It’s
just one big party at our house, from November to the end of January! Starting
with Halloween, a birthday, Thanksgiving and the holidays, and ending with
another couple of birthdays and a name-day, today we are celebrating the
birthday of the homme au foyer
himself! Although it’s not quite the adventure of last year in Costa Rica, I
hope you will all join me in wishing Roberts a happy birthday and all the best
in the coming year – and while you’re at it remind him I’m waiting on the
present from that party-kick-off birthday in November…
So a
few final notes on Sullivan’s Island, the destination on our Charleston trip
that included a stop at Patriots Point and Fort Moultrie. We ended our visit to the Fort with the boys
earning Junior Ranger badges, a fantastic program that encourages exploration
and curiosity during visits to our National Parks. Luckily Roberts snapped a
picture; we’ll pretend Lauris isn’t barefoot while being sworn in…
A few
blocks east of the Fort is the Sullivan’s Island Life Saving Station, the boathouse
and quarters built in 1895 when coastal shipping was the primary means of
transportation. The eight men and two rowboats housed there were tasked with protecting
the lives of those involved in maritime trade. In 1915 the US Coast Guard took over the Life-Saving Service, and the complex remained in use until 1973. The
beach was actually much closer to the boathouse than it is today, the shores of
the coastal barrier island constantly shifting with the waves. In addition there is also the signal tower (1938), the buildings
together forming an “L” shape around the bunker/sighting station. Today the structures are part of the US Coast Guard Historic District, incoporated into Fort Sumter National Monument.
Then
we hit the beach. Many of the SC beaches
are pretty similar – smooth, soft sand with currents and tides that keep
parents on their toes. This one was no different, the best part about the low
tide being the tide pools that kept the kids in the water without the waves and
jellyfish of the ocean.
Two
blocks from the beach is Poe’s Tavern, named after Edgar Allen Poe and famous
for its burgers and drinks. The author was stationed at Fort Moultrie under the
pseudonym Edgar Allan Perry for thirteen months beginning November 18,1827, and
it was this time on the island that was the inspiration for “The Gold Bug”, a
story about a mystical beetle that led to buried treasure. The restaurant is worth
the visit, if for the décor alone – what better way to spend some time in the
bathroom than reading Edgar Allen Poe? A great spot to catch up with friends, a
casual and laid-back beach atmosphere and mouthwatering food – the trio a
winning combination.
When I
went to photograph the interior of Poe’s I was wondering how my camera battery
was already dead, but later upon reviewing my pictures it became clear; there
were no fewer than 120 selfies taken by a certain 5yo with ketchup on his cheek.
Robert, as my birthday present to you, here they are in no particular order….
On second thought, maybe I’ll stick to the best 4+1!
LOVE the swearing in, AND the selfies (ha-ha)! Daudz baltu dieniņu Robertam un dabon Lienei to blenderi taču jau!
ReplyDeleteDaudz laimes Dzimsanas Diena Roberts....sending Cheers to you from Australia!
ReplyDeleteNow, about that gift ......
Oh Liene I have just looked at the comment page and have seen that you have made 3 comments there...these for some weird reason Have Not come through on the email again!
Wishing you and your delightful family a Lamigu Jauno Gadu and all the best for 2016!
Paldies Dzintra! About the notification emails, I think it's a glitch on my end; I've been getting delivery failed notifications after I comment, and it has something to do with blogger/yahoo which I've not been able to resolve. I should really invest some time in fixing it, so it is me that should be apologizing to you :) Take care!
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