Wandering Charleston
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 4:17PM We left home yesterday at 8:30AM. After a brief stop for breakfast, aka heart attack on a plate, of cheesy scrambled eggs, fatty bacon, hash browns (shredded) and white toast (the kind like Wonder Bread but with a sweetish taste) all washed down with a sweet tea all at a rather grimy-looking Waffle House wall to wall with people who looked like they needed a bath and a shave (and that was just the women) we arrived at 4:30PM at the lovely civilized genteel southern hub of graciousness named Charleston, South Carolina. What a mecca after the breakfast experience, which, by the way was scrumpdillyicious, and not a Waffle House in sight.
Our hotel, The Mills House, was a lovely surprise. I had bid for it on Price Line by offering one hundred dollars per night for a blind bid for any 4 star hotel in the historic district. I did this after pricing the historic district hotels. I had no idea what hotel we'd get. The location is just fantastic and within walking distance to everything!
After we checked in and got organized, we decided to take a walk to the waterfront park. On the way, we saw a sign for Happy Hour at a small bistro near our hotel. John had two beers, I had a sweet tea and we shared two small appetizers. This passed for our dinner and we set off for the water, walking five blocks down and two blocks over to Vendue Street. We strolled the waterfront, sat on a bench and people watched. A man and woman next to us spoke very little English and were on a cell phone trying to explain a map to someone in some foreign language I didn't recognize. She shoved the phone at me and said, "You talk." A man was screaming, "you speak English? Where are they?' I said "Waterfront Park" and he screamed, "you tell them stay! I come!" Somehow I made the woman understand. Her husband grabbed my hand and kissed it. I asked "What language were you speaking?" "Where from?" Wife said "israeli" "Hebrew" She thanked me. We parted new friends. I was glad I could help. I know what it feels like to be in a foreign country and not speak the language and be lost. I got separated from John in the subway station in Rome and didn't even know what street our apartment was on.
We headed back to our hotel for showers, TV and an early night...
Reader Comments (3)
Oh Charleston is one of my favorite places. I have met Sally (OD's GymRat) there several times and we always stay at the Mills Hotel. I haven't been in a while but the hotel used to have a bar with a bartender named Lucy and a singer named Dale. They are great. Also if you read OD's Oswego - he lives in the historical district and is such a nice guy. My favorite restaurant there is Jestines (sp?) which is "down home" cooking and is supposed to be one of the top ten fried chicken places according to some magazine. I don't know about that but they have the BEST coconut cream pie I've ever tasted. Sally and I call it orgasmic coconut cream pie and we actually moan while eating it. It's walking distance from the hotel. Poogan's Porch (across the street from the hotel) is very good too.
Maybe the hotel you stayed in had heard of mint juleps. visiting the southern states, my head filled with Gone With The Wind I asked for mint juleps. Never did come across anyone there who knew what I was talking about. Maybe now known under a new name, Janet started having hysterics every time I asked. those were the days, life seemed normal then. Jill
Nice story, sounds like you had a great time