Soooo relaxed!

Well, our trip started off a bit rushed. We had several things we wanted to do in Gatlinburg (mostly in the National Park), but we only had one full day there...which was our anniversary. We got to our hotel on Friday at about 4pm, thanks to a pretty early start. From there we went directly to our favorite pottery store in the Arts & Crafts community. It's a pottery store, but he also has lots of fossils and things. Mark likes his fossils, so that was our first stop. Mark had seen one there last year he really liked and he couldn't wait to get back there to get one. So, we did that and picked up a couple other things. Then we walked downtown (from the hotel) to eat. When we got back to the hotel, we went ahead and gave eachother our anniversary presents. We couldn't wait until Saturday...and as I remember we did the same thing last year. Mark got me a ruby necklace. Very pretty and dainty. I got him some stone bookends. Yeah, I know that doesn't sound exciting, but as I said, the man likes his rocks. He was a geology major. And, well, I like rocks too...so we're dorks and we like it that way. Saturday we got up and had the obligatory Gatlinburg pancake breakfast then drove over to Greenbrier. That's the area of the National Park where we got married. I wanted to take a few pictures (which I would share, but someone left the cable for the camera at home). When we got there, there were people on our rock getting married. I mean, can you believe the nerve!! LOL So we explored a little bit further down the river and then came back when they were gone to take some pictures. Let me tell you, it's way easier to climb around on those rocks when you don't have heels on! We took lots of pictures there and had a good time climbing around on the rocks. Then we drove over to the Arts & Crafts Community again and went through several of the stores. We bought a couple more things, but I can't remember exactly what off the top of my head. I know we got a vase for the dining room table. I'm going to put some bittersweet in it (from our yard) and use it as the centerpiece when we have Thanksgiving dinner at our house with Mark's mother. After lunch we hiked up to Grotto Falls. I was very proud of myself. I wasn't nearly as whiny about hiking 2.6 miles as I was last year. In fact, I really didn't whine at all. After the first 1/4 mile it wasn't bad at all. It was a really pretty waterfall and the trail actually went behind it, which was cool. We got lots of pictures of that too. After that Mark kicked my butt at skeeball. I was not pleased. We had dinner at Cherokee Grill, which had excellent food, but really crappy atmosphere. They had people crammed in there like sardines. It was bad I tell you. Right after our food came they seated a group of 6 or so people next to us. This would've been fine, BUT...they had a very sleepy baby with them. Which was also fine. They weren't just letting the child scream or anything. BUT when the hostess set these people down, she moved their table even closer to ours, so close, that we really couldn't get out without making some move. AND they had the high chair at the end closest to us, which was fine, but the baby was really more at our table than at theirs. We certainly weren't upset with the people, but the restaurant was really trying to cram too many people in, so while the food was good...we paid way too much for it considering the atmosphere. It was so loud our server couldn't even hear us when we were ordering. Ok...rant over. Sunday we slept in a little, then got up, checked out and got the heck out of the tourist hell they call Gatlinburg.
We got to Folly Beach around 5pm or so and went pretty much STRAIGHT to the beach. After we had walked up and down the beach for awhile we got some dinner at the hotel (we were TIRED) and then I hung out in the room while Mark explored some more. I was soooo completely exhausted when we got here. Yesterday we spent the whole day here. I slept alot and we went to the beach a couple times...got in the water and played in the waves a little. I managed to get sunburned in record time. Not too bad though. Then we walked a block or so to a great tapas restaurant. I was introduced to this kind of restaurant in Columbia and I really, really like it. Tapas means "small plates" I think. It's a cool concept. You order small portions of as many different menu items as you want. The presentations were really nice and the food was great. Mark really liked it too. I had sesame crusted seared tuna and asian pork ravioli, Mark had quail wrapped in Italian bacon and scallops wrapped in bacon with truffle oil (that's lots of bacon!). So I got to try all 4 dishes and so did Mark. Even the quail was good and I didn't think I would like that.
Today we went to the SC Aquarium, then did some shopping in downtown Charleston at an open-air market. Had lunch downtown too. I got some moonstone earrings and we bought a few gifts for Beth and Talley (who are taking care of the house and animals while we're away)...Thanks guys!!! Mark bought a shirt that would make Daddy proud (his words)...it's very LOUD and flowery!!! He's really getting into the Hawaiian shirt thing. I'll post pictures later, you know, when I have a cable! When we finished shopping, we went to the beach again...with some sunscreen this time...and got in the water some more. Mark's really loving the beach. He's not been to the beach nearly as much as I have, and he's really enjoying it alot. Today when we were swimming there were dolphins not 10 yards away! It was SO cool! They were almost scary close! Mark had never seen dolphins and we've seen them several times a day since we've been here. It's really been nice. We've slept with our balcony door open so we can hear the ocean and feel the breeze. I really don't want to leave, but we're leaving tomorrow. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and I'm missing all my critters, so it's time to go I guess. We plan to stop in and see Jennifer on our way back. Hopefully Mark isn't going to want to drive all 12 hours tomorrow. I had thought we might stay in Atlanta, but Mark wants to make it farther than that tomorrow, so I imagine we'll make it to Chattanooga or so, MAYBE Nashville, but I doubt it. This has gotten rather long, hasn't it? I'll wrap it up now and post again when we get back and I can post some pictures.