I’ve officially dubbed this trip the Freedom Tour. I left on Saturday April 24th, exactly two weeks after my second Pfizer shot giving me antibodies and immunity against COVID-19. I picked this location somewhat randomly, building on the National Parks Annual Pass I bought while in Tucson in February that I was hoping would inspire more trips. The irony of taking a freedom-themed trip to a place that is deeply rooted in a history of slavery is not lost on me; and in fact makes for a really interesting backdrop. I needed this week off from work and a step outside of my comfort zone really badly. It has been a difficult couple of weeks with some physical and mental health issues that capped off a traumatizing year-plus. It’s not all smooth sailing this week, but I travel with hope that this may mark a turning point as I rebuild back to the life I had before and loved so much.
It’s just a week, but it’s a proper vacation this time, leaving the out-of-office message on and flexing my solo travel muscles once again. I flew Delta from LaGuardia to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where I considered spending an extra week to work remotely from the beach but ultimately decided against it. I’d been to Hilton Head before, and it was great but I wanted to save some money (maybe silly, since I’m paying for this whole trip using my federal stimulus check). But for some reason it was much cheaper to fly into Hilton Head and rent a car there, versus my other destinations of Columbia and Charleston. It was only 2-3 hours between each destination so it was worth it to save a few hundred dollars.
My last-row-two-seats-to-myself flight was just fine. I forwent the obnoxious face shield this time and double masked through the airport, where many people were unmasked. I asked a man in line to pull his mask over his nose and he flatly refused me, so I had him cut me in line and I left lots of space. Later I told a TSA worker and he told the man to pull up the mask; he was indignant as he pulled it up, only to slide it back down a minute later as he went through security. I avoided more maskless people by wandering the airport, checking out the matzo chips in the Taste of NY section (did not try) and seeing a dance friend’s name in the credits in Conde Nast Traveler magazine (dream job!).
My arrival at the Hilton Head airport was memorable. It was a small 4-gate airport with boarding outside, and as I got my luggage and my rental car it started pouring and thunderstorming, meaning I couldn’t check out the beach as I’d hoped. I’d expected the rain and wasn’t too concerned, it being the only poor weather forecasted for the week. I got drenched (in my raincoat, fortunately) as I searched the parking lot with my rolling suitcase for my rental, which I found not where they said it would be. I went back to confirm, but then as I got in the car I started gagging and nearly threw up from the stench of cigarettes. I went back in to try to get another car, the women clearly annoyed with me. But she had me wait as they cleaned the cars, about a half hour, and when she finally waved me back over from the crowded waiting area (lots of unmasked people) she asked if it was just me traveling, and then gifted me with a gray Ford Mustang! I got drenched again looking for it in the lot, but was relieved when I finally settled in and learned how the car worked. I noticed a faint smell again, but was exhausted and soaked so I just ignored it. I noticed this later and identified it as a source of some of my anxiety and nausea that I felt on some of the longer drives, but was able to mitigate by keeping the windows down whenever I drove. Only when I reached Columbia 3 hours later did I realize the car had California plates, making me seem extra douchy to fellow drivers. The car drove just fine, and I noticed it had really great pick up. I would have enjoyed it (as I did the rest of the week), but the storm got very intense as I drove off the island. In the 45 minutes it took to reach the interstate I found myself hydroplaning and feeling car sick and anxious. I stopped at a gas station for a bit to try to relax, and fortunately found a little covered bench where I could drink my fizzy water and marvel at the casual sign that warned you to watch out for alligators. The store was full of totally unmasked people, including the sales clerk, but I was so distracted I didn’t notice for a while. I felt better shortly after getting back in the car, and when I made it to the interstate everything got much easier. Eventually the rain stopped as I drove inland, and I got to enjoy the ‘Stang and driving fast. I couldn’t help but think of the Princess Diaries and Princess Mia’s Mustang. I found little things to amuse and distract myself from the anxiety during that drive, from that movie to a street sign for Knowles Island Road — with a long imaginative tangent about what Knowles Island would be like…
So, a stressful start to my trip that stirred up some of my recent anxiety, but I was ready to put it aside and enjoy my vacation. And it was a great start: my Airbnb in Columbia was amazing! Very comfy and private on a quiet street, with a big porch, huge bathroom, and fish tank. I ventured out to a Publix to get some breakfast and lunch foods for the week, then picked up some Thai food from my host’s recommendation. The restaurant was super crowded with indoor diners and takeout people, and for a while I didn’t really notice since I was still a little out of it from my long day. Eventually I waited outside for my food. I chilled that night and watch the movie Pretty Woman for the first time ever. The food was fine but I mean, there are at least 4 better Thai restaurants in my neighborhood alone in NYC.
Columbia is a pretty random place, but I chose it based on its proximity to Congaree National Park, about a half hour drive away. Congaree is known for its old growth forest and being what some might call a swamp, but is actually a floodplain. The park is pretty small for a national park (at least the navigable parts) and features a main boardwalk hike that often floods and prevents people from walking it, but I was lucky with the weather during my two days in the park. I was also lucky with mosquitoes — it was one of the top warnings I read about in advance, but somehow I didn’t notice any and didn’t get any bites. There was even a “mosquito meter” near the visitor center with a needle pointing to a number between 0-6! It was at a 1.5 while I was there.
Sunday morning I headed out for a pre-booked half day kayak tour on Cedar Creek within the park. I met my group of about 15 people in the parking lot along with our guide Billy, who was exactly who you’d expect would run a swampy river kayak tour. I love kayaking and the water was super calm, and we learned a lot along the way. One notable story was around some naturally hollowed-out trees that runaway slaves would use as hideouts. It was such an interesting landscape and by boat was definitely the best way to see it. But really, the highlight of this trip was the wildlife. We must have seen dozens of snakes, intertwined with hanging tree branches right over our heads, and at times swimming and stalking some of the kayaks (not mine thank goodness!). Most were just river/water snakes, but we also saw some very poisonous water moccasin snakes. At the beginning I felt what I am pretty sure was a snake fall on my side and then splash into the water! I also came close to a huge spider on a tree stump. These ubiquitous little stumps were actually part of the tree root systems. We also saw some bit turtles hanging out. It was a great intro to the park and nice to be in a group with some folks to talk to (and without masks!).
The guide made a video with his GoPro and shared on social media, you can check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/carolinaoutdooradventures/videos/2089251777882702
After kayaking I was ready to move my legs, and headed to the visitor center to check out the 3 mile boardwalk hike, which I did slowly, enjoying my big camera and wearing sandals. It was a bit crowded with kids and dogs. I returned the next morning, Monday, for a non-boardwalk hike and it was almost empty, making for a much different experience where I could hear lots of birds chirping and enjoy some total woodsy solitude. I did about 5 miles and it was all flat, with cool shade. A nice long restorative walk! I found myself thinking about human interactions as I talked to the few people I passed on trails about the wildlife (in one case passing someone and seeing a huge hawk land near us!) and where we were from. I am clearly rusty on how to talk to people. But then, did I ever know how to do this??
Columbia also just happens to be the South Carolina State Capitol, and being that kind of nerd I just had to visit the Statehouse. Tours had just opened back up again, and I joined a group from New Hampshire on a tour of the beautiful building, learning things like how the Senate puts out a ceremonial sword to signify the beginning of session, which triggers a light switch, and in the House of Reps it’s the same thing but with a mace. I spent some time chatting with the tour guide and gift shop person, who were also a little casual with the masks. (I saw some maintenance workers in the halls who were just not wearing masks at all). I learned that the first person to die in South Carolina of COVID was a lobbyist, though the building appears to be open to everyone now. The guide said the Legislature was Republican controlled and many don’t wear masks. I felt fortunate that it was Monday and they are in session Tuesday-Thursdays from Jan-May. The grounds were also really beautiful.
My late afternoons and evenings in Columbia were lovely and spent enjoying the Airbnb and food, including some fancy pizza (good!) and a highly recommended ice cream place called Zesto’s which was fine. I enjoyed sunsets and a full moon view from my porch and great summery weather that wasn’t too hot. In town, I drove around and saw things like a crowd of fans leaving Gamecocks stadium (I had never heard of this and did a good amount of googling on it). I also checked out a nice riverfront park. Columbia was a small, easily drivable city that was a fine home base for a nice couple of days.
Next up it was time to head to Charleston, a city I’ve been eager to check out for some time. I had hoped to see my cousin Kat who was coincidentally having her bachelorette weekend in town that weekend, but the timing and logistics didn’t quite work out. But there was tons to do: tourist activities, history, walking around the city and seeing its beautiful architecture, visiting nearby beaches, and enjoying the renowned foodie town.
I started just outside of the city at Magnolia Gardens and Plantation, which, yep, is a plantation where slaves were used to harvest rice and tend the land. I started by walking around the huge gardens, which were beautiful. I was especially impressed by the giant live oak trees and their droopy and windy branches. There were peacocks wandering around freely and I even saw a small alligator in one of the swampy ponds. Juxtapose that with the tour I took there to learn about the plantation’s history with slavery and it was quite the mindfuck. The “slavery to freedom” tour took us on a short tram ride to see cabins where slaves used to live, and where their descendants continued to live until about 20 years ago. They did not have bathrooms in them (imagine living in a house with no bathroom in 2000!). Our guide was a black woman who told us some amazing stories about what life was like on the plantation and how people lived, and mentioned that her family goes back generations in Charleston. Bathroom concerns aside, the cabins were super primitive and stuffed many people in them. It was all very surreal and I’m glad I was able to visit.
From there, I made my way into the city and checked into my — gasp — hostel! If you read this blog you’ll know I love staying in hostels: they are cheap, centrally located, cleaner than you’d think, and you get to meet fellow solo travelers easily. I opted for a private room and it was great. I mean, the bed was a little squeaky and the room was a little stuffy at times, but for a hostel experience in the middle of a pandemic I was thrilled. It was all self-check in and you had to wear a mask whenever you were in common spaces, though I almost never saw anyone else, and fortunately the bathrooms were single rooms. There was a nice big porch near my room and I spent a lot of time out there eating dinner and planning my activities. It was walkable to downtown (though a far walk) and there was a free shuttle bus I took a few times too, so it was great to be able to leave the car and enjoy being in a bigger city. I did drive downtown a few times and despite some warnings about terrible traffic I found it not bad at all.
Charleston is known for having great food, and it did not disappoint. My first meal took me to a sketchy area north of the city to Bertha’s, a spot the internet suggested had very good fried chicken. It was the type of place that didn’t have a website, and when I arrived I was certain it was closed since there were no people around and I couldn’t find the entrance. But I am so glad I persisted because the food was excellent! I paid like $5 and got a huge meal in a styrofoam container, which I ate outside under a tent in the parking lot by myself. Mmm. Other dinners included takeout from Husk, a fancy place (chicken again); in-person outdoor dining at Basic Kitchen (yummy pesto pasta) and bonus vegan ice cream nearby; and takeout Greek food from Stella’s (living in a Greek neighborhood in NYC I was skeptical, but the hostel manager recommended it and it was pretty good! It was actually a backup plan after a popular chicken spot said they were too busy to do takeout, but worked out well.). I also had a memorable little lunch stop indoor dining at a counter at Miller’s All Day, where I tried pimento cheese (yum!) and a “lavender butterfly” iced tea.
On Wednesday I prepared to go full-on tourist, wearing a backpack for my camera, sneakers, cap — the whole nine yards. I started off the morning with a tour of Fort Sumter, where the Civil War started. You pay $30 to go on a boat with lots of other tourists for a half hour to the little fort island, and national park rangers give you some history. When you arrive there is an outdoor presentation by a ranger, a flag-raising ceremony, and then you have some time to explore around on your own. It was only about 50 minutes there total which I thought would be rushed, but I was able to see everything. It was interesting learning more of the history, but I did feel a little strange about how pro-south the information was presented; like the ranger closed his speech by asking us to imagine how the southerners felt seeing the U.S. flag raised again. I mean, sure I guess? But also, they were fighting a war because they wanted to preserve slavery? Not here to sympathize with that, thanks.
Back on land I started walking, and I pretty much walked the rest of the day. It turned into one of those feet-aching walked-too-much-but-worth-it tourist days. My app said about 9 miles. I did an audio walking tour that one of the free walking tour companies made available online as a podcast for $3, and it was actually pretty cool and got me to see some of the popular areas. I saw some small in-person tour groups too, most people without masks, as well as lots of horse carriage tours. A surprising highlight was seeing what is known as the first building built exclusively to be a theater in the U.S., and getting to pop inside. I saw two buildings known for their history of being slave markets, pretty disturbing (and again, dark history juxtaposed with the pretty and fun parts of the city). A nice highlight was seeing the colorful houses known as Rainbow Row, and a popular pineapple fountain, and a waterfront area with huge houses called the Battery. There were lots of beautiful cobblestone streets, great architecture, and pretty trees and flowers. I became intoxicated by the smell of Carolina Jasmine, a light yellow flower that people had in their lawns and smelled amazing every time you walked or even drove by. I was happy on my way out of town to find some lotion with the scent at a farmers market!
The Charleston City Market was also fun to walk through, a pseudo-indoors strip several blocks long of local vendors. I bought a handwoven sweetgrass basket, a popular item for tourists from the lowcountry Gullah culture. These baskets were also used to harvest rice on the plantations. Now they make for a pretty decoration and a nice story of talking with the woman who made it.
As I collapsed back into the hostel, I was disappointed to find that I had gotten a pretty bad sunburn on my chest and shoulders, despite reapplying sunscreen several times. It made my fashion choices the next few days a little difficult and I ended up having to rewear some dirty tshirts with high necklines, but it was survivable. The sunburn didn’t stop me from going to the beach on both Thursday and Friday mornings! On my way out on Thursday I found a cute coffee shop near the hostel with great coffee, and stopped at a pharmacy to pick up some extra sunscreen. It was just about a 20 minute drive to Folly Beach, a popular beach town with lots of restaurants and shops. I parked on the street pretty easily. It was great to be at the beach, though they were doing some construction on the pier and it wasn’t my favorite beach experience. Nonetheless it felt so nice to be there; I had been craving a restorative beach day. Friday’s beach day really did the trick. I drove 20-30 minutes first to Sullivan’s Island beach and then to Isle of Palms beach. Sullivan’s was definitely quieter and I enjoyed a little get-lost drive in the area, where I stumbled upon another Civil War national monument of Fort Moultrie. This beach allowed off-leash dogs which I personally did not love, but I stayed long enough to do some beach yoga and walk around a bit. I got some strong Belle Harbor Rockaway vibes at both these beaches, somewhat exclusive and made for locals, with touristy pockets. Isle of Palms was more developed in the area. But both beaches were amazing, with long shallow tides and calm ocean waves and lots of space. I swam at Isle of Palms but stayed behind the breaks since there were not a lot of people around and no lifeguards, and a few years ago I nearly had a rip current incident while swimming in Florida by myself… Anyway, it was wonderful. I felt joyful and like myself again after the second beach day.
After Thursday’s beach day I decided to do like the internet said and drive about 20 minutes out of the way to see a giant tree. The Angel Oak Tree is 3-400 years old, and it actually was really cool seeing the giant branches and how they built a little tourist attraction around a tree. I talked to an artist who was painting the tree and using sand, snapped some pictures, and headed back out.
Friday night, after packing and eating and around sunset, I headed back out downtown for a ghost tour! It seemed like a cheap touristy thing to do and ended up being really fun. The group was just 7 people (who all remained masked) plus the guide, who walked us around downtown and told us stories of how people died or were killed in the area and how their ghosts are said to still haunt the area. I’m pretty skeptical but still loved hearing the stories! We learned about Lavinia the highway robber/murderer, female pirates who killed men who mistook them for prostitutes, a flapper who stabbed a handsy man in an alley and then successfully got her friends to corroborate her story that she was never in the alley, some kids who died in an earthquake, a senile restaurant owner and dog, and Andrew Jackson’s mother. Also, incidentally learned that the Charleston dance originated there as orphans made up the dance and busked on the street to make money to support themselves. It was a fun way to close out the week!
Saturday morning I made a final stop out of town at a cute farmers market and for coffee, then drove back to Hilton Head for my evening flight. I had some nausea again on this drive and needed to sit outside at a shopping center for a while, but it passed. Upside I went into a Piggly Wiggly grocery store for the first time? I parked near the main beach, Coligny Beach, and checked it out briefly, but it was super crowded and extremely windy so I was not really feeling it. After feeling better I picked a random park on google up the island, paid $1 to park, and had a lovely hour sitting on the beach. It was still very windy and moderately crowded on the beach, but it was a great spot just about 10 minutes from the airport with a bathroom and a good parking lot to repack everything and change my clothes. I drove around looking for a lunch spot for a while, and on the third try (long McDonalds drive-through line, closed early sandwich spot), I found a nice cafe and got a grilled cheese meal to go, which I ended up eating on the ground in front of the airport after dropping off the car and checking my suitcase. There were no lines at the airport so this was fine while I waited. The flight home was once again fine and smooth, and I got an awesome view of Manhattan and Queens on the way down. My parents kindly picked me up at LaGuardia and that was that! I’m so glad I was able to get away for this little solo travel experience as we start to come out of this pandemic! Here’s to more future travels to come!
travels.of.tara 