Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

Next to Charleston, this was my favorite part of our entire trip. The house began as a little hunting cabin in the the 1670s. It has been transformed over more than three hundred years into this beautiful home with sprawling gardens. Resplendent with Cherokee roses, magnolia trees, camellias, azaleas and giant gators. It couldn't be more picturesque-ly located on a fork of the Ashley river. And we couldn't have picked a more beautiful day to go visit.

Lily enjoyed running around the vast grounds. But her favorite part of the Plantation was the petting zoo.

My favorite part was the house. It has been built and rebuilt three times. Like many of the lowcountry plantations, the weather wasn't ideal for cotton or tobacco. As a result it was originally a rice plantation. The slaves brought the knowledge with them from Sierra Leone. But after the war the owner felt that the risks of malaria, plus the labor-intensive process, didn't warrant the effort to maintain the rice production. So after the War, during which the main house was burned down, the Draytons sold off 1,500 acres of their property (leaving a measly 500 acres) in order to rebuild the house and fix up the gardens. After a few years of intensive work they opened the gardens to the public. So Magnolia became one of the first American tourist attractions.

From the gardens to the swamps to the fallow rice patties, it is little wonder this is one of the most popular wedding locations in South Carolina.

The live oaks are the most unusual trees I've ever seen. Like gnarled old women reaching toward each other in a perpetual embrace. They are so intertwined that it gets difficult to see where one ends and the other begins. The Spanish moss that is draped over them like antique lace gives them an ethereal appearance. As if ghostly apparitions or wood sprites will appear at any moment. The rambling limbs grow out so long that, over hundreds of years, they begin to grow back into the ground and out again. Lovely doesn't begin to describe them.

And of course, I can't tell you about the plantation without mentioning the gators. During our tour we were told that most of them had yet to come up from the bottom of the swamps. The ones we did see were usually sunbathing alongside the turtles in the swamps.

What was that, you ask? You want to know why they were sleeping alongside the tasty turtles rather than eating them? Well, funny you should ask. I had the exact same question. Apparently, alligators don't eat during the winter. I did not know that. But it did make me feel much better about wandering around the gardens with giant gators everywhere.

And a prize to the first person who can find the hidden alligator in this picture. Look close now.

The slave cabins were recently restored. They were occupied during slavery, the War, Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement. During the time when slaves occupied them, they weren't nearly as beautiful. No trees or grass of any kind. They were all brushed clean of any beauty. Fun place to live, right?

And after seeing this beautiful spinning wheel in one of the cabins, I've decided I am in desperate need of one. Not that I have pressing weaving needs, but I still need one.

And now to Lily's favorite aspect. The petting zoo. She ran after this little guy for quite some time calling "Come". Every time he let her get close she would crouch down and say "Hi" in a very sweet voice. After a few minutes of this, though, he had enough and charged her. I snatched her up, but every time I put her down she was on him again.

Her next favorite animals were these pigs. Can you blame her? They are so ugly they're cute.

Now you have seen Magnolia Plantation. Beautiful colors, long history and giant alligators. What's not to love? By the way, in case you are wondering why there are no pictures of the house let me tell you. I forgot the camera on the tour. Yes, I am still kicking myself over it.

A Southern Crab Crackin'

Who would have thought blue crabs were actually blue? And before Ernestine steamed them to death in a giant pot, they were wiggling around, crawling all over each other in this bag. These beauties were for the Hamilton crab cracking festival. The crab cracking where Ernie's dad called me Adolf Hitler because I was disgusted by the whole process. But answer me this. Would you eat eggs out of a cooked she-crab's womb? Cause I think that's pretty disgusting. I will eat crab cakes, crab dip, she-crab soup and just about any other once-removed version of crab. But eating it straight out of the bug's shell was just off-putting. Call me crazy. Or better yet, call me Adolf.

As soon as Ernie saw the crabs crawling around in the bag his mouth started watering. He spread out the newspaper, tucked a napkin into his collar, and waited none-too-patiently for his mother to serve him a heaping platter of fresh crabs and juicy shrimp.

If you have never seen an entire family clamoring around a bucket of crab and shrimp, you are missing out on one of life's greatest experiences.

In order to eat the crab you have to flip it onto its back and rip off the shell on its underbelly. Attached the the shell are the crab's nasty-looking lungs. Ernie called them gills, but they are too hideous, spongy and lung-like for me to call them anything but. They all felt the need to warn me not to eat the lungs. They could have saved their breath, 'cause I wasn't going near those things.

Once you've discarded the lungs, you have the scrape out the mustard-looking "stuff" that no one eats. No one seems to know what it is, either, so I suppose it is a good thing they don't eat it. Then you break the leg-less body in half and suck out all the meat and juices peaking through the crab's membranes. And if you are lucky enough to get the She-crab, you have the joy of munching on the orange-hued baby crab eggs. Now tell me, who wouldn't want to have such a wondrous experience?

It was quite the event, though. As much a social event as a culinary one. With everyone gathered around the trough, we laughed and joked and teased until the heaping platter was reduced to a huge pile of crab shells sucked completely dry.

And since I only ate a couple bites of the giant bug placed in front of me and half of a shrimp (you had to pinch off the head and pull off the legs before eating the meat), Butch has decided that my nickname should be Adolf Hitler. What do you think? Would you have been more adventurous than I was, or would you have joined me as a communist? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Welcome to Edisto Island

On our trip, we stayed at a gorgeous beach house on a quaint little island south of Charleston called Edisto. It was a wee bit out of the way (okay, so it was a lot bit out of the way), but it was still beautiful. Next time we go, however, we will stay on Folly Beach or Sullivan's Island so it won't take us an hour and a half just to get into Charleston.


Our beautiful beach house was filled to capacity with Ernie, me, Niecy, Ernestine, Lily, Peyton, Gene and Jaxon. Not to mention the slew of visitors coming and going throughout the week. It made for a boisterous vacation.


Lily, being used to occupying herself and having only me and Ernie for company, had a blast with all her cousins, uncles, aunt and grandparents. By the end of the week, though, she was quite ready for some Lily-and-Mommy time. With as much fun as she had, I felt just a tinsy bit guilty about living so far away. But I suppose that just means we'll have to go visit more often.

Those boys were quite energetic. I'm glad Ernie was there to deflect some of that energy. One or two pillow fights a night is my limit.

But everytime they got into it, Lily was running right with them, trying to be part of all the fun. And with the great expanse of wooden floors at the beach house, there was plenty of running room. There were times when she would jump down with a shouted "RUN!" before taking off. She would run back and forth across the floor over and over again. Just for the sake of running. Lily really likes running.

Lily's youngest cousin, Jaxon, got into the play fighting as well. And he sure had a laugh over catching hold of Gene.

Lily was so excited to go to the beach. The day before we left California, she picked out her special Tinker Bell simming suit. As soon as we got to Edisto Island, she pointed excitedly toward the water, saying "Beach" over and over and over again. Unfortunately, the weather didn't permit for much beach time the first few days. The picture above is her pouting prettily because I told her it was too cold to go to the beach.

It certainly didn't take Lily long to warm up to Aunt Nene and Grandma (to say nothing of all the boys). And as she was the only little girl there, everyone doted on her. She was giving out kisses left and right by the time we left.

When Grandpa and Gigi came to the beach house, they brought a great jump house for the kids to play with. Lily loved it. Although, as the boys were quite violent when they all got in together, they were forced to give up the jump house so that Lily could play. Something the boys didn't exactly appreciate.

Do I really need a reason for these pictures? Look at that beautiful little girl and try not to smile. I dare you.

Do you see how her personality just seeps right through the camera? What a sweetheart.

The Holy City

I have fallen in love. Yes, it's true. I have found my soulmate in a city. Charleston, South Carolina. It is the single most beautiful city I've ever seen. So unique. So utterly saturated with beauty, history and architecture. Never in my life have I been so surrounded by history.

Did you know that Charleston is known as the most well-preserved city in America? I didn't. There was an ordinance adopted in the 20s that decreed any building older than 75 years could not be altered without approval from the Historic Preservation Society.

The result is that you can walk on the same streets where revolutionaries walked and planned and plotted. You can eat at the same restaraunt where George Washington dined and see the same beautiful mansions that were built when Charleston was founded in 1670.

If I ever have seven million dollars to play with, I intend on buying one of the beautiful Italianate mansions on the Battery. With the exquisite wrought-iron gates and balconies that are double the square footage of our house, a girl couldn't help falling in love.

Walking around downtown you see a strange convergence of the past and the present. You can almost see the women walking around in hooped skirts and parasols. This is the way I like my history. You can walk back in time and look at an 18th century American Chippendale secretary's desk and handmade, 200 plus year old quilts, yet at the same time you have upscale shopping, flushing toilets and nice restaurants.

There are homes on the battery dating back to the 1600s. The rich European settlers brought all the opulence and luxuries of England with them to make this one of the most beautiful cities in the country.

There are carriage houses converted into office buildings (with the original carriage doors in tact) and slave quarters converted into shops and condos.

And this little guy, you have to take a good, long look at. He is made entirely out of hats. From his bowler hat head to his sailor hat feet.

In England, where many of Charleston's founding families came from, brick was a poor man's building material. So when they got to America and found nothing to build their homes other than brick, they put plaster over it and etched in lines to make it look like the more elegant stone. And since you aren't allowed to change the outside of the homes unless you maintain the original integrity of the structure, you see the plaster pealing away on many of the buildings to reveal the brick beneath.

Intricately forged iron gates, banisters and staircases are everywhere in Charleston. Many have been created by the renowned blacksmith, Phillip Simmons. These gates are so intricately beautiful and valuable that the residents have been known to take the gates with them when they move.

Beautiful gardens are everywhere in downtown Charleston. If you look closely at the picture above you can see one of Charleston's infamous wrought-iron spiral staircases.

Rainbow row is a remarkable stretch filled with vibrantly colored townhouses. You may recognize it from Porgie and Bess. Many of the early residents of Charleston came from Barbados, incidentally. Bringing with them their love of color, which translated into interesting and colorful architecture.

Speaking of history. Here is Printer's Row. It was here that Walker, Evans and Cogswell printed Confederate bonds during the War of Northern Aggression (we were informed that no one referred to it as the Civil War, as there was nothing civil about it).

And here you see Philadelphia's Alley, otherwise known as Duelers Alley. It is known as one of the most haunted places in Charleston. With a place as old and well-preserved as Charleston, there is little wonder that it is considered such a haunted city. In this particular alley, if you look closely at the brick on either side you can see bullet holes from duels that took place behind an old bar that catered to a somewhat rougher crowd.

The pictures don't do the place justice. I've made Ernie promise me that we will at the very least go back once a year. A week isn't nearly enough time to see all I wanted to see. But the brief bit I did see was just enough to whet my apetite. It is by far the most beautiful city in America. At least, that I've seen so far.

Introducing The Hamiltons

Everything in Charleston wakes up slowly. The sun, as it peaks over the horizon, sort of eases you into your day. There is no urgency to get somewhere, no stress over being late. The slow-paced style is all-too alluring to someone who has lived her entire life racing from day-to-day, trying to pack as much into each of them as possible.

The smell of the bog and peat permeates everything in the lowcountry. It leaves a sort of sweet-salty smell that comes with the breeze as you walk along the Battery. It is as much a part of the city as the pre-revolutionary homes and cobblestone streets.

This is the backdrop on which I met Ernie's family for the first time. And they, in turn, met Lily for the first time. There was something about South Carolina's low country that made any nerves or anxiety that would usually accompany such a first meeting melt away. And the fact that his family is amazing sure didn't hurt. Let me introduce you to these wonderful people. Starting with...

Ernestine

My first time seeing Ernie's mother was at 2:00 in the morning after nine hours of flying and three hours of driving. Despite the hour, she was kind, courteous and intimidatingly well put together. If I had a car-full of visitors come to my house at two in the morning, I wouldn't be hospitable. I'd probably be beligerent and grouchy for having my sleep interrupted. And I most definitely would NOT be put together in the slightest bit. I was terribly intimidated by this woman who effortlessly took care of everyone. I didn't lift a finger to cook or clean all week. I felt bad watching her cook and serve everyone. But my word could she cook. Between the ribs, steak and potatoes, burgers, blue crab, shrimp and delicious homemade pie I must have gained five pounds while we were there.

Denise

My first time meeting Niecy was also at two in the morning. She walked down the hall and my first thought was that I was looking at Lily in thirty years. As much as I hate to admit it, she looks more like Lily's mom then I do. The Hamilton genes are quite strong. They all look alike. But Niecy is quite amazing. She is raising two of the most wonderful boys I have ever met. So sweet they'll give you a tooth ache and polite to a fault. And she beats the crap out of Ernie, which you've got to admire.

Peyton

Peyton is Niecy's oldest boy. He is affectionate and sweet and all ready a charmer. And get this. He puts himself in time out when he's done something he isn't supposed to. How many kids would do that?

Jaxon

Jaxon is the second most adorable baby ever. Or a very close tie for first. He never stops smiling. He is just learning how to walk, so he stumbles and totters around everywhere. So cute you just want to bite his cheeks. And he's got the most adorably chubby feet.

Butch

Ernie's dad (also named Ernest, but they call him Butch. They also calle Ernie Tankey. I guess it's a southern thing) is so much like him its scary. When I look at him I see Ernie in thirty years. I told you the Hamilton genes were strong. But more than that, they act so similar. The same gestures, mannerisms and vocal inflections. Jennifer and I could commisserate over having to live with such goofballs. Did I mention that the first time we met he called me Adolf Hitler? True story. While we didn't spend as much time with him and Jennifer as with everyone else, I couldn't help but think he's great based solely on the fact that he fell hopelessly in love with my daughter. He certainly did gush over her. But don't think the feeling was all one sided. Lily fell head-over-heels for her Grandpa. She is still asking where "Papa" went.

Jennifer

Jennifer (Gigi) won Lily over immediately by bringing her a bag full of beautiful dresses. Lily loves dresses. Gigi was the only one Lily went right up to without hesitation. And if I remember correctly, she was the first one Lily gave kisses to. Without any prompting, too. She was great with her. And since she dug right into the crab and shrimp, she wasn't likened unto Adolf Hitler. My favorite part of meeting Jennifer was that, after being surrounded by people with beautiful, olive complections the entire week, I finally met someone almost as white as I am.

Gene

We got to spend the entire week with Gene. He is quite the energetic boy. He was so excited to spend some time with his big brother, Tankey. He and Peyton were quite the pair, wrestling and running wild all week. And for most of that time, Lily was chasing right after them trying to be part of the fun. But by the end of the week, however, she had had quite enough of the rambunctious boys. Gene and Lily became fast friends, though. He thought she was hilarious and teased her relentlessly just to see her reaction. Lily has great reactions. And Gene laughed uproarously every time. It seems that is a trait that runs in the family.

Lucas

We didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with Lucas. But after everyone telling me how bad he was, I was surprised to find such a polite, sweet boy. Granted, I didn't spend much time with him, but how could he not be sweet with that charming little smile?

And so you have met Ernie's family. There were more of the distant relatives that we met, but this covers his immediate family. They were all wonderful and we had a fabulous time. Lily and I are so happy to have met all of them.