The Best Raffle Prize Ever

Forsyth Park, Savannah

This was not entirely luck, despite appearances.

I’ve been wanting to see Charleston and Savannah for some time.  When a week’s stay on an island near Charleston showed up as a raffle prize in a fundraiser, I couldn’t control myself.  My husband and I had earmarked some money to donate to this nonprofit, so we decided to spend it all on the raffle.  We bought a lot of tickets.  What the heck, it was for a good cause.

Ultimately, we hosted four dear friends in this huge, lovely home.  Sometimes we ran around together, but I find that my non-photographer friends are rarely excited about waking up in the dark when on vacation. Sometimes we each went our own way.  We drove about 1500 miles.

Some highlights:

Virginia Live Oaks, Boone Hall Plantation, Charleston

Tree tunnels.  I’m just a middle-aged tree-hugger (hence the Subaru) and I love them.  The nineteenth century plantation owners often lined their grand driveways with Virginia Live Oaks.  The trees grow towards each other overhead and form a passage.  I confess that I talk to them, mostly in gratitude.

Grave marker, Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah has become something of a tourist attraction since the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I adored the statuary.  As I rule, I avoid photographing other people’s art.  This, though, was inspiring and I had a great time.  On the subject of statuary in Savannah, I was also captivated by the big fountain in Forsyth Park.

Sunrise on Seabrook Island South Carolina

Private beaches are an odd concept to me.  I grew up on the coast in Southern California and, other than security around Richard Nixon’s Western White House in the 1970s and Camp Pendleton (the Marine base) we could walk on the beach at will.  Beaches near this house are primarily private.  Fortunately, we were in a community which allowed us access.  Most mornings I was out enjoying the sunrise over the ocean, also odd for a California girl.

Iris in Magnolia Plantation Garden, Charleston

Spring is exuberant there.  Azaleas were at peak, and the dogwood, wisteria, and iris were blooming too.  A bonus; the weather was great and the summer crowds were absent.

We did stack the deck, but we were lucky, too.

More images from the trip are in the "More Places" Gallery on the Website.