The House on Tradd Street by Karen White: A Review

At the urging of my wife and my appreciation for Charleston, I borrowed her book, The House on Tradd Street by Karen White. This mystery was a fairly quick read on my daily train ride into work as it was just over 300 pages. The book had its pro’s and con’s which I will elaborate on in a bit, but overall I would recommend it to those that love a good southern ghost tale with a little humor and southern charm mixed in. There is no plot spoiler here, so feel free to read on as I do not give too much away in my review.

One of the main benefits of this read was White’s ability to successfully transplant the reader to walking down the streets of Charleston whether on King, Meeting, or even Tradd streets. I always felt that the best time in Charleston can be spent with a “to go” cup of coffee and spending an evening walking through this great city. White spares no opportunity to mention the highlights of the city such as St. Michaels, the circular church, Copper River Bridge, and several local eateries such as Ansons and Jestines. She mentions the main character’s affinity to a local bakery known as Ruth’s, though I am unsure if this location is fictional or not.

White excels with the development of the main characters Melanie Middleton, and Jack Trenholm. Some could criticize Melanie’s rather brash or abrasive personality, but that is excusable considering her childhood past. Yes, Melanie is protective and guarded with emotions, though White skillfully plays out Melanie’s vulnerability a few times throughout the book during interactions with the Colonel (Melanie’s father) and even Jack Trenholm.

Jack Trenholm, author and Charlestonian takes an interest in the mystery of the house on Tradd and becomes a likable sort right from the beginning of the book. He comes off arrogant, though likable and becomes a good friend, borderline love interest of Melanie.

The other great attribute to this book was the ghost factor. The haunting of this home sounded quite typical of the ghost stories one will hear as they experience the bulldog ghost tours of Charleston. Most of the ghost stories in Charleston usually stem from tragedy involving parent to child losses or even love triangles that ended up in murder which pre-empted hauntings to occur. Karen White seems to hold true to that storyline and does a decent job of it.
Some of the things that could have been left out of the book were the historic name dropping in the book. I realize to this day, one can go through downtown Charleston and surrounding areas and still find descendants of the great Charleston names. White seemed to run up the tab with dropping the names of Middleton, Drayton, Vanderhorst, and a few others. I think the same effect could have been achieved with Smith, Walker, and Jones.

The side character development also appeared rather weak as Melanie’s best friend, a teacher at the college of Charleston came across as overly stereotyped as was the teacher/yoga instructor Chad that is Sophie’s friend. Their involvement to the book did not add too much significance and their quirkiness bordered on being a tad cheesy. Just my two cents.

Overall, I enjoyed Karen White’s The House on Tradd Street and found this read to be a good escape to almost being in Charleston; though without the desire of being in the presence of the supernatural.

Legend Oaks Golf Club in Summerville South Carolina: A Review

Summerville is a long drive from Kiawah and Seabrook (approximately one hour) but a scenic drive nonetheless. Within this pleasant community west of Charleston, lies Legend Oaks Golf Club located at 118 Legend Oaks Way in Summerville which is a straight shot down SC-61.
Course was designed by team of Scott Pool and Pete Dye and features a few typical Pete Dye challenges (especially on back nine). Good old Pete likes to throw a trick at you here and there. The yardage measures 6,974 with a slope rating of 135. I played this course back in March of 2011 which made for a chilly round (upper 40’s/low 50’s rainy day) that forced us into the clubhouse for some coffee (too warm our hands) and a breakfast sandwich. The pro shop and snack bar people could not have been any nicer and the food was really decent.

The course is abound with plenty of rather ancient looking oak trees with no shortage of water hazards that appear teeming with egrets and gators. That being said, don’t bother retrieving that errant tee shot into the marshes or ponds. The rates range between thirty and fifty bucks from what I remember (depending upon residency, day of the week, etc). The price was right and the course was in tip top shape with respect to greens and fairways. My only hang-up with this course is the absence of a driving range to warm up which is really important when coming into a round rusty as I traveled from the cold northern climate of Chicago and had not played in about four months. It was not too surprising that my opening tee shot was wicked and required a mulligan.

The long trek to Legend Oaks from the Kiawah area makes it hard for me to give this course a high ranking as the roundtrip trek takes two hours. I am probably being unfair to this course because of my accommodations being so far away, but that is two vacation hours lost! Anyway the fact that I am saving quite a bit of money on greens fees compared to playing on a Kiawah course eases the driving distance inconvenience. I also have to give this course kudos for equipping the carts with GPS navigation system. How many times do you play a course and have a tough time finding a yardage marker? Problem solved here. When visiting the Charleston area, I would recommend a trip out to Legend Oaks Plantation for a round.

Traveling to Kiawah in the month of October

A fall visit to Kiawah and Seabrook Islands during October is probably one of the best times of the year to go. The temperatures begin to finally get into the comfortable eighty degree range with much less humidity of which golfing, tennis, and horseback riding become much more enjoyable. In addition to cooler air temperature, the water temperature of the Atlantic Ocean remains quite warm given the long summer months of gradual heating up. I usually prefer the months of May and October to be optimal times to visit the low country. The other benefit to travelling during October is the reduced rental rates offered from some resorts and private owners. Before settling down to one particular villa or rental home, shop around to see which property management company or resort offers the lower rates as some will begin to lower prices effective October 1st, while others maintain the “summer rate” until November.

The other benefit to October travel is the reduced population on the island, though I have never really seen this island congested with tourists. I suppose the quiet peaceful tranquility will hit a snag next summer with the 2012 PGA tournament coming to the island. The availability of golf tee times also appear more plentiful during this fall season which allows one to get in that round of eighteen much quicker and with greater flexibility in scheduling.

If perusing Southeastern U.S. travel destinations to visit in the month of October, consider the Charleston area as one of prime areas to visit.

How to Make Carolina Sweet Tea using an Iced Tea Maker

One of the most commonly offered beverages in most dining establishments throughout the low country is the Carolina sweet tea. When the server asks you if you would like iced tea, rest assured he or she thinks you are interested in the sweet variety. For those that do not like sweet tea, it would be wise to tell your waiter or waitress you want a glass of iced tea unsweetened. Don’t assume anything or you are in for a sweet shock. I tend to like both options, but really enjoy a glass of Carolina sweet tea when sitting down to some local fare such as barbecue or locally caught fish or shrimp.

Because I am such a lover of iced tea, I typically brew this beverage in a two quart iced tea brewer. These appliances are a great investment for those that like this beverage and want to save money from buying the prepared bottled teas such as Lipton, Honest Tea, or Tradewinds. Those brands are all good tasting black teas, but nothing beats the flavor of home brewed using the Luzianne or Lipton bags. If you can get the tea from the Carolina tea plantation near Charleston, even better! I have a really good tea recipe for y’all for making Carolina Sweet Tea using an iced tea brewer.

Carolina Iced Tea
7 regular size bags of black tea
Water
Ice
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 mint sprig

Method
1. Make simple syrup by bringing one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a boil.
2. Make sure sugar completed dissolved and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Fill iced tea brewer with water (per brewer instructions) and fill ice to appropriate fill line.
4. Place tea bags into container and set brew cycle.
5. When completed pour brewed tea and simple syrup into larger serving pitcher and mix with whisk incorporating simple syrup throughout tea.
6. Serve over glasses with ice and dash with spring of mint.

Oldest Oak Tree East of Mississippi - The Angel Oak Tree

Those of you low country natives and tourists that have travelled just south of Charleston along Bohicket Road on John’s Island have experienced the beauty of majestic and very ancient oak trees lining this highway. These trees have extended a thick network of branches or canopies that allow very little light on the ground even on the brightest of days. The trees can be a bit overbearing and often create “white” knuckle driving as these oaks come dangerously close to the road eliminating any shoulder in many places along Bohicket. I can always tell I am getting close to Kiawah and Seabrook with the presence of these beautiful trees.

As old as these trees are, they are undoubtedly adolescent in age in comparison to the Charleston famous Angel Oak. The “Tree” as called by the locals is the 1500 plus year old tree that is located just off Bohicket at 3688 Angel Oak Road on John’s Island. For a tree of this stature, it is not as tall as one would believe as it stands sixty five feet tall. What is more impressive is the enormous canopy with very large limps extending outward in many directions. There is no fee for observing this work of Mother Nature that has stood the test of time. When venturing out to Kiawah, take a minute and pull of Angel Oak Drive to witness the “Tree”! To learn more about this living Oak tree, please visit the You Tube link.