Some times in life you just want to run away. Run away from people, places, things and sometimes even yourself. That’s what I did yesterday and I took a friend along for the ride. Where did we go? Where else would you go when you want to escape? No, not Margaritaville for all you “parrotheads” out there….the beach!

Folly Beach

So I have been without a car for quite sometime due to an unforeseen life situation (one of the ones I was running from). My family, so eagerly and graciously, has allowed me to use their vehicles, carpooled with me to work and driven me all over like Miss Daisy. I am extremely grateful for that. However, I decided to rent a car to give myself the illusion of independence for a week. I was going to rent a jeep wrangler but I would’ve had to get a part time job in addition to my current one to afford that (my dream is one day to own a jeep). Anyway, when I arrived at the rental place the gentleman who was checking me in said “We have an upgrade for you. I promise, you’re going to like it.” I said okay, signed the contract and outside we went. Well, when he walked me over to the car I thought there was a mistake. I pulled out of the lot in a BMW SUV! Now, not only am I physically running away from my problems but mentally running away from my current economic status thinking I’m a Kardashian driving around in this car.

Wow right?

So I have my wheels, now all I need is good tunes, some company and a cup of coffee and all will be right with the world. Donna has been out of town for quite some time and has taken our car with her so she doesn’t need to hitchhike around town. This is why I am without a car and the reason why I needed to recruit company. Now you get it? Good. Let’s move on…

So after I figured out how to work this fancy space car I am now in possession of, I head out to pick up coffee and my friend. We decided our first stop would be Charleston, to take in some sights and more importantly get some delicious, FRESH seafood.

Now I’ve been to Hyman’s at least twice before and each time I’ve been there the food has been absolutely divine. Today was no exception. We ordered an appetizer and 2 entrees.

The only problem with the fried green tomatoes was that it took the waiter some time to bring us out the cajun mayo that came with it. They are made with local Wadmalaw Island green tomatoes. The breading was light so it didn’t overpower the dish. I enjoyed the taste of the tomato itself and the canjun mayo was good because it added just the right amount of spice without the heat.

I am sorry Donna had to miss this. These by far are the BEST hush puppies I have ever had. Seriously….They were so good I took whatever we didn’t eat home. (I actually had some for breakfast with my coffee this morning!) They were fried to a deep golden brown and had a firm outer crust but a smooth, not grainy, texture on the inside (kinda like me…hard on the outside but soft on the inside) To eat these with any type of condiment would be almost criminal. Eat them plain and let your senses taken in all the deliciousness that these little puppies have to offer.

I decided to order way too much food and went with the trio of calamari, shrimp & grits, crab cake with a side of fried okra and of course more hush puppies. I barely finished the whole thing (some of the fried okra was sacrificed due to my stomach not having the capacity to fit it all) but all that I did eat was great. The shrimp were crisp and firm to the bite, probably being that they were just pulled from the water. That’s what is so great about eating in Charleston. All of the seafood is harvested right there, locally. The grits were smooth, on the thinner side and creamy. The calamari could’ve had a thicker, crispier crust to them but the taste itself was very good. The crab cake had just the right amount of breading which allowed you to fully experience the flavor of the crab. The fried okra was just that…fried okra.

Michele was smarter that I being she only selected the entree with 2 items unlike gluttonous me who picked the one with 3 items.

We exited the restaurant via the gift shop. Yes, Hyman’s has a gift shop. As we were perusing, a woman that worked there said being we dined upstairs we were entitled to a free magnet. Well, if it’s free it’s for me so I took my magnet and here is what it said. I placed this magnet on my fridge so it can be a daily reminder for me.

To burn off some of the calories from lunch we strolled over to the Charleston City Market on Market Street to do some shopping. I ended up buying a Rice Beads anklet. I never knew the story of the Rice beads. If you don’t know it either here is the story…

Where to next? Folly Beach. I started out with shorts and a tank but ended up with sweats and and tank due to it not being as warm as I would have liked. I refused to put on a jacket with hopes I could will the weather warmer by wearing a tank top. Not so much. Regardless, hot or cold, the beach is wonderful. Just sitting back on a blanket mesmerized by the ocean is my meditation. It truly puts everything in perspective. How very vast that ocean is and very how tiny I am. I am but a small cog in the big wheel of life. I am not as important as I think I am.

Dessert and coffee please! We turned that beemer around and headed back to Charleston. Next stop Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe.

Anytime there is a line outside that is a sign of either one of two things…either that is the only place to eat or the food is that good. I was grateful it was the latter that the line was long outside of Kaminsky’s.

My cake was soooo good but I was confused by the name of it because there was no coconut to be found in it. Plenty of sliced almonds but no coconut. The mixed berry pie had strawberries, blueberries and blackberries with a delicious crust which reminded me of Thanksgiving with hints of nutmeg in it. After I took my last sip of my cappuccino I was done. The sweetness of that drink pushed me me right over the edge. Oh brother am I full.

I could not have asked for a better day. Even though it didn’t warm up as much as we would’ve liked and we were missing a friend that was supposed to come with but wasn’t able to, it was picture perfect. The food was delicious, the sights were magnificent and the laughs were oh so needed. Two chicks beach bound in a BMW, escaping the monotonous ups and downs of everyday life….that is the stuff that movies are made of, no? Netflix, I’ll be waiting for your call…. 😉