Bicycles, cow milking, Poe's Tavern, Magnolia's and more fried green tomatoes

Sunday morning was a warm one, but we climbed aboard some of the Venue Inn’s bicycles and started exploring the historic city on our own. We rode along Murray Blvd with the Charleston Harbor on one side of us and beautiful historic mansions on the other. It was a wonderful ride and a great way to enjoy this lovely city. We packed up and said goodbye to Vendue Inn, then headed to Sullivan’s Island to meet our friend Aimee for lunch and a quick tour. After a quick stop at the beach and a few photos with the lighthouse, we stopped the infamous Poe’s Tavern (http://www.poestavern.com/) for lunch. This place was founded to preserve the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe, a man who at once celebrated and bemoaned life, and always enjoyed a good drink…or several.

That afternoon, we were off to Middleton Place (http://www.middletonplace.org/), which is a National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolutions, Civil War, and an earthquake. It was the home of four generations of Middletons, who each played a significant role in U.S. and South Carolina’s history. Located on the Ashley River, Middleton Place visitors are invited to tour the Gardens, the House Museum, and the Plantation Stableyards. Heather and I enjoyed touring the gorgeous grounds and milking a cow, but we prefer to get our milk from the grocery versus the old-fashioned way.

We enjoyed another incredible Charleston meal at a Magnolia’s Restaurant (http://www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com/), which provided more southern and low country meal options. The worst part about the dinner was making choices. We wanted to try it all! So we narrowed it down to just a few items: Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Okra, Collard Greens, Macaroni & Cheese, Parmesan Crusted Flounder and Pan Seared Grouper. I felt like I was gaining weight by the forkful. As we “rolled” out of another restaurant, we wondered how people who live in Charleston stay so thin with all this delicious lowcountry cooking. Heather said, “They must be bulimic.”