On Friday morning we had a quick breakfast at the hotel and then dropped our car at the Park-N-Ride. We shuttled to the airport and the kids were beyond excited. We gave ourselves plenty of time and weren’t rushed. The kids loved every minutes of it. I pointed out signs to the kids and had Ajax navigate us to our gate. The kids did great on the flight and were so happy. The woman across the aisle from Noomi was cracking up watching her during the flight.
We landed in Charleston around noon and then picked up our rental car and headed toward Lexington. We of course hit up a Waffle House on our way and everyone was happy. It took us just under 2 hours to get to the hotel, but everyone else was there waiting for us. The kids hit up the pool for about an hour and then we got ready for dinner. We met Uncle Donnie, Noelle, Gage, and his fiance, Stephanie, at a Japanese Steak House. While we were ordering a tremendous storm blew through and knocked out the power momentarily which was eerie.
On Saturday, we were up early and enjoyed an awesome breakfast spear. The hotel even had an automatic pancake maker which was the coolest thing ever. Afterwards, Theresa and I ran to Walmart while everyone else relaxed. When we got back we all went swimming before dressing and heading to Noelle’s graduation party.
The party was lovely and the kids did great. Donnie had these swinging chairs on his porch which Noomi and Vivian played on for about five hours straight. Ajax managed to overheat, didn’t feel well and passed out for 2 hours on the couch. When he got up he ate a bunch of junk and said he felt 100% better.
On Sunday, everyone met for breakfast (the building was a converted cigar factory and the brick work was incredible). The pancakes were delicious, the conversation and general catching-up were awesome, and then it was time to say good-bye. While Papa, Grandma Dara, Theresa, and Vivian headed for the airport, we headed for Charleston. On our way we stopped at Magnolia Plantation. We wandered through the gardens (over 100 acres) and got lost, Ajax rustled up a gator, and Noomi got devoured by mosquitoes. We then took a guided tour of the old slave quarters (From Slavery to Freedom). It was outstanding. Both kids seemed to soak in the importance and history. Ajax asked some very pointed questions, which lead to a family discussion about race and history in this country on the drive to the hotel.
When we got to the hotel in Isle of Palms, Grandma Mary and Grandpa Gordy, were already there waiting for us. We checked in and immediately went down to the ocean to swim. The waves were not as large as OBX and they were perfect for the kids. The water was warm and both kids mastered boogie boarding. They did great! After swimming we went for dinner and had some amazing tacos. We then wandered around and got ice cream before calling it a night.
On Monday, we spent our morning and most of our day on the beach. The kids were obsessed and we couldn’t get them out of the water (seriously we couldn’t). Both kids were like fish and swam nonstop. Noomi played a little in the sand, but Ajax never really came out of the water. The adults also had a ton of fun surfing the ways and playing around. It was great and the weather lovely. We finally called it a day and got cleaned up before having a late lunch and then relaxing before Ubering into downtown Charleston (French Quarter). We had dinner at Poogan’s Smokehouse which served outstanding BBQ, we wandered around Waterfront park and pier, before meeting our group for the nighttime walking ghost tour. The tour was ok, our guide made several historic mistakes which made Dave cringe, but the kids LOVED it. Ajax swears he captured a picture of a ghost and has been showing everyone. Noomi was enthralled and couldn’t stand close enough to the guide. Both kids had little flashlights and kept peering into graveyards and old buildings searching for ghosts. After dinner we hit up a convenience store for some water and ice cream and then Ubered back to the hotel at about 11 pm.
On Tuesday morning I woke up early and tried to sneak out of the room for coffee without waking anyone. But a few minutes later the whole family came tumbling into the main eating area, hungry for breakfast. After we ate I took the kids down to the beach for one last swim while Dave packed us up. After boogie boarding, it was time to go. We all got cleaned up, packed up, said good bye, and then hit the road for the airport. Our flight home was smooth and uneventful. The kids still loved flying and enjoyed it thoroughly.
When we landed Aunt Lisa was waiting for us at the gate. She took us on a tour of the radar room and tower, which was incredible! Everyone loved it. We then collected our bags and car and Dave drove us home while everyone else fell asleep.
I’ll have to do a second post with more pictures!
