> I grew up in South Carolina/Georgia area, and you are so right about the carolinas! I was born there and lived for the first 10 years of my life in Beech Island, SC, which is just a stones throw away from Augusta, GA (Ok, so you would have to be pretty good at throwing a stone to get it accross the savanah river.. But anyway.)
>
> I spent plenty of time on the SC coast, and some on the NC coast. Beautoft, SC is a beautiful town and Hunting Island is neat.
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> I also spent a good deal of time in the mountians of North and South Carolina, and most of my dad's extended family is from NC (I have cousins and second cousins and second cousins umpteen times removed I have never met but everyone knows they are my relatives, family has a lot more meaning there than some places I think)
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> I love going back for hollidays.
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> I have been away from there for 13 years now. Louisiana is interesting, and mississippi is pretty historic, but nothing like the carolinas. And the gulf coast doesn't hold a candle to the carolina coast.

I've spent a lot of time over there, but have never actually lived in North or South Carolina. A lot of people here (East Tennessee) know that I have traveled in all 50 states, so I am often asked which ones I like best. People sometimes even ask me to recommend a place for a vacation. I almost always recommend either Myrtle Beach or Charleston, and have never had a complaint. I usually say, if you like Florida, you will love the Carolinas, and it's closer to home. Now if only I can talk the cruise ships into leaving from
Charleston instead of Ft. Lauderdale.
Howard
P.S. My favorite state is still Hawaii, but it's a long hike from here.
H