A Charleston Verse

Twas a dark and quiet 4 a.m. drive when my heart was consumed with elation. 
Could we truly be airport-bound, destined for a leisurely, kid-free vacation?
Two and a half days of structureless exploring and dining lay ahead.
Tough to fathom, I might possibly be able to dictate the rise from my bed.

Don't misunderstand; it was heartbreakingly sad to leave our babies behind.
Their amazing grandparents' care, however, offered glorious peace of mind.
We were thrilled for the chance to visit this fabulous town for the first time.
To experience it with my love by my side would be, by all counts, sublime.



Sunshine and seventy degrees commenced the perfection of our first day.
A classic celebration, we pigged out on French cheese and Duck Pate.
'Fast and French', recommended by all, packed an authentic, flavorful punch,
with rich, gooey Croque Monsieur rounding out an incredibly delicious lunch.

'Magnolias' greeted us for dinner where our strategy was the small plate.
Cornmeal fried oysters with blue cheese slaw was the star without debate.
Low Country bouillabaisse, seared ahi tuna, and fried meatloaf filled the table.
We also squeezed in warm cream cheese brownies, though I'm not sure how we were able!

For lunch the next day, we visited 'Slightly North of Broad', just down the street.
With such delightfully fresh entrees, this time we actually declined anything sweet.
Pesto flounder, spinach, caramelized parsnips: brilliant imagination.
Blue crab salad with garlic toast points was, too, a tasty combination.

For our final dinner, we chose a seafood feast at 'Hank's', a local pick.
It's a wonder with how we stuffed ourselves that we didn't go home sick.
Raw oysters, a mixed broiled platter, and perhaps the food climax of the trip:
shrimp and grits with a scrumptious tomato sauce for each shrimp's dip.

Barring the fuzzy picture below of Hank's peanut butter pie,
To capture the other dining experiences, it somehow escaped me to try.
I'm overwhelmed reflecting on the trip, in a blissfully happy way.
But speaking of perfect, the highlight was seeing our kids the final day!