Magnolia Plantation

Somehow I've managed to have this post drafted for the past week or so and am just getting around to posting it now. I wish that was a reflection on how productive I've been with my school applications but I'm not really sure that's the case. Oh well, back to the south for now...

Most of our time in Charleston was spent outside the city, at Magnolia Plantation and Garden. The plantation has such an interesting history. It was founded in 1676 and has stayed in the same family since, through the American Revolution and the Civil War and has the oldest unrestored gardens in the country. It also has the largest collection of heritage camellias, which were in bloom while we were there and were pretty amazing. It's a huge area and wandering around the old slave cabins, the swamps, gardens, and the plantation house was the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon. I realize I'm really bumping up my old lady status to another level by saying that going to a historic garden was the highlight of my trip, but really, how gorgeous is this place? It's so dreamy. It's made me even more into the south, and this period of history. I rewatched Gone with the Wind with my mom when we got back (I saw it when I was ten and liked it so much that I went and read the 600 page book right away) and was reminded what an amazing film it is. If you are up for watching a 4 hour movie, it really is worth the time. We also saw Django Unchained which was a nice counterpoint to everything. And Lincoln, too, I guess? The Civil War is so trendy right now!

We did manage to eat some good food while we were in Charleston, of course. I'd recommend Basil for Thai food and Hominy Grill for southern style breakfast food and also King's street for wandering/shopping. I would have loved to have seen more of the city! Next time.