Charleston, SC – One of the things we really wanted to do out here was visit a plantation. First thing this morning we headed to Magnolia Plantation, just outside of Charleston. Founded in 1676 by the Drayton Family, this plantation has acres and acres of land with maze gardens, animals, swamp gardens, ponds and streams filled with gators. The area was picturesque to say the least. Ryan and his dad were all over the wildlife. I wanted to stand 20 feet away from the alligators while Ryan was trying to get as close as he could to snap a picture. At one point Ry’s mom and I were left alone as the boys anxiously explored the lake. We just laughed because we couldn’t care less about the snakes and gators; we wanted to see the flowers and gardens.
We thought the Devine’s deserved a typical road trip meal so for lunch we made a gourmet treat using our backseat pantry. The menu included PB&J and turkey sandwiches, sun chips, and warm water. We literally had a standing picnic in the plantation parking lot. I’m sure this meal was a highlight of their trip.
With the sun beating down, it was the perfect time for a drive to Savannah, Georgia. This drive involved a few stops. First stop, Hilton Head, South Carolina. It is a popular beach community.
One stop was at a small shop off the road called Carolina Cider Company. They had blackberry, peach, and apple ciders that you could sample. They also had pies. We of course had to get a couple to try. We got a blackberry pie and a pecan pie. The pecan pie is going to be featured as the best pie in Southern Living’s June edition. The pie was dang good! Even Ryan who is not a pee-can (this is how it is pronounced in the south) fan loved the pie.
(putting my feet in the Atlantic)
One stop was at a small shop off the road called Carolina Cider Company. They had blackberry, peach, and apple ciders that you could sample. They also had pies. We of course had to get a couple to try. We got a blackberry pie and a pecan pie. The pecan pie is going to be featured as the best pie in Southern Living’s June edition. The pie was dang good! Even Ryan who is not a pee-can (this is how it is pronounced in the south) fan loved the pie.
Our next stop was at a peach stand. Ryan saw signs along the road for peaches and thought; we had to try the famous Georgia peaches. After bargaining for a few peaches Ry asked the man, “So how long have we been in Georgia?” The man responded, “We’re not in Georgia; we’re in South Carolina.” Ry walked back to the car with a grin, but we still tried a couple of dinky South Carolina peaches. Later on we did get to try the real Georgia peaches and they were much better.
Savannah, GA - I always thought Savannah was on the ocean. I was surprised to find out that it is a river town about 15 miles inland. We walked the waterfront boardwalk and checked out the restaurants and shops along the way. We hit up candy shop after candy shop to enjoy the free southern pralines. Every time we saw a candy shop Ry’s mom just lit up. We continued up to the center of town and walked through the squares. Savannah is set in a unique grid system with 22 park squares evenly laid out through the city. The squares are more like European parks, small but a perfect place to relax. Each is a square plot of land with trees, benches, and of course the statue of an influential figure in the city’s history.
Paula Dean’s restaurant is in Savannah, GA. We tried to put our name down on the list and were blown away when the hostess said, “I’m sorry we are booked for the night.” No questions asked. It wasn’t like, oh let me get your name and if a table opens up we’ll call you. That Paula Dean sure has built a food empire all on her own.
(Paula Dean's restaurant "Lady and Sons")
We ended up going to a burger joint and got ice cream for dessert. The burgers were ok but the service not so much. Dad got a pineapple burger that came without the grilled pineapple. When we asked for the pineapple she seemed peeved and then he sat there waiting while we all ate. Finally we saw the grilled pineapple sitting on the counter but the waitress still did not bring it to us. After a few minutes, mom walked over and grabbed the pineapple herself. Yet another 10 minutes later, when the waitress returned she looked puzzled because Dad was enjoying his pineapple burger. Her response... "Customers aren't allowed to pick up their own food!" We thought to ourselves waitresses are supposed to bring you your food. She got the tip she deserved.. haha
We went to an old fashion ice cream shop called Leopold’s. The shop had headshots of movie stars with autographs framed all over the wall. I thought maybe these were people had been to the ice cream shop while shooting a film in the area. However, a friendly couple in line informed us that the owner of the shop is a Hollywood film producer and has worked with all those people. It got better, the owner Stratton Leopold, was working at the shop and cleaning tables that night. We were so impressed that this paramount pictures VP and producer was in his ice cream shop doing the dirty work and seemed to love every minute of it. You could tell he was so passionate about the ice cream and the shop. Apparently his grandfather started the shop over 90 years ago and he reopened the store 5 years ago. He was so proud of the old-fashioned family recipes. We chatted with him for quite a while and he was so down-to-earth.
We went to an old fashion ice cream shop called Leopold’s. The shop had headshots of movie stars with autographs framed all over the wall. I thought maybe these were people had been to the ice cream shop while shooting a film in the area. However, a friendly couple in line informed us that the owner of the shop is a Hollywood film producer and has worked with all those people. It got better, the owner Stratton Leopold, was working at the shop and cleaning tables that night. We were so impressed that this paramount pictures VP and producer was in his ice cream shop doing the dirty work and seemed to love every minute of it. You could tell he was so passionate about the ice cream and the shop. Apparently his grandfather started the shop over 90 years ago and he reopened the store 5 years ago. He was so proud of the old-fashioned family recipes. We chatted with him for quite a while and he was so down-to-earth.
(Dad & Mom with owner and paramount producer Stratton Leophold)
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