Virginia Beach to Charleston, SC

Virginia Beach to Charleston area was very uneventful.  We drove and drove.  I will say that North Carolina was beautiful and the areas we saw made me think that it will be good to go back there some day. Highlights of the drive were the field of sunflowers, a sign right in front of a cemetery saying "Jesus Saves" and Ben Folds ...especially "You Don't Know Me".

South Carolina, however, what we have seen, is not as impressive as North Carolina.  The roads are long and straight and the trees so dense they are all you see.  The last hour of yesterday's seven hour drive felt like five of the hours.

We went into Charleston today (about 30 miles from us) and although I am the proud new owner of baked okra, baked sweet carrots and purple sweet potato chips and I finally got to sample some authentic South Carolina BBQ, there is not much to recommend itself to me here.  The energy seems off somehow.  It might be where we are staying, the cleanest campground I have ever been at filled with the 60+ camper set and not a lot else!  Maybe it is the complete lack of matching architecture and the multiple generational buildings on every corner in the city that seem to speak to bad times over and over. It might be impending rain the last two days which brings 100% stifling humidity and a swarm of bugs I have never seen before, or it might be the deafening silence compared to the busy road we were camped on the last three days. Whatever it is, the energy feels off.  

We did see a lot of Charleston and got a feel for the local culture.  The heavy African influences in the art, style and feel is both beautiful and somehow a little sad reminder of how poorly we as a culture make decisions sometimes.  The food is wonderful.  :)  Even if we had to stay on the lighter side of things.  Healthy eating might be a little hard here if we were eating out or in town a lot!

Camping is becoming an easier adventure even if I did manage to break our tent (nothing a little duct tape and super glue isn't holding together). We all decided cots are compact but are not going to cut the long haul. Although I am now on a cot with a cot air mattress! The long prep of meals compared to a kitchen is now becoming routine and tempers are flaring a little less. We all seem to be finding a groove of sorts. Our schedule seems really tight and some days it feels like all we see is the inside of the car and the tent but I am learning to let those be ok days too!