heading South....

We have arrived in one of our favorite places - FLORIDA!  Thankfully, we missed all of the treachurous storms that plagued the central and eastern U.S.  Truthfully, the southern edge of the storm put a tornado down about 40 miles north of where we were that day, in Charleston.  We were so thankful to not even get a drop of rain (but sustained winds of 50-60mph!!).

Charleston and Savannah were historical treats - we really loved the compact feel of Charleston better than Savannah, but both were fascinating and enjoyable.  We visited National Fort sites in each city (Fort Moultrie in Charleston and Fort Pulaski near Savannah).  The children earned two Civil War Junior Ranger badges by filling out booklets at each location.

 In both cities, we enjoyed the 1600s-1700's architecture, plus the southern feel and charm of the cities with their block squares, the old moss hanging on trees and a kaleidoscope of people and cultures.

This gal is making "sweet grass" baskets - a handful of women in this area continue this tradition which was handed down from previous generations.  We learned that this woman learned to make baskets from her grandmother and sells them on the street to make her living.  She said the baskets will "outlive" you and their uses are endless.  The prices reflect the craftsmanship - the medium sizes go for around $150....

We spent a little time roaming around Charleston's old cemetaries - fascinating to see US Constitution signers' graves!

I do pray that Doug can write these words about me (hope you can read them!)

The boys had a grand time collecting caterpillars at our campground.

We worked our way down A1A on the eastern coast of FL - a route we had always wanted to take, but never had the time.  It winds down through many popular beach areas, including Amelia Island, Cocoa Beach and Daytona.  Fun to see and pass through!  I will post more pictures later of our time in Florida so far.....