Thursday at the plantations

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Thursday - Lots of pictures today to make up for yesterday! We visited two of the popular plantations in the area. We started at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. We took a very informative house tour (as always, not photos allowed). Then, since we are too late in the year for most of the flowering gardens, we took advantage of the nature tour and the Audubon Swamp Walk. Saw lots of birds and a few gators. We were assured by our guide that the gators, of which there are hundreds on the plantation ranging in size up to 15 - 16 feet long, "hardly ever interact with people." Interact? Hmmm.

This plantation is also has a nationally-recognized rookery, home of many herons, egrets, ibises(?), and anhingas, among others. It was really cool to see so many of these large water birds in one place.

Then off to Middleton Place Plantation. Here the landscaping and gardens are very formal as the original owners were big fans of French and English gardens. Here, first camellias grown in the states were started from a gift of four plants from a European visitor. Now, they are famous for their camellias (which bloom in November here!). No wildlife here, but very striking. Also, no main plantation house. Allison has been disappointed, wanting to see a big 'Gone With The Wind' style plantation mansion ... but they were all burned down by the Union. And the owners were so destitute after the war, the house they rebuilt were very plain, relatively.

Had a casual dinner at a pub downtown, then went for a 10pm walking tour: The Dark Side of Charleston. this was an R-rated tour about the seamier aspects of Charleston's history ... just our speed!

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Photos

Live Oak Lane
along the entrance to Magnolia Plantation

Sneaky Gator
... more later.

Another Heron
It's standing on a tiny root protruding from the swamp. I know it doesn't look like it, but that light green area is the duckweed-covered surface of the water.

Spanish Moss
hanging from a 500-year-old live oak tree.

Egrets
" ... I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention ..."
(Sorry - been a looonng day.)

Bold Lizard
walked beside us for a while, trying to impress Allison.

Terraced Landscaping
at Middleton Place

House Museum
built right next to the ruins of the original house

Muses Statue
They had annoying tambourine players even back then (second from right).

Comments

[Chris]

Swamp Tour??
How charming, a tour of the local swamp. Seriously, it sounds like you're having a great time. I'm envious of all the food experiences (I don't know why it is, but my longest lasting memories of any vacation is the food) and of the fact that you can do anything at 10:00 at night. When we travel, it's dinner and then I have to take Stef straight home and put her to bed. She even passed on a planned post-prandial taxi tour of Paris to see "The City of Lights" after dark (I may have to leave her home next time). I'm vicariously enjoying your trip.

[Jan Strevig]

annoying tambourine players?
And just what is wrong with tambourine players? I happen to play a mean tambourine.

[AandJ in Charleston]

Anhingas
Guilty as charged ... although Allison says she had heard of them (she's the smart one). Thanks for the comments!

[AandJ in Charleston]

Tambourine ...
... oops. Present company excluded, of course.

[Diane]

gators vs tree
Sunning gator? Are you kidding me? I'd be looking for a professional gator wrestler in my tour group about now and wishing I was "packin". Tell me you zoomed in on the sunning gator and zoomed 100x for the close up! The only respite is the 1000 year old tree. What an amazing photo. It gives a whole new meaning to a "picture is worth 1,000 words" because this one pretty much leaves me speechless.