Our tour of the south continued today with a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. We both really liked Savannah and were looking forward to checking out another classic southern city. We’ve I’ve adapted a slightly more “relaxed” attitude in the mornings recently and we got a late start. There were a bunch of things on our Charleston list, so we started at the top and figured we’d work our way down. So far, we’ve crossed one thing off our list: the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

The plantation house was built in 1676 by the Drayton family. Fifteen generations later, the same family manages the house and grounds.

The plantation is known for its sprawling elaborate “romantic gardens” and rice fields. We took a self-guided tour of the place and spent the afternoon meandering on wooded paths, over footbridges, and under ancient towering oaks draped in Spanish moss. We even ran into a peacock ravenously grazing on some plantings. Even though it’s December, there are many plants still in bloom. Roses, foxglove, pansies, and even azaleas provided small bursts of color in the otherwise dull late-autumn foliage. Overall, the gardens were a little underwhelming, but I think that is because our visit was in the off-season. When the place is full bloom, I’m sure it is magnificent.

It is believed that Reverend John Grimke-Drayton introduced the first azaleas to the country. The plantation has a large garden dedicated to the colorful flowers.

The bridge across Cypress Lake was decorated for the holidays. The water was so still, it was a perfect mirror.

Once we had our fill of the gardens (and provided dinner for the local mosquitoes), we headed for the Audubon Swamp Garden. We passed a row of five cabins on the way which housed both slave and free workers for the plantation.  After parking nearby, we gave ourselves a quick spritz of Off! and headed into the swamp. The trail was a series of boardwalks and raised paths that traversed the marshy area of the Ashley river. We managed to get a glimpse of a small alligator in the river and a group of white ibises and egrets foraging for food. The standing water was covered in bright green duckweed and tupelo trees grew mysteriously out of the shallows. In the light of the golden hour, the place had a mystical feel to it.

Billy walking along one of the boardwalks. We were on the lookout for alligators and the elusive marsh rabbits!

Spot the gator! He was about three feet from the edge of the path!

The last stop on the trail was a “Historic African-American Graveyard.” The headstones were all carefully engraved like this one.

Tomorrow we are going to check out downtown Charleston! If anyone knows any must-see attractions, let us know!