Ask your sister and BIL what kind of shade they get on the east side of the house (other than the house itself). Sometimes houses are so close together that east facings barely get morning sun. We have loropetalum on the east side and it's easy to maintain to the height desired and it's evergreen. Grows well here and there are several varieties with either green or maroon leaves. East facing foundations, so long as they have real pitch for drainage, would hold dwarf burford holly , weeping yaupon holly (tall), osmanthus(tea olive,fragrant flowers), pittosporum (solid green or variegated), various viburnums (flower and berries). A protected spot with excellent drainage would be nice for a winter daphne although you have to plant them very high in the soil. East might be a decent location for some gardenia shrubs too. She can tuck in shade loving annuals that tolerate the morning sun. You'll know more once you get here as to drainage, sunpath,prevailing wind direction and general air circulation. What part of Charlotte will you be visiting? There are many garden centers but there are one or two 'best' in each direction. Endless Summer hydrangeas have had mixed reviews this year. She might try potting one up and placing it where she wants it (or where it wants to be). If she's dealing with new construction landscaping, know that most of what they claim as topsoil in beds and borders is simply construction subsoil. Nearly devoid of nutrients. First order of business is to have the soils tested and then amend them as required. She can have that done in advance of your arrival. Before she invests in a japanese maple know that its siting is critical for its survival. Many of the varieties just won't take if exposed to our hot afternoon sun and heat reflected off the house. The red broadleafs are more tolerant, the laceleafs the least tolerant.(in my experience) As for landscape architects..the ones I've dealt with fail to take into account sunpath, existing drainage, nearby houses, nearby trees etc. etc. They know their plants latin names and what seems to thrive in Charlotte but fail to remember that they won't be doing the installation. Uneducated and uncaring crews can doom the best planned landscape materials.

Oh, hi mckitty. We travel with our pups all the time and sometimes it is such a bust. Have to face it that some people just do not like dogs... So much more help now with the internet 'pet friendly' help i have found, and i try to help also. We travel to Newfoundland once, sometimes twice a year so we often take a side trip. Cruise through tripadvisor using 'pet friendly' key words. I'll add a link. (that has another link) We did not have much luck traveling through the Cape but we winged it last minute. We really need off-leash running to burn off steam. But overall it is very pet friendly just about everywhere on a leash. Off season would be much better. The SeaShell motel is my kind of place being right on the water. I've read PTown has a dog park and water fountains for them in many places. Here is a link that might be useful: pet friendly hotels

Boston is an ideal walking city, with ample public transportation in and out of the city. Many hotels are expensive, but you can find a good hotel for around $120. Sometimes less. I noticed that you have a son. Boston has many things for kids, including the Children's Museum, the New England Aquarium, and the Science Museum. Boston Common has a nice playground and the Frog Pond, where kids can wade. The Public Garden has the swan boats, which you can ride. Outside of Boston, there is Salem, which is focused on the witch trials but is also a longtime maritime city. It is reachable by commuter train from Boston's North Station. Using the same train, you can also go to Gloucester - the famous fishing town - and Rockport, with lots of shops on a wide pier jutting out into the harbor. South of Boston is Plymouth and Cape Cod. It's only 90 minutes to the start of the Cape, or you can take a ferry ride from Boston to Provincetown. West of Boston are the revolutionary war battlefields of Lexington and Concord, along with Walden Pond, made famous by Thoreau. If you decide to come here, feel free to e-mail me for other suggestions. I did a quick search on a few places that are in Boston with reasonable prices. I know these hotels are in decent areas, but otherwise know nothing about them. http://reservations.bostonhotelsandguide.com/cgi-bin/hotelinfo?SID=BTU&Dest=BOS&LKF=BTU&PROD=HOTEL+&DispCurr=USD&ITRK=dbP&qKey=KL181330501151&HtlId=BOS+SHAW&Smk=N - The Shawmut Inn http://reservations.bostonhotelsandguide.com/cgi-bin/hotelinfo?SID=BTU&Dest=BOS&LKF=BTU&PROD=CONDO+&DispCurr=USD&ITRK=dbP&qKey=JU176573200962&HtlId=ZZ+11575&Smk=N - Oasis Guest House http://reservations.bostonhotelsandguide.com/cgi-bin/hotelinfo?SID=BTU&Dest=BOS&LKF=BTU&PROD=HOTEL&HotelId=BOS%20CHAN&HName=CHANDLER+INN&Rating=2.0&Return=Prev - Chandler Inn

While the flooding caused severe devistation in particular areas, the shops in the downtown area of Wimberly remain open. It's a great destination for shopping, and keep in mind many of the shops are the livelihood for the people living there, and summer is high season. I was there about 2 weeks after the initial flooding, and only 2 of the shops were closed because of water damage, but they had huge fans running to dry things up. It wasn't from the river, but because of the amount of rain in the area and the ground being saturated, there was no place for excess water to run. This caused excessive water to puddle, and eventually flooded into a few of the shops. It's a cute little rustic village.