South Carolina 2004

Random Recollections

• We stayed in Charleston for two nights. We had intended to go to downtown Charleston and see more of the harbor, but wound up spending the entire day at Magnolia plantation just outside of Charleston. It was so varied and beautiful that we were content to stay there and really see and enjoy it fully. Even so, we didn't see everything. Like Laura says, "You always need a reason to go back."
• At the time of the Revolutionary war, South Carolina was the wealthiest state in the colonies. Because of that, the battles that were fought here were not only important, but because the colonies lost these battles for the most part, the losses here almost drove the new nation to defeat. Magnolia plantation was the site of some of the most important conflicts.
• Magnolia plantation consists of a partially restored mansion, acres upon acres of cultivated and carefully tended gardens, a beautiful waterfront area, and extensive native swamp, and wildlife of great diversity and close proximity.
• We stayed the following night in Ocala, FL where we spent all available hours trying to find specialty birds for Jay and Laura Grey. The following day on our way to Destin, we stopped a number of times looking for additional birds.