Somewhere in-between - Charleston, SC

Ahhh, Charleston. What a city. What a day. I cannot argue with the feeling that visiting South Carolina feels like coming home - like snuggling into your favorite chair with a cup of coffee and a good book. At once familiar, yet still, as the pages turn, unexpected and surprising. For that reason I love the South. For the memories it brings up. For the new adventures it promises. And for that sticky, hot, humid air, its tendrils creeping upon you, adding volume to your hair and creating sweat trickles in the most bizarre places. Come on - you know exactly what I mean if you've been anywhere south of the Mason Dixon Line in the summer! True story.

My day trip to Charleston last week was exactly what I needed. And I marveled at the fact that one can be so caught in between in a city like this. In between southern charm and back alley sludge. In between fine dining and chains that charge way too much for way too little. In between classic and kitschy. And my own personal dilemma - feeling caught between being a tourist and being a local. Because let's be real - I've been to Charleston so many times that I know where to park for free for the day, where to find the hidden roof top restaurants, where to go to catch the basket weavers weaving baskets not in the market, where to find the best ice cream (I know it's pure opinion), which shops have been there for years, which restaurants live up to the critic's acclaim (and which do not) and which streets to walk down for just the right view of anything. But I don't know it all. I've never lived in Charleston. I've never laid claim to being a true Southerner - merely a transplant. A frequent visitor. A photographer with camera in hand who somehow happens to catch something new every time I visit. Perhaps it's a dilemma not worth solving. I'll just continue to visit as often as I can, try to blend in, disappear, and add that ever so slight drawl to my words.




Rainbow Row



Horse and Carriages everywhere



Doors and windows on the Battery - my personal favorite!




In the market.




Southern Charm













This guy was great - he asked me to take his picture. If you're local, give him a call!



the churches





magnolias - so sweet!



Along the battery





on the dock




streets and alleys oh my



pink bike



people and pets




lunch!









self portrait!





Icons of the South!





Sullivan's Island