Vacation the First & Second & The End

Yes, yes, the title it is unclear. You'll understand momentarily. I should have titled it:
Vacation The End: Worst Photos Ever
After days of lovely weather, and many golden vacation shots depicting peace in the forest and love and goodwill toward all Learkind, this happened:

It was an enchanting visit to two picturesque towns: Cashiers, NC and Highlands, NC. When we arrived in Highlands, and I laid eyes on this gorgeous church, I whipped out my camera. Visions of a family shot in front of the gardens danced through my head. whirr-whirr-clunk What? No! whirr-whirr-clunk.
Shake, shake, exclaim, accuse, bemoan. The lens was jammed. Somewhere along the line, while I was frantically baiting hooks and warning of the dangers of flying hooks, *someone* got their paws on my camera, and allowed sand into the lens. Before you think "Phoenix, gotta be Phoenix" let me assure you, it was, in fact, The Ghost Child, He Who is Responsible for All Bad Things. Shoulder to shoulder in solidarity, I was assured that No Child of Mine Would Have Wrought Such a Curse Upon My Camera.
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Fast forward to Vacation the Second.
Vacation the First ended, we were home for one day, and then Rick & I took off solo for an anniversary weekend in Charleston, SC. Thanks to a mutually-beneficial trade with our neighbor and friend Rachael, we got a vacation from our vacation.
But if you think I can share lovely vacation photos of the lovely city of Charles Town, let me assure you, it will not happen.
What did happen was this. My bff Google recommended a few home remedies for clearing the lens, and I tried them. We were relaxing on the patio of the fantastic Mills House hotel in the historic Holy City (I wondered all weekend *why* Charleston is called the Holy City.), and I fooled around with my lens remedies. Warning: Please don't try this at home. It is only successful when well-marinated by local brews on a kids-free vacation. You were warned.

 Nope, not it.

 Nope, not it.

 Oops, even worse.

 Wait! Look! It's clear! Yahooooo!

 Oh crud. It's back.

 But look! In the dark of night, you can't tell!

And this concludes all parts of all vacations. Having no reliable photography device was kind of freeing. We walked and roamed and enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was decided, yet again (we decide this every time we go there), that Charleston is the place for us. We honeymooned there 16 years ago, on the nearby Isle of Palms, and though Rick travels to Charleston every 2 months on business, I have only been back once. Charming Charleston... you were a much-needed break from real life...