Charleston SC

Been a couple of days - better get you up to date. First, we are still not sure about Chip. He's on day 3 of antibiotics - seems to bleem him out big time, glassy eyes, sleeps, just very quiet. At night he cuddles up to me and doesn't budge, which is not like him. He's restless most nights, but last night he didn't move (actually Grace pinned me in at my waist and Chip pinned my legs down - his normal way of snuggling, and with Dave in bed also - I just couldn't move). Will do the last 3 days of his medicine then hopefully all will return to normal. Hopefully. Second, we are kinda heading home, kinda. We decided to go on to Charleston South Carolina - drove there on Sunday - was a very pleasant ride - coming up along the coast on Route 17. Called the Old Savannah Highway. Got settled in here at Lake Aire (yeah - they pronounce it as Erie!) Campground about 7 miles south of Charleston in a town called Hollywood. We have cut our visit here short - was going to spend about 5 days here and instead will leave Wednesday morning for North Carolina and then to Virginia, W Virginia and home. Maybe 2 more weeks on the road.

Since only 2 real sightseeing days here, we opted for Fort Sumter National Park and for a cotton plantation that has the 8th generation of the same family still working the place. Decided this morning to go to Fort Sumter. Have to take a ferry over to the park which is an island in the middle of Charleston Bay. And you and the passengers that came on this ferry are the only ones at the park. The ferry stays there for 1 hour and 45 minutes while you visit, then hauls you back. Here's the really bizarre thing - I was undecided - plantation or Sumter this morning and then at last minute we did Sumter. When we got there and was looking over the displays it dawned on us - today, April 12th, but 149 years ago - was the first cannon fired that started the Civil War - on Fort Sumter! Wow. Once we toured the park and got back to the mainland which is called Patriot Point, the USS Yorktown - a naval air craft carrier - was scuttled and set up as a museum and memorial to all that have served in all the wars since the start of the US. There was a dynamic inside museum that was called the Medal of Honor which describes how someone is designated and honored with this medal. Pretty impressive. We toured the aircraft carrier on all levels, from the bowels in the engine room to the top flight deck to the bridge where the admiral commands. Huge.

Tomorrow we head to Boone Plantation about 20 miles from here and will tour that. Then Wednesday we will head to North Carolina, only spending the night and not unhook, but go on then into Virginia. Dave wants to go back and see the Shenadoah Valley - so we'll find a campground around that national park and stay for a couple of days - if Chip is doing okay. Otherwise, we'll keep the pace - drive, stop, don't unhook, sleep, drive more, etc. until we get home. We are really enjoying this life and are looking forward to the day the house sells and we are full-timers.