baskets were traditionally used in agriculture to transport goods and to separate grain, though today the baskets are primarily seen as artwork. Unfortunately I drove through this area before 9:00 and most of the stands were not open yet. 

Next I drove by Shem Creek, which is full of fishing boats and seafood restaurants. This area is supposed to have the freshest seafood in the Charleston area. I then crossed the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge into Charleston and spent a few hours at the Farmers Market, which is one of our all time favorite markets...beautiful crafts, wonderful fresh vegetables, a wide variety of delicious food and entertainment. It's held in Marion Square and everyone brings their dogs...it's a great place to watch people. After the market I drove around historic Charleston (it's better on a bike) and stopped at White Point Gardens, it's at the end of Charleston (south of Broad) and I had a good view of the harbor. It was too early to see Stan, but I could definitely see his ride was going to be rough since it was so windy.

We'll spend the next 3-4 days relaxing, packing and getting the boat ready for winter. We don't have to winterize the boat this year, but there are things that need to be done before we leave it unattended.

Sweetgrass Basket Stands along the highway
Boats in Shem Creek
Peaceful street near Shem Creek
Marion Square and the Charleston Farmers Market
Sweetgrass Baskets
Beautiful home near White Point Gardens

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