Charming Charleston

We had a very long ride, 70 miles, from Georgetown to Mt. Pleasant which included a mosquito infested trail and a cycle through a shooting range in the backwoods (a tad disconcerting!), but the prize at the end of the day was an extremely nice hotel near a Barnes and Noble and a great seafood restaurant. The trip from Mt. Pleasant into Charleston was short mileage wise but scenic. The causeway over to The Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island crossed through a marsh where we saw a nest of egrets with little ones learning how to fly. Being back on the island was fun because we had done this same route two years ago with a Vermont Bike Tour. Because it was Sunday the locals were out in force, many of them on bikes. We grabbed a coffee and a muffin at a local bakery then headed to the amazing bridge that would bring us into the city of Charleston. As we approached the daunting structure Holly wasn't so sure she wanted to proceed, but alas there was no other option. Luckily there was a huge pedestrian/bicycle side path with lots of active people on it so the whole two and a half mile experience ended up being fun. The city of Charleston has a nice feel to it. We like the old buildings and the different historic districts and the big trees with Spanish moss growing on them...and the restaurants!! Before dinner we had the pleasure of visiting Sheila Wertimer who grew up in Clinton and in the Hamilton family as her father was a noted Economics professor. Her Mother still lives in upstate and is an acquaintance of Mom and Dad's. Sheila is now a landscape architect and has lived in Charleston with her husband and three grown children for almost 30 years. Her friend Roberta joined us. We so enjoyed meeting both of them. Mom and Dad hopped into a pedicab to get to our dinner destination. What a terrific way to get around town! We still have one more day to explore this wonderful city...more on our adventures in a day or so.