Family Weekend No. 1

A few weekends ago, my parents made their first visit to Charleston since we moved here (not counting that my mom actually helped us move so was here the week we moved in).  They arrived on Friday afternoon, hauling a bunch of my stuff they’ve been keeping at their house (as always, it seems – they really are the best) and as soon as Phillip got home from work we were off to Bowens Island for fresh local oysters.  Unfortunately, the oyster season is just getting started so the restaurant didn’t have sufficient quantities yet to put the steamed oysters on the menu.  Lucky for us, they had lots of other yummy options to choose from – and the best part was the company and the view of the sunset over the marsh anyway.  

We’ll just have to hit Bowens the next time they are in town and stock up on our oysters then.

On Saturday morning, Phillip was helping with fellowship interviews at the hospital, so Mom, Daddy, and I went downtown to the weekly farmers’ market in Marion Square.  We enjoyed crepes and fresh juice for breakfast before wandering around all the stalls checking out the fresh vegetables and other local products.  We came home with a wide assortment, including a hard-to-find-in-Alabama variety of apple and some fresh ground grits.  We spent the rest of the day checking out the building progress at our new house, watching football, and practicing our cell phone skills (both of my parents had gotten new smart phones during the week and needed some help learning how to use them).

On Sunday, we enjoyed brunch at one of my favorite spots, Hominy Grill.

The Big Nasty Biscuit

Phillip’s breakfast medley – it had a little bit of everything.

That afternoon we utilized some Groupons Phillip and I had been saving for visitors and took a Charleston Harbor boat tour.  The tour made a big loop of the harbor so we saw the forts, including Fort Sumter, and the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point before turning around under the Ravenel Bridge and heading back to the dock.

Our tour boat.

Pay no attention to whatever my windblown hair is doing.

Fort Sumter

U.S.S. Yorktown

We also drove around downtown, checked out the views from the Battery, and did some browsing at the Charleston City Market.  We capped off the weekend with some more delicious seafood at the Folly Beach Crab Shack.  It was a great weekend and I was so glad they were able to come visit.  Can’t wait for the next trip!