We reserved the food tour for our fourth day. Our guide, a retired polo rider, entertained us with local food lore. The food? Outstanding. From one-ofa-kind delicacies and specialty drinks, we savored each dish. One eatery combined a bar serving alcoholic beverages with homemade desserts. In the Bodega, seating for breakfast and lunch was sandwiched between a coffee bar and a booze bar. Pick your poison and chow down!
This was Joy’ s favorite spot. As a coffee connoisseur, she snubbed her nose at the hotel coffee and opted to hop across the street and down one of the many Charleston charming alleys to the Bodega for her coffee fix. To be fair, it offered a delightful, festive ambience, so why not?
And, of course, seafood remained prevalent everywhere. Each venue offered its version of shrimp and grits— and oysters. I looked for smoked oysters, but, alas, found none. Charleston is in love with cold oysters. My cold $ 9 oyster was my sole experience. This is from a girl whose mom served oyster stew every Christmas Eve.
Joy, though, was content to savor other delights. Oysters were not on her radar. Her Charleston-style fried chicken salad at Poogan’ s Porch did not disappoint.
Neither did the Bloody Mary. Apparently, this restaurant, in a converted house tucked in a narrow cobblestone street, serves many famous folks. You can read about that on their sign. We did.
Walking to and from our tours gave us opportunities to wander in art galleries and other local venues. One evening, we perched atop a roof, sipping wine while enjoying a 360-degree view of the city. It’ s a city of 100 churches, all sporting spires. Because of its many spires, ancient sailors dubbed Charleston the“ holy city”. In fact, the oldest Huguenot church in the USA remains active, as does the oldest Jewish synagogue. Charleston enjoys a rich history of religious tolerance.
As in Washington, DC, no building is allowed to exceed three stories. Although a couple of the church spires reach higher, along with an old five-story posh hotel that features the first elevator ever installed in the city. But those were built before the city established the three-story law.
The joke during our stay remains my frequent mention that Charleston“ was so European.” Picture Joy rolling her eyes and announcing on Facebook about her mom’ s commentary. And picture me not caring. She can poke fun at me all she
wants. After all, I AM her mom. Ha!
With each day, I wanted Joy to choose how we spent our free time. She chose pedicures and manicures for our last day. We walked to Tip 2 Toes Nail Salon for our 9:30 appointment and waited for it to open. Soon, a car sped up. Three young adults hopped out, unlocked the door, and climbed the stairs to their venue. The owner beckoned us to follow.
While they scurried around to get ready for the day, Joy and I settled into our massage chairs to luxuriate. Joy chose the full experience, but I opted for only a pedicure. It was a joy to see my Joy pampered, and she lapped it up.
Our week gave Joy and me muchneeded one-on-one time. Threaded throughout our tours, walks, and meals, we chatted, sharing our lives. There’ s something extra special about intimate time with your adult daughter. We will treasure this time for the rest of our lives.
On our last day, we took an Uber to the airport for our flight home. Full of cherished memories, we were pensive. While vacations enrich our lives, it’ s always good to get home and settle back into our normal routines. But our adventures and talks will always remain special.
8 Community Life