Ah, the beach.
We got back last Sunday and I'm still coming out of my dreamy frame of mind. These days I don't want to listen to Jimmy Buffett for more than ten minutes, but his musical mindset is akin to what I felt last week.
We got everything we wanted: mostly leisure, of course, but also a low-country boil, the lowest tide I've ever seen, a mostly deserted beach, three cat encounters, gorgeous weather, lots of magazines, and a shudder-inducing bridge over the Savannah River (so shudder-inducing that we took the long, flat way back to our rental because it scared me so much).
This picture was taken at Hunting Island State Park. It's what happens when an island loses a mile or so of beach every year. For that reason, the park has installed "groins," wooden barriers every 400-500 feet or so up the beach. In 100 years, will this island still be around?
Word to the wise: don't be misled whenever you eat seafood at the beach thinking that because it's fresh, it'll be tasty. It very likely is fresh, but if the preparation is lame, the dinner is lame too. We made that mistake our first night at a semi-hole in the wall near our rental. I ordered broiled scallops. Indeed they were broiled, but there was hardly any seasoning and the dish was awash in butter. Even my gf's blackened grouper was bland. She summed it up well--this was the kind of place that knows how to fry really well, and most customers order their fish fried. Fuck us for trying to eat somewhat healthy.
Otherwise, it was a good food week. We had lovely dinners in both Beaufort and Savannah. We had a memorable lunch at the Shrimp Shack; the experience is summed up in the name, I think.
I'd go back. I'd like to go back right now. But that costs money, dammit. Donations accepted!
Coming up for me, end of the month: a short, low-cost trip home to Tennessee, and then back here for the bulk of the summer, with perhaps a side trip or two around the state (Milledgeville, for example, and the Flannery O'Connor home). And we have talked about revisiting Savannah for a long weekend.
My summer classes begin June 16th, and at some point I'll start prepping--but no time soon. If they both make, I'll have freshman comp I and American Lit. II. I've taught 'em multiple times before; the former I could teach in my sleep. The former I'd like to teach in my sleep, in fact, since most of my students lately are learning in their sleep.
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