It wasn't Tara, but it was good!

Our final day in Charleston began well, weather-wise, and we enjoyed a leisurely start as we had booked places on a tour of the Magnolia Plantation, which has the oldest 'informal' gardens in Carolina. Our pick-up arrived early and we were whisked to the Visitor Centre to link-up with our driver and tour guide Alan. Now it has to be said that on first meeting, Alan was both brusque and indecipherable! Openly admitting that he had a Southern drawl, he took our cash before letting us set foot on the bus and seemed determined that the first person in-line ought to pay for  everyone else in-line! Anyway we pulled out on time and Alan delivered a non-stop commentary for the entire forty-minute ride to the plantation. Unfortunately, we gleaned about forty percent of the content and it was an occasion on which the guide enjoyed the commentary more than his audience! Nevertheless, arriving at the plantation we were impressed by its magnificent gardens and the fact that there was an air ambulance crew on the grounds doing a PR shift and very amiable they were too .

Strolling through the Gardens we also met 'Glen from the Bronx' and his wife ..... a nice, but slightly odd couple. Glen tried too hard to be funny! We re-grouped at the allotted time and then set off on a guided tour of the nature trail, including swamp gardens (where 'The Swamp Thing' had been filmed!!). We rode on a Disney-like tractor-trailer people mover and our driver 'The Snake-man' was awesome.

His script was original and he really knew his stuff ..... a really good tour, during which we spotted the odd alligator and turtle.

Fortunately, we didn't encounter the local Copperhead or Cotton-mouth population.Then the rain appeared, but fortunately we were scheduled to take a guided tour of the house, which also proved interesting and informative. Emerging from the house,  and Al offered to escort us on a rainy tour of the gardens .... we declined the offer. Nevertheless, we had a great day out!! I guess only one song will do today 'Walking in the rain'! (by the Prisonaires)