lilac twilight over bristol marina

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camping with 7 dogs and 5 humans = 1 sleepless night

The Setting: 100 acres of pluff mud and marsh grass about 30 minutes outside of downtown Charleston.

The Plot: 5 friends plan to go camping with two mutts and a German Short Haired Pointer. At the last minute, one of the friends decides to dog sit and bring a Golden Retriever, and another friend brings his father’s Chocolate Lab and junkyard dog, along with his sister’s Labra Doodle (did I spell that right? Is that even a real dog? Yes, yes it is.) All are in for a fun filled night of incessant barking. Who knew a dog pack 7 strong would stay up ALL night on constant alert for raccoons and abominable marshmen?

The Characters:

Mutt #1 - Biscuit

Mutt #2 - Turkey

The Pointer - Shooter

The Beast - Linus

Ole Reliable - Chip

Junkyard Dog - Otto ... No really, see those two leashes hanging from his collar? He bit through them after we leashed him to a tree for causing trouble.

The bountiful Labradoodle - Homer

Here are some of my favorite action shots from the trip

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shorter days and magical twilights

Something magical happens when daylight savings time ends in Charleston. The sky can shift from baby blue to grapefruit pink to blood orange in a matter of seconds. I’ve never seen such a diverse and ever changing skyscape. On this evening, I was lucky enough to capture some of the beauty.

So the next time I complain about shorter days, I need to remember to look up. And give thanks.

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Bikable Roadways in Charleston? Yes please.

You would think that Charleston, of all waterfront towns, would be a biker friendly city. With an active urban center built of cobble stoned streets and one way traffic patterns, biking should be an attractive alternative to driving.  Coupled with Charleston’s evident commitment to preserving its precious ecosystem and a passionate college community, the Lowcountry should be a leading example of a southern city on the move.

That's just me and my beach cruiser on the day of purchase. I bought it, put it in the back of my car, drove over 2 bridges and unloaded it on Sullivans...what a waste of gas

But we aren’t. Our biker unfriendly bridge and road system actually isolates riders. Because downtown Charleston is a peninsula, we must cross one of three bridges to reach any of the many residential neighborhoods the area offers. And the only viable option to do so is by car.

A sparse few bike the James Island connector, and even the most experienced put themselves in danger. This past July, Charleston lost one of its beloved residents to a bicycle-vehicle accident on this very bridge (full story here). Crossing the Ashley River bridge is even worse. A narrow, raised sidewalk for pedestrians and bikers is the only means of travel if you decide to leave your car at home.

I wish I could ride my bike a half mile to Publix, but I would not dare leave the Sullivans Island city limits on my beach cruiser.

The painted line that separates the bike lane from the rest of the road is not going to protect me from a texter at the wheel, or a driver who simply gazes from his window at the marsh land and coastal wildlife.

There is light at the end of this tunnel road, however. 2 of them, in fact.

First, Charleston already boasts one AMAZING example of a share-the-road success. The Ravenel Bridge (commonly known as the Cooper River Bridge) is safe for bikers and pedestrians of all ages and experience levels, and gives drivers some added peace of mind. Protected by a 3 foot concrete barrier, riders and walkers can trek the 3 mile suspension bridge without fear. It is extremely well marked, easy to enter and easy to exit. 

The second beam of hope is Charleston Moves, a non-profit organization that is seeking to “change the lives of Charlestonians by promoting bicycling, walking, running and public transportation.” To ignite this effort, the group has created an ambitious plan to build a safe, 24 mile bike route that spans from Isle of Palms through downtown Charleston, all the way to Folly Beach. Coined Battery to Beach, the initiative is raising money by allowing individuals, groups and companies to “rent sections” along the route. The money donated will go toward planning and building a route that is marked with clear signage and protected by more than a painted white line, or a patch of grass.

Watch their video. Get inspired. And then get moving!

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Charleston voted “Top City in the United States”

Charleston was voted the Top City in the United States by the 2011 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards! Congrats Charleston!

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it’s a dog’s beach

Sullivans Island is a special place…especially for dogs.

Before noon, the beach belongs to dogs. Allowed off leash, the shoreline morphs into a puppy paradise…the mother of all bark parks…an endless tract of territory unmarked. They are free to run, and swim, and dig. All shapes, colors and sizes are welcome…at sunrise, it’s a dog’s beach. It is Saturday mornings on Sullivans Island when my soul is at ease, and Biscuits’ too. There is something intangibly good about a dog at play. The happiness a dog feels at the beach is contagious. I know this because it is on these mornings when I have met some of the nicest people in the city. And I am convinced it is because our dogs bring out the goodness in our hearts.

So next Saturday, change it up a little. Go for a jog or sip your morning coffee on Sullivans. You and your dog will be equally grateful. (Just make sure to read up on Sullivans Island beach rules before you go…yes, you will get a hefty ticket if you break them.)

Below are photos I took this weekend at the beach with Biscuit. Prepare for utter cuteness.

Anxious Yellow Lab patiently awaits beach time!

Happy dogs…happy humans.

Digging for fiddlers

A Golden Retriever walks loyally with owner

Happy Biscuit

Pensive Biscuit

A cute Maltese named JJ tries to warm up in owners arms!

Mission: Retrieve

Job well done!

Biscuit Closeups

Charge!

Exercising dogs in a pack

Biscuit loves Sullivans.

But she is beginning to tire.

So it’s time for her mid-morning snooze.

Until next time…

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enchanting movie, enchanting theater

Mom (right) with brother David and sister Nancy circa 1960

I have always been attracted to restaurants, shops  and attractions that celebrate American past times and days gone by. When I am worried about letting the children I babysit for play in the front yard by themselves, I envy the environment our parents grew up in. And I romanticize it. I am filled with jealousy when I hear stories of my mom and dad being able to walk to a movie theater with their friends, spend the pennies and dimes they have saved from chores on a soda and watch a summer film to escape the seasonal heat.

Today, we still go to the movies. The difference is, we drive our children to the theater and they wait in the car with us until they get a “we’re here” text from their friends…then they swipe their check cards for a 15 dollar 3D movie, and swipe again for a 12 dollar popcorn that could feed a family and a soda big enough to swim in.

But this past Friday, I got to relish in my romantic ideas of the past at the Terrace Theater, a truly unique experience that offers children of Generation Y to morph into Baby Boomers for a night. The Terrace Theater features independent and foreign films, along with local and national documentaries. My discovery of this special place occurred when they offered free admission to a documentary called Waiting For Superman, a heart-wrenching, brutally honest look into our public school system. A must-see. Not for the light-hearted.

I knew I needed to go back to experience the theater in a more free-spirited light. And on Friday, they were running Midnight in Paris for its final night. And without knowing anything about this Woody Allen film, I purchased my ticket.

Without spilling a spoiler, (because this film is also a MUST SEE) I could not have chosen a better movie for the theater atmosphere I wanted to experience. That is all I will say.

Okay. No more gushing about the 1960′s and wish I had been born in a simpler time. Now I will gush about the Terrace Theater.

This special place is a celebration of the vintage. My photos will tell its story.

Not the Terrace. Thats just my dad rocking his Chuck Taylors in August!

SO…

5 Things you all must do:

1. Watch Waiting For Superman

2. Stop waiting, and find Superman

3. Go see a movie at the Terrace Theater

4. Redbox Midnight In Paris

5. And then, enjoy the present

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popping color on the grayest of days

Just spreading some much needed color amid the gray days we’ve been experiencing in Charleston this week!

I am calmer on rainy days, the plants feel more alive and color pops out at me everywhere I turn. I take for granted how vibrant my world is – gray days point out the color that surrounds me. I am thankful.

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on the harbor

You don’t have to own a yacht to enjoy the Charleston City Marina. And on a breezy day full of sunshine (after a bout of some extreme weather this past week), a morning on the harbor doesn’t get more picture-perfect. I watched the launch of Charleston’s first and only Outrigger Canoe for 6 paddlers (known as an OC-6 in paddler speak) nestle into its new home on the Charleston Harbor. Get excited ladies and gents because this baby will soon be offering adventure tours, workout sessions, lessons and leisure paddles all over Charleston. More on this great Low country opportunity later.

On this day, my Nikon overslept and I left him at home.

The camera phone sufficed.

So take a stroll through the Harbor. The boats are beautiful. The people are friendly. And the views are to die for.

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a 4th of july on a charleston porch

This is my 3rd 4th of July spent in the beautiful Low country.

In 2009 I experienced the infamous Folly Beach 4th of July – fueling up at Berts Market for our booze, a long day in the sun, a pit stop at Taco Boy and a downtown firework finale. It is no coincidence that this was my final 4th of July as a college student. In short, it was a fun, exhausting, “one-and-done” experience.

In 2010, I ventured out on a  Cobalt Bowrider for a 4th of July at sea with friends. We ordered boatside takeout at California Dreaming and watched the fireworks show from the middle of the harbor. But getting back to land was stressful, to say the least. Thank you to the DNR and the Coast Guard for keeping us safe from our fellow, less responsible, boaters.

BUT THIS YEAR, on July 4th, 2011, I experienced the ultimate celebration of America, of family and friends – and yes – of a Charleston porch filled with love and laughter. I threw on my swimsuit and joined my boyfriend’s wonderful family for a Lowcountry cookout on their AMAZING marsh front porch.

We flew a kite!

It took off pretty fast.

And flew high.

Really high!!

Then we played some wiffle ball.

This sport bears its name for good reason.

And then, when our batter connected, he hit it out of the park.

So we searched for the ball.

But gave up.

We tromped around the creek at low tide.

And laughed on the dock.

The dogs hijacked the boat.

And then we flew the kite…this time at twilight.

Waited for the night with some guitar strumming.

And finally….

The sparks flew!

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