Day 10 - Pawleys Island, SC - Augusta, GA

We sadly embarked on our return trip today.  To kick things off, we set our alarms for 5:30 am so we could be at the beach to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic.  We've done this numerous times on other trips, but today was the first where we also did a morning swim.  It was so pretty and amazing to see the new day begin with a few other early risers here and there on the beach.  We were at low tide this morning so shells were plentiful.  The waves were smaller today, however.  If I lived on the coast, I could sure get used to this.

We headed back to the hotel around 8:00 to shower, pack, and load up for our drive.  On the way out of the park, we took one last look at the marsh and spotted our familiar alligators and birds one more time.

We hit the road about 11:00 and headed to our next stop (with a quick bite of lunch on the way):  Charleston Zip Line Adventures.  I've never done a zip line before so didn't quite know what to expect.  This particular one is set just east of Charleston in the Francis Marion National Forest.  Our two guides were amazing:  funny, engaging, but also not over-the-top.  Our Canopy Tour included 7 zip line cables, 3 towers, 3 swinging bridges, and a grande finale zip of 750 feet.  Even though it was very warm and humid, flying through the trees was definitely fun, breezy, and a great way to start our journey home!

After our zipping, we headed northwest of Charleston to Walterboro and the South Carolina Artisans Center.  We really enjoy looking (and often buying) local arts or crafts and this was a great stop.  I even picked up a cool pineapple clay tray for my back porch.  We also took a moment to try an Italian restaurant in the historic downtown area:  Carmine's Trattoria.  By all measure, Giuseppe and Carmine create truly Italian dishes in this small restaurant and our dinner was no exception.  The portions were huge and each meal was so tasty we kept wanting to eat it.  We finished it off with homemade cannoli and then pushed on to the northwest, and our final stop for the night:  Augusta, GA.

Day 9 - Pawleys Island

We got a late start on day 9 as I think we all finally hit a wall after extending bedtimes (including the adults).  The morning saw some rain move through the area so we decided to do some shopping, specifically at The Hammock Shops Village in Pawleys Island.  It was a neat collection of a variety of stores in an open-air kind of space.  Particular favorite were the Christmas, dog/pet, and general stores.  Nearly everyone walked away with a little something.  The Spanish moss was particularly nice as well.

The rain subsided and after a quick lunch, we headed back to Huntington Beach State Park (we've decided it's our private beach now) for some afternoon swimming, boogie boarding, and fun.

We decided to do something a bit different during the evening and we attended the Summer Light: Art By Night event at the Brookgreen Gardens.  Brookgreen was built on the property of four former rice plantations, when the Huntingtons bought it in 1930.  It soon became a not-for-profit corporation and now includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails through several ecosystems in nature reserves on the property.  Their summer event allows visitors in after hours to see nine lighted installations throughout the Gardens featuring a variety of lighting techniques letting you explore the landscapes, sculpture, and galleries in a new light.  There was also a food truck (excellent grilled cheese), an amazing band (In Layman Terms), and a Kona Ice (a kid favorite).  The Gardens were simply amazing.  The sculptures on permanent exhibit were lit beautifully along with the 250 year old Live Oak trees, which gave them a spooky/ethereal feel.  Locally made glass sculptures (similar to Chihuly glass) were placed and lit in unique ways.  The only real complaints were the humidity and the mosquitos.  Both are just part of being along the coast in summertime South Carolina.

If we are ever back in this area, I would definitely love to visit the Gardens during daytime to take in the grounds even more.  This was our last night on the coast so we decided to set our alarms for an early wake-up in order to catch sunrise over the Atlantic.  We make the turn west tomorrow.