We spent our first Thanksgiving away from family in Charleston, S.C. While we missed everyone we were able to participate in a potluck Thanksgiving. Merry made a turkey and Bob, the harbor master - brought a ham and all together there were about 20 boaters who shared in the pot luck.
While in Charleston we were able to take advantage of many of the tourist sites - Fort Sumter, The Aircraft Carrier - the Yorktown, a carriage ride through historic Charleston, shopping at the Market (a long strip of multiple vendors), a walking tour, the farmer's market, and more. We found a great sports bar to watch 2 of the Chicago Bear's games - Mac's Place. The owner is a Bear's and Cub's fan. We were treated to extra beers because of wearing Bear's wear. The bar was filled with people wearing Brian Urlacher Shirts! We dined at the lovely restaurant Magnolia as well as enjoyed southern barbecue at Sticky Fingers - a photo of Colbert, a South Carolinian, is hanging at the restaurant. While at the harbor we met a lovely couple - David and Cathy who are currently sailing their 25 foot sailboat and they also own a larger sailboat. They live on their sailboats and this is their first trip on Orion Jr. They have sailed for over 5 years and have kindly offered to allow us to buddy boat with them. It is great having someone to think through the tides, currents, etc. - especially someone as calm and knowledgeable as these two. We love the safety factor of having a "buddy" for those just in case moments. They convinced us to stay longer in Charleston because they had not planned on leaving so soon and the weather,tide, etc. was not in our favor. So, we gladly agreed and had even more time in Charleston. We spent a total of 10 days in Charleston. Most all of it was absolutely wonderful, however there was one minor glitch. We walked into an area that was protected by the Port Authority Police and homeland security. I was just taking some photos of the cruise ship and the facade of an old Rice Mill. Wiley was furious with me because we were detained by the Port Authority Police and they would not let us go. I thought it was a bit ridiculous - what could a couple of old folks wandering around taking photos far from the ship be doing that would cause such a security breach?! However, this shows just what a crazy world we live in and while they detained us (I was laughing - mostly because Wiley was crazy angry and I thought the whole thing ridiculous). However, Wiley is quite upset that we are now in the "database" for the Homeland security. Maybe when we get on the plane to come home for the holiday our names will pop up - we may be listed as the "evil doers"! However, the evening ended well because we were able to attend a Gullah performance. Gullah is Creole language a combination of English and African that goes back hundreds of years. The Gullah lived on the barrier islands. They were slaves. Before the evening was over we were both clapping hands and singing in "Gullah" along with Cathy and David. The enthusiasm, joy, and willingness to include everyone in the experience ended in a song and dance where Merry was pulled up on stage. Take a moment to check out some of the Charleston photos.