Atlanta's museums

Atlanta has a ton of museums and we must have bought some sort of "Atlanta pass" because we went to quite a few of them. Here's a quick overview. I'll let the pictures do most of the explaining.

1. CNN - You get to go on a tour of the offices of CNN. They show you the types of technology they are currently using and how they run everything live.

2. Coca Cola - It starts with a video about Coke and its popularity around the world. There's a tasting station and whole bunch of random souvenirs and collectibles.

3. Atlanta History Center - Really awesome section about the Civil War. You could seriously spend a whole day in here. We spent at least 3 hours in the Civil War section. Also, beautful Swan House in the back. (Final Destination for Amazing Race Season 19)

4. Aquarium - best aquarium everrr!! i got to see whale sharks, beluga whales, penguins, everything basically.

Charleston

While in Atlanta, we decided to make use of our rental car and do a day trip to Charleston.

So, some of the houses look like this...

Many houses were destroyed in the 1886 earthquake and rebuilt with earthquake rods. The city of Charleston is working on rebuilding their historic center, but it's a project that takes time and money. It's fun to think that there was a lifetime where women dressed in large hoop-skirts and drank sweet tea on their open porches.

I was definitely inspired to read Gone with the Wind., which is quite a long read, with an un-fulfilling ending. When you're in Georgia and South Carolina, you can totally bring yourself back in time and imagine the grandiose plantations and see where southern hospitality comes from.

 Even though historic Charleston was charming and I loved it, other parts of Charleston were not so nice. We were able to find some good food, but they were hole in the wall places (and those are always the best). We found these huge peanut butter cups.

 Pralines are amazing! You have to have a sweet tooth though. They're basically candied pecans in a sugar/cream/butter base. This is what they look like when they're fresh out of the mixer. The mixture is warm and when it cools and hardens, it is ready to serve. Sometimes, they get dipped in chocolate too. Heaven!

 Our tour guide recommended Jestine's Kitchen. Apparently, also recommended by Oprah. I could eat their fried chicken again any day. Skip the coca cola cake though. I don't get it.

Soul Food

Obviously, South Carolina has found my sweet spot for soul food. I'm not even sure if this is soul food, but I would love to eat it all the time. Fried chicken? Shrimp and Grits?

Don't mind if I do.

I yelped a brunch restaurant in Charleston and we ended up at Hominy Grill. Totally worth it.

How can you not go into a place with this painted on the side?

 Shrimp & Grits! sautéed shrimp with scallions, mushrooms & bacon over cheese grits

Big Nasty Biscuit with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese & sausage gravy

In case you're ever in Charleston, stop by for brunch: hominy grill

Fried Green Tomatoes

I'm not sure why, but these seemed to show up on the menu at several restaurants.

Fried Green Tomatoes.

I'm thinking that it's mostly because nobody really knows what to do with green tomatoes... and everything tastes better fried, I guess. They were good, but they weren't spectacular. At least they weren't greasy or anything.

However, I am a fan of their hot sauce. Is it actually from South Carolina - who knows? It's pretty potent for a vinegar-based sauce. Don't underestimate it even though it's not red...

Lookout for Dolphins

I’m not an animal lover, but for some reason, I’ve always liked dolphins. Randomly, there are a ton of dolphins living in the water around Hilton Head. We took a little speedboat out and our guide had us on the lookout for dolphins. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t helpful. I knew I should look for a fin, but the water was this blue-gray color…

At first, it was a slow start and our guide pointed out the lighthouse and some pelicans… Eventually, he got into the groove of things and we were hanging out with other rafts and admiring the dolphins from afar. We were able to get a few good shots of them coming up for air, but mostly just the fin sticking out of the water.

It was a fun family thing to do, but it felt a little out of pocket. Whenever I think of dolphins, I think of paradise landscapes. It’s hot and humid in South Carolina, but there certainly aren’t palm trees.

After our tour, we hung out some more and decided to show up early to claim a parking space and dinner spot for 4^th of July at Shelter Cove. We sat around the pier for the fireworks spectacular (napping on a bench between dinner and the show). It was nice to dip my feet in the lake during the fireworks, but it wasn’t the most impressive show I’ve seen. 

Oh yeah, and more food..

My memory is a little hazy and my pictures are guiding me in this update. Hence, I’m realizing that I love food way too much. So, we took a break… (No pictures to remember what we did) and then it was time for dinner. My mom had read an article about a restaurant featuring a food network star, Orchid Paulmeier. She didn’t win the competition to be the next food network star, but she sure is a mean cook. We gorged on some BBQ from One Hot Mama’s and even saw her at the restaurant. My parents were more excited than I was, but at least I got some yummy BBQ.

Exploring Hilton Head Island

Of course, it was too good to be true. At 8am, the sun was coming through the blinds, the maids were knocking on our door, and the receptionist was calling us to kick us out! We milked our stay for as long as we could (we left at 11am) and moved to a smaller, more reasonable space.

We took our first day to explore the island. We walked up the spiraling wooden staircase of the light house  (kind of hidden behind the trees)and explored the small boutiques along the way. We sat down for lunch and went straight for the seafood – a light salad, peel-and-eat shrimp,fried shrimp, raw oysters, and a few bowls of she-crab soup. She-crab soup reminds me of New England clam chowder. There’s a lot of butter, cream, and a few extra special ingredients – crab and crab roe.

Warm Welcome in South Carolina

Before sending everyone on their way, we made one last stop at Rita’s. We’re really going to miss that place especially knowing there isn’t even one within a 100-mile radius of the Bay Area. (Yes, I just checked their website).

Even though I didn’t want to see anyone go, I’m already anticipating our next vacation. I’m hoping next time our parents choose Hawaii… OR, I’m still advocating for a few days for Las Vegas.

Instead of heading home, my family hopped on a plane to our next destination – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We tried to check-in that evening, but we ran into a few bumps. Our room had been given up… and since they didn’t have anything in the area we reserved, we got back into the car and drove to the other side of the resort. We got out of the car to find that we were given a major upgrade. For the night, we had a 3-bedroom townhouse! My brother and I each claimed our own room and we all slept easily through the night. Our towels were even folded like animals! Oh, the little things in life.

Virginia Beach

One of our last destinations with the whole crew was Virginia Beach. It's a beautiful beach with colorful umbrellas and it would have been nice to park ourselves there for the day, but we didn't bring swim suits for the occasion.

We also rented these golf carts/bikes... It was fun to ride with all the girls, but we could have gone way farther in bikes! We even let little Ashley drive (I got off and took the picture - it was too dangerous for me).

A few things that weren't so exciting:

Chesapeake Bay Tunnel/Bridge - It's a 17 mile bridge with a huge tunnel in the middle. I guess it looks cool from the top and it's a cool concept because boats can go through as they please, but the round trip toll was $17. It must have been an expensive bridge to build...

Japanese Food - I guess, I should have known better than to try Japanese food... in Virginia... Anyway, first of all, our asian waitress has never heard of a bento box..... which should have been clue #1 to pack up and leave. It took 30 minutes to get my sashimi... so, I'm pretty sure it was frozen. You'd think they'd at least have fresh fish.... we were by the coast. Am I wrong??