I is for Investigation

After a long day of errands and doctor's visits, Baby J finally fell asleep in the car. So I decided to keep driving and keep him asleep as long as possible. But where to go? Driving to a store wasn't a good idea, one because we're on a spending moratorium and two, because then I would have to wake him up to window shop. Instead, I decided to drive down Maybank Highway as far as I could go before he woke up.

Turns out, Maybank Highway, the thoroughfare that connects our island with John's Island, does, in fact, end at the edge of the world. I drove for quite a ways, finding the Angel Oak, the location of which I'd wondered about idly, and (I think) Wadmalaw Island, the location of which I'd been confused over, apparently, and just kept driving. Both John's and Wadmalaw Islands are odd in that they are largely undeveloped but what houses do exist are strangely positioned, with dilapidated trailers sitting right next to huge new mansions built in the plantation style. As is always the case here, the closer you get to the water, the more expensive the houses become, even though, as I found out, the closest grocery store or gas station is at least 30 minutes away. Several were for sale, with prices starting at $750,000. Eventually, I encountered the local Boy Scout camp, about which I've heard at church, with some most likely wholly inaccurate Native American name.

And, after about 45 minutes of driving, I came to the end of the road. Literally. There was a sign that said dead end located about a foot away from a drop off into water. There was also a stop sign below this sign, in case you didn't get the message. So, I turned around and began my drive back, only to have a very unhappy baby wake up right then. You know what else is at the end of the world? Nowhere to pull out, no stores of any kind, no places to park, nothing but, right then, a screaming, feverish baby who was not pleased to be driving. Eventually, I found a pull out and put a towel in the back window to block the offending sun, loaded a receiving blanket with finger food (love those Gerber products), gave him a drink of water, calmed him down, and finally got back on the road for the long trek home. Baby J was more calm as he ate his sweet potato stars and I was able to return without further incident, but it was a tense drive.

Next time, I'm just going to drive around the parking lot at Target.