October 7, 2021

October 7, 2021

From Camden, SC we continued our exploration of South Carolina by working our way south to the coast. Thirty miles short of our destination, traffic came to a screeching halt. We took the nearby exit and found a parallel side road. It moved but was very slow. We suddenly now know where all the South Carolinians live. After an hour of crawling, we cross the bridge over the Ashley River into downtown Charleston. Our first stop is the Visitor Center for a map and recommendations.

We move the car to a parking garage in the historic section and begin our walking tour. Charleston was among the richest of colonial cities, and much of this antebellum architecture is retained. Unfortunately Charleston is a popular tourist destination and the area is crowded with tourists and cars. I almost get run over.

We walk south down Meeting Street passing buildings brimming with history sitting amidst gaily painted urban residences with sitting porches. The city is filled with guides relating the history on walking tours and horse drawn carriages.

We end at Battery Park along the shoreline. Here is a defensive wall and promenade. During the Revolution and Civil Wars, it was filled with cannons. There is also a nice tree-lined park where a wedding is commencing.

From the Battery we follow the promenade back north stopping at Rainbow Row (a block of colorful homes) and then past another shoreline park with a Pineapple-shaped fountain. We stop at the nearby Fleet Landing for a lunch of salad and Lowcountry gumbo. Delicious. Since there is a long wait to be seated, we cut the line by eating at the bar.

We then walked through the historic Market Hall. Originally a farmer’s market, it is now for tourists. Aimee wants to continue shopping, so we make our way up King St. to the Fashion District. We finish our whirlwind tour of Charleston checking out some of the sordid history. We passed by the site of the city slave market and an art-deco building that once had a lunch counter where Civil Rights activists targeted sit-ins.

We spent the night across the river east in Mt Pleasant near Patriots Point. As we cross the bridge we can see the USS Yorktown anchored. We toured it on our last trip to Charleston EXACTLY fifteen years ago to the day. This WWII-era carrier looks so tiny from overhead. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for pilots to land on this tiny speck in the ocean.