Two Sisters in Need of a Vacation

Ben wasn't sleeping through the night for about 11 months, and neither was I.  Meanwhile, my sister was dealing with one of the busiest, stressful times that she's seen at work.  Needless to say, we were both in desperate need of a vacation!  So, Audra hopped on a plane, headed out to the Carolinas, and as soon as we could we hopped in a car and fled to Charleston, SC.  It was hard to leave my boys, but since Gram was visiting, I knew I had left them in good hands.

After our little drive, we arrived at our beautiful abode for the week.  Audra's boss had been kind enough to let us stay at her house a mere minutes away from Kiawah Island and its beaches, so it was a fabulous retreat.  After arriving, the first place we went was, of course, the beach!  We took off our shoes and dug our toes into the sand.  There's nothing like the ocean breeze and smell of the salty air.  We were feeling better already.  That night we had a great seafood dinner on the water.  We were ready for vacation.

(drinks by the water-a perfect start to the vacation)

(Sunset on the water)

The next day, we wanted more of the beach.  So, after a great night's sleep we headed back to Kiawah for a little beach time.  It was a beautiful day, not too hot, with a nice breeze.  Granted, Audra thought it was a bit cold when we first left the house, but she's from Texas so what do you expect?  We walked on the beach, stuck our toes in the water, collected a bunch of sea shells including clams and even four sand dollars, and watched the ocean in hopes of seeing some dolphins.  Alas, the dolphins were hiding, but we had a wonderful morning.

(Beach!)

(Sisters on the beach)

We went home, dressed ourselves up and headed out for downtown Charleston.  The Bitler girls had a great time out on the town.  We hit the shops, bought a few goodies for family, and scoped out some goodies for ourselves.  Then, we proceeded to eat our way through Charleston.  That day we sampled peanut brittle, pralines, moon pies, chocolate covered pop rocks, and some wine that perhaps might have been better left undrunk.  We had a great time.  We finished the day off with a fabulous dinner at Hominy Grill filled with Southern fare like shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, and country captain.  Yum!

(A stop and pose at the Angel tree on the way into town)

(Eating our way through Charleston photo #1-Chocolate Covered Pop Rocks)

 

(Not-so-good wine)

(Chocolate Moon Pie)

(Double desserts to finish the night off at Hominy Grill-strawberry covered coffee cake and chocolate pudding)

After yet another complete night of sleep, we headed back to Charleston for another day in the city.  This time, we started the day off with champagne pedicures at the Charleston Place Hotel, wonderful!  Then, we wandered down the street for Audra's ideal meal at a French cafe-a french ham and cheese sandwich and a chocolate croissant!  The lunch was followed by some wandering through the beautiful houses lining the battery and of course, some more shopping, this time with some purchases for ourselves.  There was of course, more snacking with a stop at a sweets shop for some chocolates and french macaroons.  We finished the day off with a carriage ride around Charleston with a guide who, I think, knew everyone in the city.  That night, we dined on sushi which was actually quite tasty, and of course, more desserts afterward.

(What a perfect way to start the morning!)

(the hotel where our toes were decorated)

 (The toes-don't we have some good looking feet?)

 (A continuation of the Eating our way through Charleston photo series-French lunch!)

 

(French macaroon)

 (Our view of rainbow row as we toured historic Charleston)

 (More Charleston houses)

(The battery)

 (Audra and I relax and take a ride after a long day of walking.)

 (More Charleston-this time viewed from our carriage)

 (Yep we're still eating and drinking-This time, basil lemonade with a kick!)

(Sushi for Audra)

On the next day, they actually made us come back to the real world.  It was great to come home and see my boys, but I was sad that our trip had gone by so quickly.  Several people have asked me what my favorite part of the trip was.  While the pedicures were nice, the shopping was fun, and all the meals were delicious, my favorite part of the trip was definitely the time I got to spend with my sister.  We live much too far away and twice a year is clearly not enough to see each other in person.  We have always been really close, but as we get older, I feel like we get even closer.  So, I love you Audra, and I can't wait for the next girls' trip!  Where will it be next time....Vegas?  Napa?  Who knows...