Charleston, SC June 11

We made great time getting to Charleston yesterday (6.5 hrs). Luckily, our hotel let us check in early and after a quick change we were off. The cab driver dropped us off in the Market area. 

Since we are random planners (tons of plans for certain cities-- minimal for others). We found an art museum-- Gibbes Art Museum. This museum focused on art made by Charleston artists. 

After this, we walked to Southend Brewing. We had the sampler there. Decent beers, but would it have killed them to serve their beer slightly colder?? I mean you are a bar... With kegs... In coolers. 

After this we decided to trek the 2 miles to two other breweries we wanted to go to. This is where it gets interesting. As we walk up E Bay St we slowly look around. The houses are starting to crumble. Suspicious characters are walking around. We have found ourselves in the ghetto. And the further we walk, the deeper in we find ourselves. However, one nice man invited us to stop and join the crab crack. The crab crack= 6 people sitting in the front yard and eating some crab. While it say it smelt yummy, there is no way in hell I am eating crab in someone's front yard. And I'm just not stopping anywhere in this neighborhood. Aaron later told me: "I would've stopped if I was with about 3 other guys." 

After proceeding quickly through the area we found a door standing in an empty lot. Like they pulled the whole house down, just not the door. We found a lot that had a half house on it. It looked like the house was cut vertically in half. Would love to say we got pictures of these marvels, which Aaron wanted, but again let me repeat: I was not stopping anywhere! Finally we emerged into safety and found a bar. We only stopped bc we had probably sweated about 3lbs out and I needed water. After talking to the nice bartender-- who was from Asheville (jealous!) we continued our journey. 

Well Mooka Brewing which is located at 389 Huger St is not real. We got to the address and found ourselves standing in front of a questionable house. Deflated, we went back towards what we hoped was Palmetto Brewing (289 Huger). We get there and frustrated Aaron was like they don't have a tasting room. Luckily, I convinced him to go in! 

John, an amazingly nice man, asked when we were leaving bc the tasting room is only open Wednesday-Saturday. When we informed this nice man we were leaving in the morning he said well come in for a tasting. He stopped what he was doing and gave us a private tasting. And these weren't baby samples. Four beers and a half-a-pint of each! Loved all four of their beers- a pale ale, amber, lager and espresso stout. Then he offers to sell us a same day bottled 6-pack of the espresso and I asked for a 6 pack of the lager. He came back w the 6er of the stout and only a 4 pack of the lager bc that was all they had left for sale. No big deal bc he gave it to us for FIVE DOLLARS! So this man literally gave us history if the brewery and their beers, 2 pints each for samples and 10 bottles for $5! Seriously it was awesome. 

We proceeded to get $4 tacos from Taco boy and go to a bar with our beer in hand. Everyone was fine w us lugging around beer since we obv didn't open it. While going back to another bar, Aaron did have the cab driver go back through the ghetto so he could snap a pic of the door-- which is on the camera. 

It was an early night. 9:30 lights out! We have a long drive today to West Virginia to see Katie! Only 5.5 more hours!