Day 120, Nov 22 Moncks Corner, SC to Charleston, SC

I have friends that say, "I've been getting up at 5 in the morning for 30 yrs, and I can't sleep in." Yah, not so much. I have acclimated to sleeping in just fine. After many years of getting up long before dawn, I might wake up, but I immediately roll over and go back to sleep. For that reason, plus the fact that it was 31 degrees at 7:30, and we only had 34 mile to go, we didn't leave for Charleston until eleven. 

The trip into Charleston was a departure from the last several days of riding in a number of ways. Up until now, we've been traveling through the rural parts of North and South Carolina. Our view has been small farms and damage from Hurricane Matthew. Predominately, the houses have been double wide trailers and manufactured homes. Many were well kept up, but a lot of them looked like the folks in them were struggling to make end meet. Most of the businesses were boarded up. Like a lot of the countryside we have ridden through, manufacturing/industry has left and there are no jobs for the people left behind. 

Also, the weather, while sunny and cloudless has been cold. Waking up to temperatures in the 30's has been commonplace. Knee and arm warmers have been a day long necessity since the temperatures have been peaking in the high 50's. For two days, palm trees began to appear, but they were small and most had drip irrigation. But the biggest change was traffic. Before leaving Moncks Corner, we were able to ride on roads that had very little traffic. 

All that changed as soon as we pulled away from Moncks Corner. Suddenly, we were in suburbia. Housing developments with names like Montgomery Plantation. Where the houses were spacious and had attached garages. It was like someone drew a line that announced the change. 

Spanish moss is actually an air plant, it doesn't hurt the tree and people down
here seem to be fond of it. I think it looks creepy. Yuck.

With the nicer housing came a lot of traffic. We scoured the map but were left with no choice but US-52. Going into Moncks Corner US-52 was a great road that only became congested and we neared town, but was chock-a-block full all the way to Charleston. John and I are accustom to city riding but this was like being on a freeway. It was a long 32 miles. 



Most surprising to me was the shift in climate. It wasn't just the warmer weather, the vegetation changed. Where palms were small and not very robust, now they were huge trees with glossy leaves. Everything was greener and more lush. Even the Spanish Moss looked greenish instead of a creepy dead brown. The change in climate/growing zones has to switch somewhere, but it seems abrupt when traveling at 12mph. 

Tomorrow were beginning our day with a two hour walking tour followed by a carriage ride. We plan to have an early turkey dinner at the restaurant next to our hotel, followed by football for John and a walk on the beach for me.

I hope all are well and have a great Thanksgiving.