boston – 3.20.12

a quick overnight in boston on the way to california.

blue benn diner – bennington, vermont

coffee this morning at bennington’s classic diner, ‘the blue benn’.

back home in vermont

while i still have photos to post from last week’s trip to charleston (so many photos and love to share about this amazing city… but so little time!), thought i would share a couple of photos of the lovely vermont sky (and my equally lovely cup of coffee) which greeted me this morning.

‘black tap coffee’ – charleston, south carolina

one of the many charms of this beautiful city is the large number of hip coffee shops.   for a southern city, charleston does love its lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, etc.  the ‘black tap coffee’ shop is another great example of the clean, modern and effortless appeal of downtown charleston.  (the cafe is located on beaufain street – this metal street marker resides just outside the store front.  a nice unintentional touch.)

breakfast at the ‘lost dog cafe’ – folly beach, south carolina

full of the mellow beach vibe and hipster surf village feel, the ‘lost dog cafe’ is an excellent choice for oceanside casual breakfast.  in addition to a relaxing and eclectic atmosphere, the staff are exceedingly friendly and food is fantastic.  (and the pomegranate mimosas – show below – are highly recommended.)

city market – charleston, sc.

another gorgeous day in charleston – which allowed me to venture into yet another beautiful neighborhood of this incredible city.  on today’s agenda was ‘city market’, in the downtown area.  ‘city market’ is not just the name of this section of town but it’s also an actual market.  there are maybe a hundred or so stalls in this long and mostly covered commercial zone.  the stalls are filled with local artisans, making everything from taffy to sweet grass baskets to smocked dresses.  something for everyone!  here a few examples.

folly beach – charleston, sc.

folly beach is perfection…. it has the massive and gorgeous beach, fishing pier, eclectic blend of surfside shops and excellent food (as well as margaritas!).  enjoy the photos – and find this village and beach if you’re ever in charleston-

food images:  ‘taco boy’ cafe at folly beach.  very highly recommend-

middleton place plantation – charleston, sc.

on wednesday, i visited my first plantation.  ever.  i am originally from mississippi -lineage going way back for generations, actually.  yet, i have never stepped foot on a plantation.  partially by lack of opportunity and also a bit of reluctance given my ancestry.  middleton was a good choice for this journey.  it’s both beautiful and incredibly spiritual.  the grandor, complication, sadness and sense of change all shine through here.  the main house is not original – there were two ‘originals’… one burned by union soldiers and the other destroyed in an earthquake in the 1880′s.  however, many of the belongings of the home have made it through the years for a variety of interesting reasons.  many remnants of the home were taken and then returned later – and some just simply resurfaced (even on ebay!).  i was particularly moved by the plantation chapel, where mostly slaves worshiped.  spirituals were softly playing in the background there.  the one moment that defined the trip for me, though, was the sight of a pillowcase in the library of the main house.  it was embroidered by the great-granddaughter of a former slave there.  a short message crafted onto the case beautifully and painfully told the story of a mother (the crafter’s great-grandmother) sending off her 9-year-old daughter, who had been sold to another family.  unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the home so that memory will only stay etched in my mind.

descriptions in order of photos:  one of the  many ornamental ponds at middleton;  camellias in bloom all over the estate;  ruins from the ‘original’ home that was destroyed by earthquake;  view from the main house;  the ‘live oak’ trees here are majestic yet weepy;  large southern magnolias grace the plantation as well;  main house chapel;  another pond view;  plantation chapel – where slaves were allowed to worship;  benches in the plantation chapel;  the current ‘original’ main house;  view from the front lawn;  slave quarters – front porch;  slave quarters, main room;  doorway in slave quarters home;  bedroom in slave quarters home;  sleeping room in slave quarters home;  vintage farm equipment;  vintage pottery on the porch of the slave quarters home.

hope and union cafe – charleston, sc

continuing today’s cafe theme… ‘hope and union’ in charleston was not to be missed.  it’s design aesthetic is clean, peaceful and beautiful.  and the latte was paris-worthy.  ‘hope and union’ was another cafe i’ve seen featured on blogs and in publications.  it did not disappoint.

sugar bakeshop – charleston, sc

‘sugar bakeshop’ is a little bakery located in charleston, which i have wanted to visit for at least two years.  i first saw it featured in a bon appetit article.  from that piece, i ripped out a photo of the vintage pastry case in the bakery and it was pasted to my refrigerator for a solid year.  as it turns out, it is not only the sweetest (no pun intended) bakery you will ever see, the two gentlemen who own and run the place are so welcoming and lovely.  and the courtyard – which i didn’t know existed- is maybe the best place to sit with your coffee in the entire city.