Trip 2.22

This was the fifth or sixth day of this heat wave that was hitting all of the east coast. (My nephews have been swimming back home, and I can't wait to join them.)

The road continued in the usual fashion. The picture below might as well be a window into my mind as I recall the landscape of these days through the Carolinas.


I think the sweat makes the ink look extra cool. I've been thinking about the tat I'll get after this trip, but nothing inspired has come to mind.


This lucky find was next to a small store I stopped at. I think it's called "Chicken City". Very cool little buildings, like an old west town built for chickens. It would have been even cooler if there were actually chickens.








I've been trying to eat at authentically-southern places. This one was a mom/pop place called Seewee Restaurant. That's deep-fried soft-shell crab.


The real purpose of this day was to end up exactly here:


I am very fortunate to be passing through the hometowns of two of the Ciccarelli clan; Justine in Maine, and John here in Mount Pleasant, SC. John is the eldest of the Ciccarelli "kids", and I've known him for at least 30 years. His wife, Denise, and I have known each other for at least 12, since that's the age of their oldest daughter.

The kids were at their grandparents, so John, Denise, and I had the luxury of being able to squeeze into one car for a tour around Charleston.

First stop, the waterfront park, a long pier that used to be part of the old bridge that connects Mount Pleasant to Charleston. John helped design the piece behind them in this picture. It's like a pavilion... but not a pavilion. (I wish I had a better shot. It's beautiful.)






Denise works for the College of Charleston, so we toured that as well. I won't try to do it justice-- if you're ever in Charleston you've got to see it, even without all the coeds around.


And then down to another park overlooking the water with Fort Sumter in the distance. Fort Sumter, a place John and Denise embarrassingly admitted they'd never been to.

A big pineapple fountain here. Denise told me it's a symbol of welcome, which makes perfect sense given the way I've been treated down south, and especially by these great friends.


Then drinks at a rooftop bar, delicious Italian food at a place that probably only locals know about, and back to their house for ice cream. (Speaking of the house and it's coolness, I'll just say this: John has a room with bumper pool, two turntables, and a closet urinal.)

John and Denise were hoping to convince me to take a rest day at their home, and the only reason I didn't was that I am anxious to wrap up this trip. I would love to come visit them again. There seems to be no shortage of things to do and see in Charleston.

Location:Mount Pleasant, SC