We are in Durham with Rob's brother Brian and his family - Barbra, Luke and Jamie. We'll be here for three days and then will be off to PA and NJ to be with more family. So, we have begun the second phase of our journey - family time! It is kind of bittersweet to leave phase one behind - the "getting to." However, we are very happy to be with our families and anticipate with pleasure our upcoming week on Long Beach Island, NJ with both the Zimmerman and the Murray sides of the family - about 30 of us in all, including 3 cousins from Scotland! We'll be swimming and sunning and laughing and eating and playing mini-golf and, and, and...! Erin is back from her year in Central America and joining us. Heather and Will are flying in to be with us as well.
On our way here from the Gulf Coast we visited Savannah and Charleston. We camped for two nights outside of Savannah at Skidaway Island State Park. We had our first encounter with a significant mosquito population. We swam at Tybee Island, GA, Hunting Island, SC and Huntington Beach, SC. We stayed in a hotel in Charleston (the air conditioning was very welcome after sweltering in our tent for 2 nights!) We voted Charleston our favorite city of all those that we have visited thus far. Such a beautiful place. Below are a few photos to document our time in the Lowcountry.
Rob and I have both recently read Pat Conroy's latest novel, South of Broad. And I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt over the time we were in Savannah and Charleston. Not a coincidence.
In one of the many squares in Savannah - ubiquitous Spanish Moss. We didn't take many photos of the incredible homes because most of them were obscured by the abundant foliage.
The underrepresented side of James Oglethorpe, the founder and architect of Savannah.
Our campsite in Skidaway State Park. You can't see the mosquitoes, but they are there! And, the night time low temperature might have gotten to 85 degrees. A memorable time.
Hunting Island, SC
Charleston waterfront
One of the many incredible homes south of Broad in Charleston
On the way to Huntington Beach - Lowcountry marsh
This is Rebecca. We bought several of her baskets at her stand along the Sweetgrass Basketmaker's Highway (Route 17 north of Charleston). This basketmaking is a 400-year-old craft brought here by slaves from West Africa. The lowcountry African American population call themselves the Gullah.
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