Kiawah Island

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Leaving New Orleans on Thursday morning, we knew we had a long day of driving ahead, but we were determined to make it to South Carolina for the awarding of class rings at The Citadel. One of Andrew's closest and oldest friends, Brad, will graduate next Spring, and we didn't want to miss this milestone. Further, we were eager to see Brad's family. Brad, his parents and sister are among our closest family friends, and we always enjoy our time with them. And due to our friendship with them, Kiawah Island has become a very special place for us, one where we have shared many good times with Vicki and our friends.

We headed East on I-10, crossed through the Gulf Coast portions of Mississippi and Alabama, then settled in for the long transit of Florida, all the way across the panhandle and almost to Jacksonville before hitting I-95 to start North. We crossed back into the Eastern Time Zone for the first time since September 13th, so we were really feeling like we were getting closer to home. It was not a very interesting day, but at least was uneventful as to weather or any difficulties with the car.

We talked to Susan and Lewis (Brad's parents) as we were approaching Savannah. It was getting pretty late by then, and they told us it would take at least another 2 1/2 to 3 hours to reach Kiawah. We decided to stop for the night, as we could be in Charleston Friday in plenty of time for Brad's ceremony.

Friday morning, we took a brief driving tour of Savannah. It looked really interesting, and we added it to the list of places we'd like to revisit one day. We then drove the rest of the way to Charleston, got ourselves presentable, and joined our friends at the Citadel campus. It is a unique and fascinating institution, and one quickly becomes caught up in the tradition, pageantry, and discipline that are the hallmarks of The Citadel. Brad proudly displayed his new ring, and we know how hard he worked to earn it.

Lewis and Susan took all of us out for a celebratory dinner at a Charleston French restaurant, and it was really good, rivaling the wonderful cuisine we experienced in New Orleans. I opted for mussels in an olive oil and garlic sauce. MMMMM, good.

After a restful night back at Kiawah, on Saturday morning we headed back to Charleston to attend the Parents' Day open house at The Citadel. We trod on the sacred checkerboard floor of the barracks courtyard and visited the cadet rooms, then were treated to a full dress parade on the enormous parade ground. Another impressive sight.

After a good lunch, provided by the school, we headed to the football stadium to enjoy the game between The Citadel and their cross-state rival, Furman. It was enormously entertaining, with lots of offensive fireworks, and in the end, The Citadel prevailed, so it was a perfect day. Lots of cannon fire (whenever the Bulldogs scored, and they didn't punt once all day), boiled peanuts, and a post-game tailgate. We then headed back to Kiawah to unwind for the evening, with a fabulous steak dinner, cigars on the beach, and a Jameson's nightcap. Our friends made us a part of their celebration of Brad's achievement. We are proud of him, and grateful to them for showing us such a great time.

Sunday, we would head for home.

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Photos

A Kiawah Island Sunset
This is a photo from last year, but it conveys one of the daily benefits of being here.

Another common sight on Kiawah
The graceful egrets are all around the island, where nature and wildlife are always near.