South Carolina Beckons! Do You Dare?

Yesterday, I went all the way to South Carolina by way of the New York Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue, enjoying a delightful lunch of that state's cuisine, served to promote tourism to the open-minded NYC press.

We learned all kinds of stuff about S.C.'s roaring rapids, golfing opportunities, beaches, centuries-old traditions, culture, and large turtles.

I was also told about the large university population, which sometimes lead to raucous drinking, but the state also boasts piquant food--seafoods and gumbo and cheeses, all of which I had in my mouth at that very moment.

"But is it a blue state or a red state?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"You know what it is," I was told by a rep, semi-sternly.

"But there's progress being made--in Columbia (the state capital) and in Charleston and on the coast.

"Two years ago, Columbia elected its first black mayor ever.

"The progress is slow, but it's happening--from within."

Well, let's speed it up big-time before November hits, K?

I left with a gift bag consisting of sweet tea flavored vodka, a jar of honey, some peach mint preserves, garlic cheddar biscuit mix, and a big old cookbook.

Thanks to that literary epic, I can whip up a large batch of chilled tomato soup and slurp it down.

No, wait. It's red!