FIRST HILLS IN SEVEN WEEKS – CHARLESTON TO COLUMBIA AND BEYOND

Yesterday we encountered our first hills since we left the Texas Hill Country.  From there, staying along the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida panhandle, and the southeastern Low Country, it has been flat (I think we got to 34 ft. above sea level once).  We spent last night in Columbia, SC, almost 400 feet above sea level!

When we checked into Barnyard RV Park around 1 pm, it was 85 degrees, forecast to be 89.  We picked Barnyard RV – in spite of its name – because they participate in CampClubUSA, one of the 50% discount clubs we have joined.  The cost to overnight was $15, a great deal for 50 amps, FHU including cable.  We didn’t bother to hook up to water or sewer, but those 50 amps got a workout with both A/C’s going.

We hopped in the car for an afternoon of errands, beginning with Target so we could each buy some casual clothing better suited for the hot and humid weather.  A World Market was located next to Target, so we stocked up on wine, since we never know which states make that easy and which make it difficult.  We mailed our taxes – finally finished - and picked up a few groceries.

Everywhere we went… POLLEN!  Listening to the radio news, and to sports commentators talking about the upcoming Masters golf tournament in Augusta, the topic of pollen is popular this year.  Apparently it is one of the heaviest “pollen falls” in years, and I believe it!  In the parking lots, the yellow pollen is so heavy you can see tire tracks in it.  Cars are completely covered in yellow dust, cemented on by the dew that falls during the night.  Today’s big weather news is the rain that is forecast to arrive later this afternoon, which will wash the pollen out of the air (and might wash out the first day of the Masters).  We’ll welcome it.

Now we’re on the road to Asheville, watching the clouds form and hoping to arrive before the rain begins.  It’s been a beautiful drive, spring green grass and trees punctuated by blossoms.  Today’s photos all were taken from the passenger seat while on the move, so aren’t the best – but might give you a feel for springtime in South Carolina.    The scene above of the wild Wisteria covering the trees on the side of the road?  So common it doesn’t even surprise me anymore.

HEADING TO ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

We’ve had a great stay in Charleston, winding down today with a trip to Ft. Sumter and our last dose of Charleston history.  Now we both have a list of chores to finish in readiness for travel.

Tomorrow we’re heading north on our way to Asheville, North Carolina – another new state for us.  True to our mission to keep our travel days under 200 miles, we’ll have a stopover along the way, somewhere near Columbia, SC.

Been to Asheville?  What did you see there that you recommend?  We’re spending five days… what would be on your agenda?

Good-bye, Charleston!

CHARLESTON TEA PLANTATION, “AMERICA’S ONLY TEA GARDEN”

The first “tea facts” I learned today surprised me: 

Percentage of tea consumed in the U.S. as iced: 80%

Percentage of tea consumed in South Carolina as iced: 99% - and I am certain that close to 100% of that is “sweet tea”, the default in the south. 

Charleston Tea Plantation is exactly the type of place I like to visit WITHOUT Odel.  Being a tea drinker and a gardener, this place neatly combines two of my interests – and none of his.  As I dropped him off at a nearby golf course, he was happy to wave goodbye as he headed to the pro shop and I headed off down the road.

I wound my way 15 miles down the Maybank Highway, to Wadmalaw Island, one of the many sea islands in this area of South Carolina.  Huge trees crowded the road, dripping Spanish moss.  Azaleas and dogwood sparkled against the many variations of green alongside the road, and traffic began to thin and slow.  By the time I turned into the driveway of the Charleston Tea Plantation, the southeastern springtime had worked it serene magic.

I was the first visitor this morning, arriving at 10 am as the gates were opened.  By 10:20, I was out on the trolley tour – just me and the driver/guide!  We meandered the sandy roadway of the large plantation slowly, the guide teaching me about tea, what the plants like (heat, humidity and water, all of which this area has in abundance), how it is grown and harvested, and the history of the plantation.  

The most amazing thing he told me: it take just 19 people to run the business and, of those, only THREE to tend and harvest the plants!  The machine used for harvesting is the only one of its kind, custom made, and one person does all the harvesting.

Back at headquarters, I took the video-guided factory tour.  No processing going on today (the first harvest of the year won’t be for another 6 weeks or so), but the video screens were informative as I walked along big windows next to the processing equipment.  Five pounds of fresh tea leaves yield 1 pound of processed tea in an amazingly quick and simple procedure.

By the time I had spent another half hour wandering the grounds, rocking in a comfortable chair on the front porch while I sampled iced teas, and shopping in the very well stocked gift shop, the parking lot had filled.  Time to be on my way.  I opened the sunroof, popped in a CD, and continued on down Maybank Highway, just “taking a drive”. 

When I was a kid, growing up in southern California and then Oregon, “taking a drive” was something we did for entertainment.  We might go to a park, or to the beach… or to a waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge, where we ate our picnic lunch in the car while we watched the rain.  Once we “took a drive” on Christmas morning to see the flooding going on in Portland, where we lived at the time!  These days, “let’s take a drive” still sounds (usually) like fun – as it was today, driving down the road with my windows down, the scents of roadside blossoms and fresh sea air filling the car.

A couple more miles brought me to the end of the pavement, when a sand road continued on… the “what have you gotten us into now” point for Odel, who was blissfully unaware of his Jeep’s tires leaving pavement.  :)   Another mile and the road ended at a dock populated by shrimp boats and a decrepit shed, sea gulls screeching and a fat old lab wagging his tail in interest at the sight of something new in his world. 

I turned around, turned on the GPS, and tapped “attractions”.  Up popped “Angel Oak”.  Hmmmm.  I’d passed a sign with that name on it on the way to the tea plantation. Off I headed.  Another dirt road, another mile, and I turned into Angel Oak Park.  Wow!

The Angel Oak (named after the Angel estate on which it stood) is estimated to be over 1,500 years old, one of the oldest living organisms east of the Mississippi.  East of the Mississippi?  I had to wrack my brain to figure out what might be older west of the Mississippi… ah, yes, redwoods, and bristlecone pines. 

Still, the Angel Oak is mighty old, and beautifully impressive.  It’s longest branch is 89 feet; as you can see, many of the branches are propped up or supported, and some just lay on the ground.  Again, the experience was serene and relaxing, wandering around this ancient being on a perfect spring day.

Just before I left the Angel Oak, Odel called to say he would be finished with his golf game in half an hour.  Perfect timing!  I drove past the 18th fairway just in time to honk at him as he approached the green.  Today, a good time was had by all.  :)