Friday, June 13, 2008

Baby toes in the sand

I spent the week getting lots of sugar from my sweet niece, Molly. She is 14 months old and I just can't believe it. Watching her giggle and grin at my own sweet girl was just precious. The two of them strengthened a bond that formed long before Molly entered the world.

We flew to Charleston, SC, one of my favorite places on the planet, and then drove down to Edisto Island, one of my new favorite places on the planet, where we met Molly, Grammy, and B-Pop. My sister-in-law, T, had to head back home before we could arrive.

Y'all already know a little about why I love Charleston. Now let me tell you about Edisto Island.

Imagine a place where you can visit the beaches of the Atlantic, spend evenings perched atop a widow's walk and watch the sun set behind sherbet- colored houses. You can walk to the beach from an old family home that has probably been passed down for generations. There is a picture of the lady of the house framed in the hall, posed in a 1950's swimsuit, smiling with a friend, and sitting on the same Atlantic beach.

There are tourists everywhere, but if it were not for their Edisto Beach t-shirts, they'd just blend in with the locals. Everyone buys their groceries from a little Piggly Wiggly on the one, main road because you are nearly an hour from the closest super store.

I'm only 38 years old and I'm ready to retire there. Well, if I had over a million dollars. Until then, we can just visit.

The funny thing is that I live on the Florida Panhandle now. (Yep, I just divulged some personal information. Shocker!) While I would never in a million sea shells trade the white, pristine Gulf beaches for the grey, muddy Atlantic, I loved Edisto for the lack of tacky tourist feel.

It was a wonderful trip to the beach, a different beach, but the beach isn't why we went. It was those sweet, chubby baby toes.

They'll get you every time.

3 comments:

Susanne said...

I just want to go to a beach, any beach.

There really is just something about those teeny tiny little toes isn't there?

Mrs. Shannon M. Herren said...

You have discovered my most favorite place on the planet! We first visited Edisto Island about 15 years ago. It has hardly changed, except for the big "new" bridge (it's actually been there a while now!) It's the only place I want to go when we get a vacation. Try it in the off-season sometime, but only if you really like to "vacate"--there's not much to do on the island odd-season, but oh, it's wonderful! And with Charleston so close, we go there to eat "nice" a couple of times.The cabins at the state park are nice, too. Thanks for bringing a smile!

Roxanne said...

Yes, those beaches near you are about the prettiest beaches in the U.S., but the one where you went sounds just perfect. We live near Galveston--and it has UGLY beaches, but you know what, they are OUR beaches, so we love 'em anyway. I would LOVE to go and visit your new found favorite beach sometime.