Charleston trip

I'm just back from another trip (probably the last one before the finals, unfortunately).

Friday evening after class, we started our way towards Charleston. It was raining in Atlanta, and the whole 6-hour drive long, it didn't stop raining at all, it only increased and decreased in strength... The next day we saw on the television that there had actually been a tornado in North Carolina, which explains the terrible weather we had on our way. And that weather also explains why we didn't visit anything at all on Friday night, but just went to catch some sleep.

Saturday morning, the first destination was the harbour of Charleston. Suprisingly warm weather and a fierce seabreeze, combined with the charm of the old houses were the setting for the first part of the day. After a stroll along the port, along the waterfront parc and along the Norwegian Majesty (cruise ship), we discovered the historic heart of Charleston some more by visiting the Edmonston-Alston house. The morning and afternoon had been very pleasant, but in the afternoon another series of thunderstorm hit Charleston. Strolling around was suddenly not so much of an attractive option anymore.
To see the Atlantic Ocean, we drove towards the beaches of Mount Pleasant. Finding the ocean was actually harder than we tought. Most of the beach was not accessible from the road, as there were villas built towards the oceanside. But after searching and searching, we finally found a small walking path that lead towards the beach. And the sight of the ocean, the sound of the rolling waves and the fresh scent made the searching more than worthwile.
Afterwards, we went to the Holiday Festival of Lights: the summum of all possible kitsch, and quite a shock compared to the elegant beauty of Charleston. Approximately 2 billion of lights have been used to form the Festival of Lights... and they're combined in the most kitschy christmasdecorationlike figures. Interesting to see, though!

On Sunday, we visited the gardens of the Middleton plantation. I imagined myself Scarlett O'Hara, walking through the endless gardens that at some places looked very English, on other places they looked like a tropical rainforest and a few minutes further, it looked like a swamp. Many cute birds and squirrels live in those gardens nowadays.
After this visit, we started our way back towards Atlanta. We hoped to find a State Park to visit on our way, and we got off the interstate in Crawfordville to visit the A. Stephen State Park. Crawfordville seems to be a depressingly remote town and their State Park only offers a lake that is suitable for fishing... Unfortunately! Sowe headed back towards Atlanta. I'm now uploading my photographs, and afterwards I'll try to soldier through some of the homework that is waiting for me. A tough week (and end of semester) is awaiting me, with as a climax my finals week which will be only on the first two days (and afterwards I'll be just dead, I think).