We were lucky. Mathew came and went without too much impact on the downtown area. The Red Barn specifically sustained no wind damage, and was fortunate to avoid any of the flood waters. Some residents on the lower sections of the peninsula were not so lucky, but the city of Charleston (for the most part) was spared in comparison to the damage seen in the Beaufort, SC areas to our south and the Myrtle Beach areas to our north as well as the flood waters that hit up in North Carolina.
All of our animals had been evacuated to three different farms that were inland SC, with the option to head further to NC had the storm gotten worse as it closed in on the low country. The closer you can be to home during an evacuation (and still be out of harm’s way!) the easier it is to get all the horses and mules back and into their usual routines. Familiarity is calming, and calm is always good. All said and done, the animals were safe and sound through the storm and we were able to get all of the animals back interacting with guest on tours by the following Tuesday.
As we begin to wind down our October, we have already begun the process of rotating our carriages to our maintenance team, where they will get a full safety inspection. Along with that inspection, they will be repaired and repainted, one or two at a time. Each carriage is inspected by its driver, daily and any minor issues or notes are compiled on a check sheet to be filed with the maintenance team. If there is a major issue that needs immediate attention, we will take the carriage off our tours until it meets our safety standards.
Additionally, we are transitioning into a brand-new logo, that some of you may have noticed already. By Spring 2017, all of the carriages will get a new paint job with the new logos so be on the lookout for them!
Follow us on Facebook! We have some fun, FREE, winter events coming up. Look for us at the Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre on weekends in December. Looking ahead to January, our “locals free” day will be held as usual on the last Sunday in January.
The next few months are the best time for locals to come take a carriage ride. Be a tourist in your own town! The crowds will be slowly getting smaller. We have plenty of blankets, so come bundle up and take a ride with us.
We hope to see you out there!