Dracula and Drayton

Tuesday was my last day with Dracula. I didn't want a super long day out after spending all Monday in Augusta(I had to get up at 6am on Monday!) so I planned a relaxed day at Drayton Hall, though it was a still almost a two hour drive there. 

I had to stop for food(Oreos and chocolate milk) so now I can say I've been to a Piggly Wiggly. How can people take that place seriously? "Do you have a Pig card, Ma'am? It comes with Pig savings!"

As soon as I pulled up to the gate, the lady said, "I'm going to charge you the youth price, because you can get away with it." Three cheers for park attendant flexibility: My face saved me ten dollars! My second impression of the park service was seeing the sign saying "Do not feed the alligators."

Drayton Hall: You're driving down the driveway and then, BAM, you come over the hill, and see this, surrounded by small pools and huge old trees covered in Spanish moss, and backed by the slow-moving Ashley River.

"They descended the hill, crossed the bridge, and drove to the door; and, while examining the nearer aspect of the house, all her apprehensions of meeting its owner returned. She dreaded lest the chambermaid had been mistaken. On applying to see the place, they were admitted into the hall; and Elizabeth, as they waited for the housekeeper, had leisure to wonder at her being where she was." P&P, Ch. 43 

Drayton has been owned by the Historic Preservation Society for some years. The house is amazing in that it served as a headquarters for both British and American sides during the War for Independence, and also survived the Civil War. The house has been little changed since the Regency era, and even some of the original paint from the mid-eighteenth century is visible.

The weather was very gray and drizzly, so my poor old camera had a difficult time capturing good pictures. After the house tour I walked the path around the house and admired. There were several trees on the lawn that were just huge, and there really was Spanish moss everywhere, and there were benches down by the river for calm thinking. There were also palm trees. Apparently, and Nebraskans don't know these things, there are Palm trees, and there are Palmetto trees. Palm trees are tall and skinny, Palmetto trees are short and fat.

The river- once a road of commerce. Now an avenue for alligators? I kind of wanted to see an alligator; but not up close.

It was really interesting to see how this house is not being restored with modern take on history, but saved as carefully as possible to last as long as possible. The rooms are unfurnished, and there is no electricity.

I really enjoyed seeing this historical house. The grounds were beautiful; I can't imagine how amazing they must have looked in 1740. At that time there was a flower garden, all the way from the back entrance down to the river. I do think it's interesting how such a large house like this still has, by a modern standard, so few rooms. Each floor had one central room, and then two adjoining rooms on either side. Modern houses can be just as big, but somehow have twice as many rooms.

It started raining at the end. I delivered Dracula back to his owners and traveled home with Miss Shr. The H's arrive home tomorrow, and I think we'll all be glad to be busy and social again. I think the teen girls have gotten tired of me. I cramp their style, I guess.