Hi basingstoke!

I can't wait to hear about the rest. Did y'all burn up at the wedding? Told ya to just leave that ole wool suit at home....

Hi Suewoo - I imported the following from what I posted on the lounge. Then I will go on about the B&B and the rest.

Wore my seersucker and at least a half dozen others wore similar.

All of the men in the bridal party wore tan poplin suits with loafers (socks too).

Bridesmaids were all in light green of varying designs - very pretty.

Ceremony began at 6 pm outdoors with the lake and fountain as a backdrop. Music was cello, oboe, and flute. Much of it taken from the Watermusic - beautiful and perfect. The bride did an excellent planning job. Temperature was comfortable but setting sun was STRONG. Ornamental fans were supplied to all.

Reception was in the Pavilion which was enclosed for the occasion. Grooms family brought in a huge portable A/C unit that was effective.

Suewoo - if you haven't guessed, the groom is the weekend sports anchor on ABC channel 4.

And Ira, there was one guy in white linen and a white shirt. No tie though but he did wear saddle shoes (quite a few men did). Bow ties were popular too.

Checking into the Plantation Oaks B&B, or, I can see Suewoo's house from my porch.

The B&B is in Mount Pleasant, just a bit over the bridge from Charleston and adjacent to Boone Hall plantation. It is a log structure yet inside it has an elegance that is not what is usually expected in a log home. All of the bedrooms but one overlook the marsh and the view is quite lovely and a row of homes can be seen on the far side, one I believe belongs to fellow fodorite, Suewoo. She is lucky. The B&B has a screened porch upstairs and a deck on ground level with a beautiful lawn, complete with a large magnolia and live oaks going down to the marsh. Our room, although not overly large, was not small either and very nicely furnished complete with a four poster bed and walk in closet. Ours looked out to the Magnolia which was still in bloom. Steve and Phyllis are fine hosts and make a mean breakfast - different each of the 3 mornings we were there and each day had a special treat. The breakfast room overlooks the back as well and we would watch the resident Night Heron make its rounds every morning. Overall the atmosphere can be described as romantic and it was a very relaxing stay. As their website implies, kids are not welcome.

Since the wedding would delay dinner until late evening, we took a couple of other wedding guests and went out for a simple meal at another fodorite recommended restaurant, Seewee. Seewee features simple, down home cooking in a setting to match. It is popular with locals. Although everything was good, some items were outstanding especially the fried okra and she crab soup. Best of all were the hush puppies and key lime pie - both were slap yo' mamma good!

Next came the wedding in a perfect setting and then home to sleep in out comfortable four poster.

Sunday morning was spent catching up with relatives and then into Charleston for a day off visiting the Charleston Museum, some historic homes, all on a pass supplied with our room. If you have yet to visit Charleston, make it a point to go. It is a very beautiful place, with wonderful historic buildings, great architecture, shopping and a fine arts scene.

Sunday was also a pedestrian day, where King street was mostly closed to traffic and shops were open - we walked from the battery to the Charleston museum accumulating packages along the way. Came dinner time and we took the free trolley back down to the historic area.

Next: Shrimp and Grits, a dish created by God.

basingstoke,

I already guessed your nephew's identity.

And I remember some nice poster saying she lives near that B&B but it isn't me. I live in OLD Mount Pleasant.

I'm so glad you went to Seewee. Those hush puppies make me want to burst into song.

And the Historic District is really great, isn't it? I love going down there. But not today. We're under a heat advisory again.

And shrimp and grits were indeed bestowed upon us by the Lawd.

Suewoo, Of course you are right about NOT seeing your house from the B&B porch. It was OhMyStars's house. Well then, she is sure lucky to have that view. And, you are lucky too living in such a beuatiful area.

Sunday dinner was at Blossoms. As much as we enjoyed Magnolia, we enjoyed Blossoms more. It is a bit more informal and modern and the food and service were excellent. DW had a beautifully grilled flounder - one of the best she ever had she said, and I started with an appetizer of scallops - those nice big sweet juicy ones. They were prepared with cracked pepper that made for a very nice contrast. Then came - drum roll please - my very first, but not to be my last, shrimp and grits. If you have never had that, as suewoo put so well, it is a dish "bestowed upon us by the Lawd." That must be true because I was in heaven eating it. Since I was a shrimp and grits virgin, I can say it was the best I have ever had with certainty and without any fear of contradiction. Simply put, it is a plate of grits prepared in a cheese sauce, with mushrooms, I believe peppers, spicy sausage and perfectly grilled large shrimp and I am sure other tasty ingredients. It is a dish that goes best with a robust beer or ale, not one for wine IMO.

This was to be our last day in Charleston proper. Monday our plan was to visit the Boone Hall Plantation and something else, yet undecided in the countryside. All this time, I had admired the sweet grass baskets and was reading up on them with a plan to purchase one or two before heading back up north. There are a number of vendors on Market Street but I just looked at the different designs to get an idea of what most appealed. These are mostly done by Gullah descendents using traditional basket weaving methods and designs handed down through generations - many are works of traditional folk art, others more for the commercial tourist market, so before buying it is good to learn the difference and learn what makes a quality basket. Anyone who has read my trip reports knows that we like to buy local handicrafts and art as mementos of a place. Beats the heck out of a tee shirt. Besides, the street that we live on is named Sweet Grass Ridge and I wanted to be the only kid on the block to have a sweet grass basket. Also, it supports local craftspeople and that is good.

Next: Living history at Boone Hall and we learn more about tea than we ever thought we would at North Americas only tea plantation.

How fun! And yes, a sweetgrass basket is a treasure. A tee shirt is a future rag. You know by now the basket makers have stands on Highway 17 in Mt P. I have several and I use them all the time.

And I'm so glad you enjoyed your first S&G! My favorite are at High Cotton and Atlanticville. I am a S&G purist: I like shrimp, grits, butter, salt and pepper. Nathalie Dupree (who lives on Queen Street) has written a great S&G cookbook, should you get inspired.
http://www.nathalie.com/nathalie_dupree_s_shrimp___grits_cookbook_52611.htm

So Monday rolls around and it is our last day in the immediate area. We decided to visit Boone Hall Plantation, right next to our B&B and then the Tea Plantation since they would be novel and different. Having been stationed in Louisiana for a couple of years, we already had a number of tourist type plantations visited. Boone Hall and the Tea plantation put a different twist on the beautiful plantation theme.

Boone Hall is a working plantation in that they actually use their fields for growing produce that is sold to the public as well as a demonstration cotton field. We arrived after about a one minute drive - how convenient is that - paid our entrance fee and obtained a time for the house tour, a tour that was ok but not much more. The house is not particularly old, but it does have some interesting furniture and artifacts. They also have an enclosed butterfly garden that we looked forward to seeing, but it only had at most a dozen butterflys of what seemed to be only one species. So far it sounds that our impressions of Boone hall are negative. Not so. There is much to learn at the plantation. First, after visiting the house, we headed over to a row of preserved slave quarters. These are made of brick and housed the more "important" slaves such as those with special skills such as carpentry and those who worked in the house. Each of the 9 small slave quarter buildings had a display with recorded narrative of elements illustrating a slave's life and of the Gullah culture. Since we were interested in Gullah sweetgrass basketware, we particularly enjoyed learning from one display of historical basket designs. There was also a woman who was making baskets and we watched her work, asked questions and learned some more about the technique and background of the craft. The absolute highlight of the plantation visit was a 1/2 hour presentation of Gullah (apparantly a shortened form of Angola the ancestral home of most Gullahs - the slaves from there being more valued than from other places because of their knowledge of rice cultivation)culture. The presenter was Jackie, and she was brilliant. Even if the plantation had nothing else to offer, Jackie's presentation was more than worth the price of admission.

After about 3 hours at Boone Hall we headed out to the Tea Plantation, about a 45 minute drive. This is the only Tea Plantation in North America although the growing conditions for tea are ideal in SC. Admission is free, but it costs $12 per person if you want to take the tour - we did and it was well worthwhile - I recommend it. If you do not want to spring for the 12 bucks you can still see the fields as you drive in, the processing plant with explanatory signs on the equipment and see a recorded presentation. And of course there is the gift shop that sells their product and tea related items. We learned a lot about tea there such as the differences between the flushes (times of picking of the leaves)the first flush that occurs after the plant has started to grow again after its winter dormancy and is the most flavorful, in least supply, and thus the most expensive. For trivia buffs we learned that most tea in the US is imported from Argentina (who knew?)and is primarily used for iced tea - that makes up for 85% of tea consumption in the good old USofA. They have free samples of their various tea types - first flush, other flushes, green, green mint, and peach and rasberry flavored. No artificial flavors are used. We tried them before we took the tour and knew what first flush meant and we both remarked how delicious the first flush tea was. We certainly would not waste it making iced tea though. We brought lots of tea home - it was that good. The Tea is branded "American Classic" and is available locally and through the plantation's website. The first flush may be sold out already for this year.

On the way back, we stopped to see the "Angel Oak" which is unbelievably huge covering a lot of ground - I will post photos of that and of the trip as soon as I get aroung to uploading and sorting them out. If you go out to the
tea plantation, be sure to take that very brief detour and see the Angel Oak. There was a woman selling baskets near the oak and we bought a nice small one, mostly as insurance against not having the time to buy one on RT. 17 since we would be leaving early the next morning and were concerned the stands would not yet be open.

Dinner was at a very nice restaurant called the Waterside (it was) in Mount Pleasant on the way to Sullivan's Island. I had, what else, shrimp and grits. DW had, what else, flounder. She has turned into a flounder fiend. The S&G was different variation here than at Blossom's in that it had what seemed to be some sort of sweet relish as a topping and less pepper. Still, it was wonderful.

One last night at the B&B and one last tasty breakfast and we were off to Topsail Island with a stop in Georgetown to see the historic area. We had been told that a fellow named Elija Ford makes excellent baskets and to seek out his stand, but it was not yet open. However, the stand next to his was, run by a very pleasant woman named Sarah and we bought another basket from her in an interesting oval within a rectangle design.

Next: Historic Georgetown and beyond.

That is beautiful. Thank you for catching the essence of Boone Hall. I see many reviews that are negative because people think for some reason the houses should look like Tara. Duh. They were burned by um, those during the Recent Unpleasantness. I would add that Boone Hall has an amazing collection of antique roses. Hope they were blooming when you were there. And the Slave Quarters and Gullah History experts and, like you said, worth the admission price.

Are you sure you didn't go to Water's Edge? On Shem Creek? Very near my house. Shem Creek is so nice in the evening. Did you see dolphins?

Elijah is famous. Sorry you missed him, but they're all nice people. Waiting for the next installment. Did you have to drive through Myrtle? Ouch.

Yes, that was it, Water's Edge on Shem creek. I was debating when writing whether it was "edge" or "side." I chose wrong. Nice place though. So that is Old Mt. Pleasant? We went there because the groom at the wedding told to try one of the restaurants along Shem creek and one can't go wrong. It really was very nice there and we watched a boat that had just come in and they were filleting the catch to the joy of pelicans who suddenly appeared for the feast. No dolphins though. Since I don't recognize "Myrtle" I guess we didn't drive through it or there. Why ouch?

Yes. After you left, to drive to Sullivans you probably went left at that fork in the road. Old Mt P is to the right of Coleman Blvd., which you took to Sullivans. Be happy those pelicans did not fly over your head. EEWWW.

Myrtle Beach is a large, um, place. I guess you didn't drive through up 17 or you'd know it. How did you make your way from Georgetown to Topsail? *sigh* I guess I'll have to wait for the next installment.

Oh! That Myrtle. Yes we did drive through on Rt 17 and from what we saw, we just kept on going. Nothing there that would appeal to us. Quite the opposite in fact.

No kidding. The beach is beautiful but the people fum off are the worst!

Myrtle Beach is just not our type of place - we prefer more laid back and less built up places. Topsail was perfect.

A few final thoughts on Charleston. This is one of the cities that should be on everyone's must visit list. It has everything. It is historic, has great architecture, lots of fine restaurants with some of the best seafood you will ever find, a vibrant arts scene, interesting and beautiful places to visit nearby, friendly people, lots to do, good shopping and is very tourist friendly as well without being over the top - it blends its tourism and everyday life very well. We did far more in a few days than described in this TR including a very pleasant sail boat cruise in local waters.

On to Georgetown - no not the one in DC. A quick drive up 17 will get you there but if you stay on 17 you will see nothing. Hang a right after the railroad tracks and you will be going toward the historic center. It is a very worthwhile diversion driving up the coast and I thank a fodorite for suggesting we visit. We did not spend very long there, but there is a one hour tour that we took of the historic area. It combined the best qualities of a tour - very informative and inexpensive. Since the historic area is not all that big, it covered pretty much everything. Georgetown has a plethora of buildings and homes that predate the civil war and revolution. They are all well marked. It also has an interesting Main street with some very nice looking shops and bookstores, not to mention restaurants. If we returned, we would probably stay at a B&B we saw on the tour whose building dates back to the 18th century.

Next: On to Topsail Island - again, thanks to the fodorite who suggested this place.

I think I can take credit for that, and I do so hope you also went to the historic district of Pawley's Island. But Georgetown is a lovely little place with wonderful homes/architecture. Glad you enjoyed it.

Gretchen, yes you can take credit for that suggestion and it was a fine one. We would never have thought to stop there otherwise. We never did get to Pawley's Island - perhaps next time.

GeorgeW, thank you as well for your suggestion of Topsail Island. It was almost perfect for us - it could not have been more of a contrast to Myrtle Beach -and we stayed a few days.

Topsail Island is divided into three beach areas, to the north is North Topsail Beach, Central is Surf City, and the southern part of the island is Topsail Beach. All three are quiet, laid back, with clean white beaches. There are also long fishing piers at Surf City and Topsail Beach. I do not know if there is one at NTB. We stayed at a small family run place called the Island Inn in Surf City. The beach front has private residences for the most part. The Island Inn was located just on the other side of the dune with a beach entrance just a few steps away - no water view though. The rooms there are basic, but clean and do have a fridge, microwave and coffee maker which were handy. Each room has its own picnic table outside of the door and there is a pool and outside shower to wash sand off. It is a very pleasant and convenient place to stay.

Surf City is the most built up of the 3 beaches but that is not saying much at all. Within short walking distance of the Inn are a Deli that was excellent for breakfast, bakery, frozen treat shop I(if you are ever there, try the ginger cream ice pop), spa, and a beach shop. A little further, but still an easy walk is a coffee shop and a few other stores. An advantage to staying in Surf City is that since the island has a slight curve and Surf City is at the highest point - that is all relative- it also has the most beach at high tide and suffers the least from erosion. The quietest area of all appears to be Topsail Beach, but the entire island as mentioned is quiet.

We found the restaurants we sampled to be quite good but not outstanding. Breakfast was at the deli, lunch was wherever we happened to be - one lunch was at Daddy Mac and it was good with a great view of the ocean and pier. We had seafood at every meal except breakfast and of course it was always fresh. The pier at Surf City is also a very nice place for an evening stroll and people fishing there seemed to be doing well. There is also quite a few people out surf fishing in the evenings too. Also, there is a local NC brand of ice cream sold in in the area that is most excellent. I can't think of the name - I believe it begins with an "M" perhaps some North Carolinians can help identify it because it is worth seeking out.

Next: On to Washington, NC and some pleasant surprises.

Mayfield.

Yes, that's it. Their no sugar added ice cream is one of the few of the type that taste like a real quality ice cream. Not artificial tasting at all. Try the no sugar added Moose tracks flavor.

Oh don't think you are ahead of me! Moosetracks is a staple in my humble home.

Topsail got knocked back in a hurricane, maybe Bertha? And they made it back right. I haven't been there since i was a kid, but it's wonderful. When people say they want an uncrowded beach, Topsail is always my rec. But then they want to ask stuff like "What will we do?" I say"How about nothing? Sit on the beach? Read a &%^$ book?"

Sue, isn't it interesting that people who grow up not going to the beach all the time wonder "what to do". Even our kids when little "got the picture". You go to the beach, play, eat lunch, rest a little to get out of the sun (and give mom and dad some breathing time), read, go back out to the beach. Oh, and there was always some putt putt time.
We took our family back to Ocean Isle a couple of years ago while our condo was being repaired and as much as I decry the extreme development of that island, the one thing the Williamsons did right was keep commercial development off the beach. It is exactly as it was at its midline as it was 30 years ago!!
And when we go to the beach now with the grown kids, and their kids, it is still the same--a bit more shopping thrown in!!

Moosetracks is a staple in my humble home.

As well it should be. If Mayfield was available where I live, it would be a staple in mine too.

Appreciate your taking the time to do a trip report. Hubby and I are thinking of taking a trip in that area in Sept. Your report is swaying me to think it's a good idea. You seem to travel much like we do.....

<<<You seem to travel much like we do.....>>

It is interesting that you say that Minnlake. We do not overplan. Sometimes we go just by our instincts and impulse. Do we get to see all of the "must see" sights? Most often not. For us, travel is all about the journey - the adventure of discovery. We all start out with pictures in our head, often from brochures, guide books and TV of what a place is like and what to do. How often does the reality match our notions? It is not that it is not as good, but usually it is different to some degree and almost always there is more. Exploring those differences is the fun - the small discoveries are what make a trip for us - our first scoop of Mayfield Ice cream fits that as well as turning a street corner in Rome and seeing something wonderful that we had no idea was there. Learning something new and unexpected makes for a great travel day. The experience of not only what we see and do, but also the people that we meet. DW has a real talent for making acquaintances and that enriches any journey.

Washington, NC fits perfectly into that mold. But, it is getting late and I will explain tomorrow.

Exactly, basingstoke2. Many of the terrific travel experiences we have had are from talking to locals upon arrival at a given spot and, sort of, "picking their brains". Not to mention the sheer enjoyment and experience gained by meeting new people from other areas of the country and world -learning cultural differences, viewpoints, etc. over a cup of coffee, a glass of vino, and/or a random encounter . Often taking the road less traveled leads to these sort of experiences....i.e get off the freeway and take a chance of staying and dining away from the national or regional franchises and chain-type businesses.

Look forward to your next report. We usually travel west vs. east - but your words are convincing.....

Mayfield, a wonderful southern treat
http://www.mayfielddairy.com/

Although it's almost sacrilege to BUY iced tea, buying Mayfield's makes it seem less wrong


Great trip report.

<<Often taking the road less traveled leads to these sort of experiences...>>

That is so right. When I think back to our best trips they all had that element. When I was in graduate school, my two best friends and I all were laid off from our summer jobs at about the same time and still had most of the summer to go. We decided to drive up north from NYC taking whichever road was closest to the water and see how far north we could get before having to turn back, camping along the way. We ended up going around Canada's Gaspe Peninsula and the adventures we had on the way could be the subject of another very retrospective TR. Another time, DW, our then only son age 10 and I were on our first trip to Italy. We had the entire day to drive from Florence to Venice so decided to just head in the general dirction exploring side roads. Come lunchtime (I've told this story here before, so skip it if you like) we were in a very small town and saw what seemed to be a little restaurant. We stopped and went in - it was a family run place. Pop was at the counter, mom was cooking and daughter was the server although the place was empty. Daughter came to take our order and we asked with the help of a dictionary and phrase book to just bring whatever they thought to be good for lunch. She got pop who confirmed that and engaged in an animated converstation with mom and then sent daughter out. She returned shortly with their extended family, tables pushed together, mom cooking up a storm and we were served family style with the one family member who spoke English interpreting for all. As the only Americans to visit the restaurant in many years we were not customers but honored guests. That was the day we fell in love with Italy. BTW it was the best Italian meal we have ever had.

But I digress, so lets get back to Washington, NC. After a stop in New Bern (thank you Ira)where we visited the old governor's mansion and as obvious out of towners were interviewed for a program later that day - we explored the historic area and headed on to Washington, NC, part of NC's Inner Banks.

This is a place that was nothing like the pictures we had in our minds. What we were thinking of was beautiful tree lined streets, flowering lawns in front of historic homes, quaint shops - you get the picture, New Bern was closer to that. What we found was a small town that perhaps had seen better days. Maybe just a bit run-down or a better description would be not kept up for the tourists. It has a long Main Street, a small estuary museum, and a walk along the water. A place not exactly on the beaten tourist path. There were other tourists there I know because at several places we visited, mention was made of a family visiting from Oklahoma. Our B&B, the Moss House, in a home dating back to 1902 was lovely on a side street across from the library, but otherwise backing on one of the more trafficed streets although noise was not a problem. I very much recommend the place not only for its rooms and furnishings but also for its friendly hosts. Our room was the Estuary room and it was very nice. The nicest room there is the Anchorage. A nice touch is a small chalk board outide each room with the guests first names as well as a similar welcoming sign at the house's rear entrance where there is off street parking.

After getting over our initial "is this all it is" impression we began to walk around, or more precisely, take a stroll down Main St. What we found among the usual shops were several artists cooperatives that we did not expect, one especially showing the works of painters, photographers, potters, hand painted fabrics, etc. The work mostly of high quality, and much of it unusual. Now, we had been looking for something to bring back to our sons - daughter had already been taken care of in Charleston - but we had not found the "just right" gift. In the cooperative we found them. One was a very unusual and perhaps grotesque jug by Ben Watford. It is of a voodoo style and the type of jug that was used to mark the graves of slaves who were not allowed to have tombstones. Its grotesque features were meant to keep the devil away. It is also corked so that if one feels an evil spirit is about, just take out the cork, the spirit will enter and then cork it back up. Number 2 son goes for that kind of thing, and he was delighted to get it. We also found an absolutely beautifully crafted by a local potter (last name of Dee or Lee)ceramic platter patterned after an angel fish. Just right for #1 son and DIL whose home has an aquarium in most every room.

In the afternoon we drove the short distance to Bath, NC's oldest town and purported haunt of Blackbeard. Bath was as we thought it would be and fit the picture that we originally had of Washington,sans quaint shops and smaller.

Again comes an unexpected delight. At the art cooperative, we were told that night, a local blue grass organization will be having their weekly, open to the public, get together in the gallery's back room. Something to put on our must do list to finish the day. After a fine dinner at Pia's which is I believe the town's only upscale restaurant, we walked a few doors down to the gallery where we, together with an audience of about 8 or so had a fine time listening to the group jam while sipping home made orangeade for the remainder of the evening.

Next: On to the Outerbanks.

Once again, thanks for the report. Looking forward to the OBX report...it's where I am thinking we'd like to spend a few days, but concerned about too many peeps...(one of the reasons we like heading west)! Hoping and thinking Sept. is not so touristry crazy there...

Eschewing the ferry to the Outer Banks (I've been meaning to use that word for awhile, somewhere) we got an early start for what was to be our longest driving day. Our plan was not to stay anywhere on the OBX, but to just scout out the area for later trips since we had never been there before. Our gracious hostess at Moss House advised us to take a route other than the one we planned becuase of widespread brush fires that resulted in the closing of parts of the main road we would have used. As we drove, we could see and smell the smoke. Our final destination that day was Chincoteage Island, VA.

We crossed onto the OBX using US 64 through Manteo and turned south. The plan was to slowly drive the 60 miles to Hatteras where one would have to take a ferry to go further and note places to stop on our return back north. We were surprised by the light traffic on the way, considering it was the Friday before the Father's Day weekend. We very much liked what we saw. That part of the OBX is built up, but not overly so - just enough to be interesting in our opinion with some nice looking restaurant choices and the beaches were well preserved. Of the towns we passed through we thought Buxton and Hatteras would be nice places to stay on a return trip, but really anywhere along that stretch would do. Turning around at the ferry, we stopped to see the beach at several points. They were all clean and broad, not crowded at all(again a surprise)with a moderate surf and some folks with surfboards taking advantage of the waves. All in all it was very attractive. We stopped for a quick, light lunch and a bit longer to walk in the wildlife refuge. All in all we very much liked what we saw. Not so though when we passed the point where we originally turned south from the bridge. As we drove north from that point things quckly became increasingly built up to the point that the northern OBX lost its attractiveness for us. I know it is attractive and popular with others, but it is just not for us.

Next stop Chincoteage.

I'm glad you went to Hatteras first. Think about Ocracoke when you come back. I's only accessible by ferry and still, to my mind, one of the prettiest villages anywhere.

Like I've said before, I remember Kitty hawk when there was no bypass, no Mcmansions and very few people. The ocean there is still my favorite, but it's full of people in the summer. Convenience stores carry the Washington Post.

Minnlake, there will be fewer people in September, after school starts. But do get travel insurance. September is high hurricane season and the Banks are so far east, they get more mandatory evacs than most.

For the last leg of our trip we drove north using the bridge-tunnel to Chincoteague arriving in the late afternoon. We checked into the Assateague Inn. Since it was Father's Day weekend, rooms were somewhat scarce, but this place filled the bill. The Assateague Inn is at the end of a quiet unpaved side road and has two types of rooms - motel style and studios. When we made our reservation, only the motel style was available and that is too bad. Not because the room was not acceptable, it was basic but very decent and clean with a fridge, microwave and even dishes and utensils, but no view to speak of while all of the studio rooms have glass sliding doors and overlook a pretty salt marsh teeming with birds and a private crabbing dock. One thing we wanted to do the next day was to take a tour by boat in the waters around the island and the nice young lady at the desk highly recommended one conducted by "Capt. Barry" so we booked it for 8AM the next morning. Dinner was at the Village Restaurant which is steps from the Inn. It was one of the best seafood dinners we had on this trip and I highly recommend the place. A number of their tables overlook the marsh as well so ask for one. The evening was spent just exploring Chincoteague's Main Street, stopping in shops - nothing special, but nice.

At 8 the next morning we met Capt Barry at his boat - a very shallow draft pontoon affair we were lucky to be the only ones on that tour although he was heavily booked for other times of the day. Capt. Barry tailors his tours to the interests of those on board and since we are interested in wildlife he headed out to the rookeries where Laughing Gulls were nesting - some still on eggs, other garding newly hatched chicks. As we approached the mother gull would call out and the chicks would come scurrying to the shelter of the nest. Capt Barry is a NY transplant and is a very interesting fellow - colorful and very informative at the same time. He has lived on the island for nearly 20 years, gives tours, has crab traps, I believe deals in clams, but most interestingly to us for the past few years has devoted his off season to volunteering in Haiti, where his wife has set up some sort of health clinic and is very involved in helping the people there - this is as an individual, not as part of any organization. He pulled up some crab traps to demonstrate how it is done and showed us the differences between crabs. He talked about Chincoteague's clamming industry and related research. On his tours where there are kids or others who are interested, he will take them to an area where they can clam and shows them how - we declined. It was a very enjoyable two hours that passed all too quickly. We also saw what we thought were shrimp boats coming in but Capt Barry said they were scalloping boats, shrimp having already moved to the south and scallops were now in high season.

Afterwards we visited the wildlife refuge at Assateague Island, hiked some but saw little in the way of birds or other wildlife other than ravenous mosquitos and headed over to Assateague's beach which we like least of the beaches that we saw on this trip. It was crowded, reminding me of Coney Island on a summer's weekend with coarse sand, and so we skipped it. We decided to head on home about dinner time and stopped at Ray's Shanty on Wallop's Island just a little bit out of Chincoteague. Bookhall, thanks for that suggestion, it was great and I ate a year's worth of scallops in one sittng.

From there it was a quick and easy 3 hour drive home - no traffic to speak of.

All in all this was a memorable trip. We saw an area of the country that was new to us, learned much,found beautiful crafts, ate new things, met great people, and are already making plans to revisit favorite places - Chincoteague on a weekend, Hatteras and perhaps Topsail when there are a few more days available.

Again - thank you fodorites for your fine suggestions. Photos to follow.

Baskingstroke,
Just seeing this and am so glad to learn you enjoyed your stay at the B&B just across the creek from me! I thought about you several times that weekend hoping you were having a grand time in Charleston. You write an excellent trip report and did a stellar job of describing all things wonderful about Charleston.

Elijah must like to sleep in, like you I went by the other day and he wasn't open yet!

Looking forward to pictures!

OhMYStars - if you are looking for a place to put up some extra guests, you won't go wrong at Plantation Oaks. They will be happy - just remember, adults only.

Also, thank you for the kind words. It is easy to write about Charleston, I am just sorry we hadn't discovered it sooner.

I am going now to do a little work on the photos and post them soon. I am sure there must be at least one that has your house in it.

Photo link:
http://tinyurl.com/4yuytyf

I had some major camera focus malfunctions and lost quite a few photos. Some of the uploaded photos show the problem, particularly in the tea plantation. Sorry about that, but I thought the tea picking machine was interesting.

I added to more sets to the collection linked above that includes our visit to Charleston in January. These include interiors of the Mills House Hotel and some significant gravestones in the old Jewish Cemetary that dates back to pre revolutionary war days. You can also see what you get when you order flounder at Hyman's restaurant.

These are so great! I'm going through them as I have time. I'm glad you enjoyed the Laughing Gull at Shem Creek.

Very enjoyable Basingstoke and wonderful shots.

I meant to tell you that I was in Duck recently and drove down to Manteo to "scout out" an art gallery. The down town is very sweet and worth a look should you ever get back that way.

That was as far south as we made it, and my first ever trip to the OBX. The Wright Brothers' museum was interesting. Someone mentioned mcmansions to the north and there sure are some but I think (don't know for sure) that many are rented out or are time-shares.