Cosmos Mariners: Destination Unknown

_About the Blog Name This post was written in Situated south of Beaufort, South Carolina, Hunting Island State Park combines the rich history of the one of the state’s remaining lighthouses with a uniquely gorgeous beachfront location. The park is within easy driving distance of Lady’s Island and St. Helena Island for last minute snacks or fishing supplies, yet the tranquility that awaits once you’re in the park invites you to linger and explore. At the very heart of Hunting Island State Park is the stately black-and-white lighthouse that also serves as the park’s main icon. While it’s easy to dismiss that type of devotion, once you’re gazing up at the Hunting Island Lighthouse and the surrounding beaches, it’s easy to fall under the spell of the place.

If you've taken a look at my Instagram or this blog recently, you've realized that I have gone AWOL for much of 2018. I made the decision in late 2017 to step back from Cosmos Mariners: Destination Unknown and reassess what was going on in my life: between the blog, my two kids, my other writing projects (including a second website), our travels, and actually living my day-to-day life, I didn't have much time to think. I've been blogging since 2012 and travel blogging for over four, and this is definitely not my first blogging break. And each time I've decided to come back to blogging after a break, I've always got a nagging feeling that I just won't be able to do it again.

It wasn't until we were already in Miami exploring Wynwood Walls that I realized I hadn't heard anything from our AirBnB host: no messages, no emails, no phone calls. At this point, it's 3 PM the day we're supposed to check in (check in was at 4), we're several hundred miles from home, I can't reach our host, my credit card has already been charged, and I'm sitting in a city where I don't know anyone with 2 little kids. My husband and I explained that we needed more details for check-in, that our host hadn't been in contact at all since we'd booked the place 4 months before, and that the only number he had was an international one. I've left a blisteringly bad review, and the host has given me a horrible review in return saying that I am the type of guest to avoid since I clearly am just looking for a free vacation.

The group gets a quick culinary history from the guide, and then gets to choose an ingredient from one of the local produce booths at the Charleston Farmers Market. Whiting Working from the produce we selected at the Freeman Farms booth (a locally owned and operated farm on nearby Johns Island), Chef Whiting created a meal that was both unusual in its tastes and flavors and stunning in its blend of local and exotic inspiration. The market pizzas, as Chef Whiting called them, were topped with pickled okra, freshly prepared pizza dough, and topped with rendered pork jowl bacon. The farm to table tour goes above and beyond the typical history-and-samples approach to most Charleston cooking tours, and its focus on local food in Charleston is the perfect way for visitors to get to know the area.