The "South"

Despite all the excitement and the historical significance of the past inauguration, we decided to skip it and leave D.C. for the weekend to avoid all the people and traffic that would inevitably accompany it. We took advantage of a long weekend off of work and took a road trip down to Charleston, SC. We were hoping for some warmer weather by heading south. We got it, but not by a lot. It was still pretty chilly in S.C. although we probably shouldn't complain too much seeing as it was like 10 degrees in DC when we left.

We ran into a little car trouble on the way down, but the friendly people of Roanoke Rapids Toyota got us fixed up and back on our way in no time at all. We eventually arrived in Charleston, only to be greeted by a lovely sunset along the Ashley River. It was a beautiful setting; sun drenched sweet grass blowing in the breeze, the setting sun, beautiful southern houses on the riverfront, and the boats on the river. A great introduction to the great city of Charleston!














It rained a bit on our first day there, but our second turned out to be a beautiful day. We took a walking tour of the historic district of downtown Charleston, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The houses were beautiful and even though it was winter and most of the flowers weren't blooming, it was still gorgeous. (We will certainly have to go back when everything is in bloom though - I'm sure it’s even more beautiful then). Other highlights included shopping at the old city market, driving through the citadel, driving out to some of the plantations. We even saw a swamp. It looked just like we always imagined a southern swamp to look like!

It was a quick trip, but more than likely not the last to this southern gem!

Mr. Frank goes to Washington...

Michael's parents were in town the weekend before the inauguration. It was their first trip down to DC in some time, and we were very happy to host them. We took them on a tour of the U.S. Capitol and the newly opened Capitol visitor center.

We also enjoyed a nice dinner out, a picnic lunch, a drive through the countryside, and lots of quality time together (which unfortunately did not include any board games - despite Megan, Michael, and MaryJane's best efforts). The weekend went by super fast and we truly enjoyed it. We hope they come back soon!