Bumping shoulders with the stars in Charleston

With its tasty food and Southern culture, Charleston is a world-class destination. It's no surprise that celebrities visit. I've stumbled into several during my two years here. On Sept. 8, we were taking a family stroll during downtown Charleston's "Second Sunday" shopping promotion when I noticed a couple walking by. I heard the man talk, and I knew it was actor Ryan Reynolds. His wife, Blake Lively, was walking next to him. They happened to be celebrating their first wedding anniversary that weekend. They had gotten married a year earlier at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant.

TV series and movies are occasionally filmed here, and of course, they're going to bring actors with them. "Reckless" is a crime drama set to premier on CBS this summer. On March 22, 2013, I saw two of its stars, Cam Gigandet and Anna Wood (I think), acting a scene on the steps of City Hall in downtown Charleston.

Then more recently, on Feb. 8, we were spending an afternoon at the bowling alley in Mount Pleasant when I thought I recognized someone there. We had already bowled several strings on the lanes, but Julia wanted to throw a few on the miniatures lanes, which is an arcade game there. While we did that, actor Shawn Hatosy was having fun with his children and wife right next to us. Hatosy also will appear in CBS' "Reckless," but he's probably better known for his significant role in "Southland" on TNT. I had started watching the Los Angeles police drama before it, unfortunately, got canceled.

My first run-in with an actor in Charleston came nearly two years ago, on May 20, 2012. Carrie and I were eating dinner at Slightly North of Broad, known as S.N.O.B., when my then-future wife thought she saw Owen Wilson at the table behind me. She finally said something about it after she saw the chef come out and talk to Wilson. Once she alerted me to his presence, my ears recognized his distinctive voice. Carrie pretended to take a photo of me and got Wilson in the shot. I'm pretty proud to say that none of the celebrities in this post ever knew I was taking pictures of them. We haven't seen comedian Bill Murray yet, but he lives here, so I suppose we will someday.