Charleston

First off we need to say a BIG BIG thank you to Owen for letting us stay with him and carting us about the place for three days! You were an excellent host and tour guide... you should really go into the business!

Charleston was beautiful, even better than Savannah... I'm going to label it the Henley-on-Thames of the USA (although there were more dolphins, Spanish moss and quaint colonial homes.)

The shops were posh and pricey so we tried to stay out of them but we much enjoyed prancing about pretending to be part of it all. It was the first place that we have been where we felt we could live ... we would just have to win the lotto first so we could afford one of the plush, elegant homes on the seafront looking out for pirates whilst enjoying a gin and tonic. Owens place was gorgeous. Set into suburbia (just like on tele) with the rocking chair out front and a back yard overlooking the wildlife of the trees and pond. We got to feed the ducks, watch the local wild deer and see Owen prove that you can put a cat on a lead and take it for a walk around the back garden!
On our second day Owen took us out to see one of the old rice plantations called Middleton Place. It was incredible, with breathtaking scenery and charming French style gardens to wander round.

We also took the woodland path where we encountered some HUGE spiders... spiders are even yuckier when you see them that big... as well as some turtles, frogs and strange ducks whose necks make them look like snakes when they are swimming (creepy!).

Then we went off to the swamp gardens of another plantation to look for gators. We didn't see any but the swamp was pretty cool and lots of other wildlife to admire.

On our last day we explored the town a little more and went to the Charleston Museum. It was all very interesting and then... dun dun duh... we found the dressing up section. The day was made.

We ate out on a pretty harbour where Owen's mum works. It looks just like Amity Island but without a great white killer shark. Anyway I swear she must be the luckiest woman in the world as wild dolphins swim and play about the boats every day and were great fun to watch. I ate my first Mahi fish and it was delicious... Adam tried it too aswell as Owen's Flounder and declared that he like them both! He may turn into a fish eater yet...