When your only child has only one day off of work for the Thanksgiving holiday (my favorite of the year!), you travel to see him.  It’s a 6 hour drive from Radford, VA to Charleston, SC and I was on the road by 6am Thanksgiving morning.  Traffic was light and the drive was easy and I was excited to see Andrew and to explore a bit more of his adopted city.

I’ve managed to take two short but fun trips to Charleston in the 6 months since Andrew relocated, both of which lasted only 24 hours.  Someday I’ll get to stay longer, but for now, I’ll take what time I can get with my child and the City of Charleston.

The cooking began almost soon as I pulled in the driveway, with dinner time coinciding with the second half of the Redskins / Dallas game.  Now, normally I would NOT be found in front of a TV while enjoying this wonderful holiday meal, but when you have 24 hours and it’s the biggest game of the year for a Redskin fan, you do what you have to do.  And for those who are not fans of the game, WE WON!

We did find time to squeeze in a visit to one of Andrew’s two places of employment. The Hibernian Society was formed in 1801 with the hall dedicated in 1841.  Yes, it is a men’s only organization, but I can appreciate the history of the building and the philanthropy of the society.  The sign out front boasts the fact that the presidency alternates between a protestant and a catholic.

After dinner, we filled up our go cups (a great southern tradition) and in the dark of the evening, walked the historic streets of Charleston.  I did not have my camera with me, and that may have been a good thing because I am not sure I would have been able to capture the beauty of those centuries old homes in the low light.  The three pictures seen here were taken during my first visit this past May.

I’ll be working on nighttime shooting for future visits. What a lovely evening that was … strolling through alleys and alongside the battery, enjoying my wine, my child and history.

The next morning found us exploring The Angel Oak. Estimated to be 300 to 400 years old, this live oak is 65 ft tall and offers 17,000 sq ft of shade.

I love the way these old live oaks hang over the streets.  Andrew was patient as I asked him time and again to pull over so I could take pictures.

The colors found in the grasses and the wetland marshes are gorgeous!

One of the goals of this visit was to walk the The Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge.  Completed in 2005, the bridge has a 2.7 mile pedestrian (and bicycle) walkway.  I could not stop taking pictures … what an amazing structure!

After a quick lunch, I got back on the road.  I’m fortunate to have an adult child that I’m proud of … and to have him live in such a wonderful place, is an added bonus.