Saturday morning we left our home early early early (for us) and started driving toward Kiawah Island, South Carolina, our destination for the week ahead.  We made a point to take photographs while on the road as we went through each new state.  Right away we noticed heavier-than-usual traffic, especially as we neared Madison.  It turns out the Badgers were playing Michigan in a football game that morning.  We stopped at a rest stop north of Madison, and we were definitely the only people in or around the area not wearing red and white, or had some sort of Bucky Badger paraphernalia attached to our car.

Wisconsin Pride - with decals.

Illinois and Indiana tend to blend together in our minds and on our odometer.  We took I-39 south through Central Illinois to Bloomington, then turned East toward Indianapolis.  The giant wind turbines north of La Salle and the dam just before Indianapolis help set these states apart for me.  Those points help break up the mostly-flat fields of corn.

Wind Turbines of Central IL.

Dam minutes West of Indianapolis

Next we drove into Kentucky by way of Louisville.  I always love seeing Louisville, especially though at night.  As it was around 4:30 in the afternoon as we passed it, nothing was really lit up and sparkling, but it is still a unique and interesting skyline.

Late Afternoon Louisville

Justin was also bound and determined to get a picture of a horse.  Right as he about gave up hope, we crested a hill and spotted this stately group right near the road.  With a whoop of joy, he had achieved his goal of getting the requisite Kentucky horse shot.

Work it, Horses!

After a good night’s rest in Knoxville, Tennessee, we hit the road again bright and early.  While the skies were primarily plagued with clouds, the sun kept breaking through now and then.  The foothills and Great Smokey Mountains were definitely a beautiful sight, one that is hard to portray adequately with a photograph from inside the car.  But we were able to get a few pretty nice ones.

A Mix of Sun and Clouds

A Blue Mountains vista.

North Carolina passed by quickly, with many curves and steep grades through the mountains.  Plus a few tunnels.

Easier than going up 'n over!

Then, finally, we made it into South Carolina.  The sun succeeded in burning off the hazy clouds and shone brightly all the way to the Island.  Our favorite shots were taken as we got closer to the coast, of the marshes and roads outside of Charleston.

Marsh South of Charleston

Bohicket Road is the only stretch of road with access to Kiawah Island.  It is lined by grand old oaks with Spanish Moss hanging down from its limbs.  It is such a beautiful and memorable entrance to the Island.

A picturesque welcome to Kiawah

After unpacking our things at the house, we walked the few blocks along a path to the oceanfront.  Along the way Justin spotted a gigantic disgusting beautiful spider and her web.  I cannot underestimate how big this arachnid was.  This close-up shot was the scariest thing I’ve done in awhile.

Terrifying Beautiful

These vibrant purple berries further down the path were definitely more enjoyable to photograph.  I didn’t edit this photo at all, the colors are just that bright.  Gorgeous.

Pops of Purple!

And finally the ocean.  I never tire of this site.

Today's Favorite Moment.

Living near about as far from an ocean as you can get in Wisconsin makes me appreciate the sand and water of the Atlantic like nothing else.  After a couple days on the road, I’m looking forward to walking down to the beach as many times as humanly possible in the week ahead.  Preferably with a beach chair and a book in hand.