Hi all!
We’ve been at my parents’ in the piedmont of South Carolina for about a month now. When we first landed, we did absolutely nothing for a solid 3 days. We were exhausted and just needed some time to recuperate.
Once we were recharged, it was back to the house hunt, with a lot of basketball and a bit of fun sprinkled in here and there!
Mom’s tiny little alma mater, Presbyterian College, made it to the NCAA Women’s tournament so AC, Mom, and I went to Columbia, SC to watch the first round. UNC beat Michigan State and, as expected, PC got crushed by #1 South Carolina. Despite the beating, it was a fun trip. And congrats to PC for making it to the big dance!
We couldn’t leave Dad out so, a few weeks later, AC, Dad, and I visited Palmetto Distillery, South Carolina’s first legal moonshine distillery. The distillery now also brews whiskey and their bartender makes some creative concoctions. Dad and AC both had a moonshine flight, followed by a whiskey. I enjoyed a Caramel Cream: salted caramel moonshine mixed with cream soda.
This past weekend, my parents, AC, and I met my aunt and her partner for a guided paddle in Congaree National Park. AC and I knew we wanted to cross Congaree off our list while were here and Philoma and Stuart live near the park so we asked if they could join us. Stuart used to be a park ranger at Congaree so he offered to lead our excursion. He gave us a rundown of the river we’d be paddling and a bit of park history before we hit the water. AC and I hopped in our tandem kayak, Mom and Dad in their single kayaks, and Philoma and Stuart in their canoe. We paddled upriver for the first hour and took a quick detour into the flooded forest to ogle some big cypress and tupelo trees. Then we floated back leisurely, only dipping our paddles in the water to avoid low-hanging branches, enjoying the birds and other sounds of the marsh.
After leaving the water, we made a pit stop at the Visitor’s Center before heading to Philoma’s house for burgers, brats, and beer. We enjoyed dinner together, then headed home.
Now, we’re on the couch watching the women’s NCAA championship game. Women’s college basketball viewership has skyrocketed and female athletes, across the board, are finally getting some of the spotlight that they deserve. We couldn’t be happier for the sport, the records that were broken this year, and the players that have helped influenced that glow up…but AC still doesn’t miss her job 😉
Until next time,
Charli