Tuesday, June 23

We slept until our alarm went off at 8 AM—a shower, some great conversation (we didn’t want to leave), breakfast (bagels, coffee, OJ), and a walk around the pond to see the other house (so beautiful—perfect colors, beautiful furniture and decorated just like I’d want my home to be—beautiful flowers , screened in porch—gorgeous accents, art.

We began our drive and got to 17 which would pass through many small towns and wildlife areas. One was closed—it was the Center for Birds of Prey, The Avian Conservation Center but we stopped at the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge, saw oyster clusters, heard strange sounds in the marshy, swampy mud, but couldn’t see what was making the noises. Then we went to see a refuge for the red wolves called Sewee. Bob saw a baby alligator and just when we gave up on seeing the red wolf (thinking they were in their den), Bob saw one pacing near the back of the area. Even though I was sweating like a pig—I was glad I went for many reasons but especially to see the joy on my man zoologists’s face!

Right before we entered the Sewee Preserve, Bob had noticed a restaurant on the other side of the highway called See Wee. It advertised fresh seafood and home cooking. Although Bob doesn’t eat seafood of any kind, he cheerfully pulled into the crowded parking lot. It was a little place—down-home cooking for sure—with many specials offered at great prices. Non the wall behind our table were articles praising this little place in the boonies—the New York Times and Food and Wine magazine A basket of hush puppies was placed on the table while we contemplated the very extensive menu. Here’s what we had (pictures coming soon). I had beer-battered shrimp with sides of sweet potato casserole, braised cabbage (in bacon fat) and Bob had country-fried steak, cole slaw, and red rice (a local specialty with sausage in it—very delicious). Although they had 9 different desserts, pie has always been my weakness (Bob is not a dessert guy) so I had mixed berry and boy-o-boy was the crust delicious? YES! All for $28—c’mon—I was stuffed—no dinner for me tonight even though we’ll be passing by some tasty restaurants when we get to Myrtle Beach!

The remainder of the drive was very interesting—passing local specialty stores (beach paraphernalia and Pawley Island hammock stores—plus one seafood restaurant after another steak place after another barbecue place. Traffic was pretty bad (it was 5:40 PM, so it was a bit stressful since we were going through beach towns, so I told Bob—let’s find a cheap hotel, go in early and set the alarm for 7 AM—then we can hit the free breakfast at the hotel and go down to the beach before anyone else is up). We did find a Comfort Inn near the beach that, considering the high prices of other hotels on the beach and all the resorts, was only 80 dollars a night. Tomorrow, we’ll hustle because we want to get to LI by Thursday night. At least we’re on the East Coast—and boy, it’s great to see the Atlantic Ocean again (especially form the southern vantage point). I could shop my heart out here, but there’s still Maine and Mexico City to come.
We have a lot of pictures—but the Internet signal in these hotels and from Bob’s Blackberry is S-L-O-W.