Plantations!

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Geo: 32.7812, -79.9316

My most favorite place in Charleston is Drayton Hall. This old stately
home is the best to visit because it hasn't been modernized and is not
full of "period" furniture. I recommend arriving right when they open
the gates at 9. That gets you on the first house tour at 9:30 and it is
likely to be a much smaller group than later tours. When I went a few
years ago, I was the only person on the first tour and right after I was
done, a tour bus showed up. Renee and I arrived before they even
opened the gates and were the first car through. We were able to walk
around the lawn and take pictures without other people in the way.
Spotted 3 small alligators sunning themselves by the reflecting pond!
The tour is great. Our guide, Deena, was wonderful. She explained
about the portico problem they are currently spending all their efforts
on. The porch is slowly settling at a rate faster than the rest of the
house. A lady is excavating the columns and has discovered that one
side of the house has 6 rows of bricks and the other has only 5. We
were able to watch her digging and also another lady adding new mortar
in the back of the home. The home has no running water or electricity,
other than a few safety boxes added in the narrow interior stairwell and
fans for summer. This morning there was such a lovely breeze coming
off the Ashley River and the house was very comfortable. We walked down
to the Ashley River after the tour was over and then around to the
reflecting pond. The air was a bit muggier as we headed away from the
river. We were able to get close to a little alligator and take his
picture while he was sitting in the water. Drayton Hall is such a quiet
and peaceful place. Be sure to stop at the African-American Cemetery
on your way out.

Renee and I had a delicious lunch at Middleton Place. They serve you 3
courses for a fixed price of $18.95, which is a pretty great deal with
the options they have. Renee had Charleston She Crab Soup, Shrimp and
Grits and Huguenot Torte. I had the Field Greens Salad with fruit,
Pulled Pork and Key Lime Pie. Renee said all her food was delicious.
My salad came with strawberries, pineapple and grapes with a Champagne
Vinaigrette. The Pulled Pork came with collard greens and Hoppn' John,
neither of which I care for, but the pork was delicious and I did try
the Hoppn' John. The Key Lime Pie was delicious.

After lunch we walked around the grounds. Saw a few more alligators and
lots of gardens. We checked out the farm animals, which are all from
the period when the plantation was in operation. The home that is still
standing was used as the guest quarters. The main home was destroyed
in 1865 by Union troops. Drayton Hall was spared because it was
apparently labeled as a place with smallpox. Middleton Place has more
buildings to visit and large gardens to tour. The admission cost is
also higher.

The Charleston Tea Plantation was our next stop. They have remodeled
the gift shop since my last visit and have lots more varieties of tea to
sample. You can have as many samples as you want. They were currently
offering a sample of their First Flush Tea as a hot tea, but it was out
when we got there. The First Flush is made from the very first harvest
of the season. The taste of the tea changes each year depending on the
type of winter. It is called the First Flush due to the new, young
leaves being flushed up from inside the existing plant. Plants can be
harvested every 18-20 days and are harvested from mid-April through
October. The Tea Plantation offers a free tour of the production room
and also a $10 trolley ride around the property. Recently added to the
tour is their brand-new greenhouse where they are better able to grow
new tea plants.

We stopped at the Angel Oak on our way back. This is a huge tree that
legend says is 1500 years old. The sign says actual age may be 300-400
years old. I like the legend better. This tree is huge and the limbs
mostly drape along the ground. It's very impressive and free!

Renee has been talking about this fast food place Bojangles ever since
we first went past one. So we stopped and got food for later. It's a
chicken and biscuit place. We each got a 2 piece chicken meal with
sides and a sweet potato pie. The skin is a bit spicy and luckily I
took mine off because Renee's eyes were watering! So now we can say we
ate at a Bojangles.

Again, for anyone visiting Charleston do not miss Drayton Hall and be
sure to get there early to take advantage of the smaller groups and
easier access to the plantation. This is my must see place.

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