Charleston, South Carolina - Part 1

Hey ya’ll from beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, the epitome of southern charm and hospitality. Home of Rhett Butler, the Battery, Rainbow Row and Fort Sumter, Charleston, is the destination of choice if you are looking for a real Southern experience. MDH and I are actually staying on Folly Beach about eight miles from the downtown History District. As I type this post, I am listening to the ocean’s surf and squawking seagulls. It is still early in the morning and I am beginning my day with hot coffee and laptop time.

We arrived yesterday (Tuesday) around 5:00. When you pull up to a hotel in a shiny Red Cadillac Deville, valets come running. Not that we expect or want the valet services it is just a fact. While MDH goes to check in, Beverly, a handsome African-American man rushes to my aid. Upon opening my car door for me his first words are, “Oh baby, your toe nail polish matches the color of your car. How cool is that.” I laugh and agree that it is indeed cool. “Pop your trunk baby and I’ll unload this stuff for you and get you settled.” I pop my trunk; he loads everything onto a cart and proceeds to try to take my laptop and purse from me. I smile and say no thanks, I’ll manage this. He laughs. I pat him on the back and ask him what he is laughing about? He just smiles. We have an automatic understanding. He thinks that this white woman is not turning over any valuables to a black valet. I know what he is thinking so to put him at ease I begin talking. He begins to open up. “Baby, where are you from?” East Tennessee, I respond. “Man I had you pegged a Georgia Peach, but you are too fine for Georgia. Da** baby you smell good, what is that you are wearing?” I laugh and say black current vanilla from Bath and Body. “Man I love that B/B stuff. My first wife used to tell me I used more of it than she did. I’d tell her, look woman, I landscape for a living and I want to smell nice after a hard days work.” He loaded me into the elevator, took my room number and key and led me straight to my door. He then proceeds to point out a number of good local places to eat and get margaritas. He unloads all of my stuff into the room, opens the drapes, turns on the air, gets me ice and proceeds to smile and say, “Now baby, if there is anything I can do for you during your stay, please let him know.” It is about this time MDH arrives at the room. I smile and ask MDH to please give the man a good tip because he did his job extremely well. I am going to find Beverly today and have my picture made with him. He is a sweetheart!

Later in the evening, after a walk on the beach, a stroll out the pier and dinner at a local dive, we head back to our room and bump into a couple getting on the elevator. They strike up this conversation with me. “This ocean breeze wreaks havoc with hair.” Yes I agree, but it does not matter, we are at the beach after all. “Yes, but we have been into Historic Charleston today, our first time ever. We are so overwhelmed by its beauty.” Yes, I agree, Historic Charleston is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. I was here 23 years ago on my honeymoon and we came back this week to revisit. The man sizes me up and down. “Twenty-three years!!!! Did you get married when you were nine?” Why yes I did, I say. My parents believed in young marriages. In fact, I was getting too old for marriage by their standards and they were desperate, so here (pointing to MDH) is who I ended up with. He studies me for a second until I smile and laugh. He then rollicks with laughter, punches MDH on the arm and says way too go guy! I have him so flustered; he cannot get the elevator floor number correct. His wife/date is cracking up. We get off the elevator MDH looks at me, “How do you do that?” He questions. Just keeping it real I say. People always respond to real.

More later……

Thanks for reading, Rosie.