An Evening at the Isle of Palms

I suppose it is about time I wrap up my coverage of our trip to Charleston. It has taken me longer to write about it than to experience it!

I'm going to close by telling you about a night that occurred early in our trip. We'd spent our first day at the at the Citadel for the North American Lutheran Church Convocation. At the end of that day they loaded us all up into school buses and drove us out to the Isle of Palms. It was a pretty long drive in a very hot bus, but we survived.

Isle of Palms is a long, skinny island and we drove quite far out on it, I think. It is a barrier island and we passed many homes that were built elevated so as to let the ocean flow under it when a hurricane or something came through. It was all so flat, I could easily imagine the ocean flowing over it and making it all disappear. Apparently that hasn't really happened but it seemed like a pretty precarious place to build a big fancy house...beautiful but precarious.

We were told we were going to the Citadel Beach House. That didn't mean much to me but if you click here you will see where we stopped. What a delightful surprise! There were many different areas set up for eating as well as for entertainment. There was a group dressed in traditional African clothing singing spirituals. There was a place set up for a DJ to play music while teaching dances. I enjoyed observing these, especially the singers, but I think you'll see where Nicole and I wanted to spend our time.

We left with our skirts wet but it was so wonderful to get to play in the ocean!

Planes, Boats and Dolphins

 While in Charleston, we got to spend a good deal of time on the water. I liked that a lot.

This is not us.

We rode a water taxi across the harbor to tour the Yorktown, a retired aircraft carrier. That thing is HUGE! It is like a whole town floating around. There are aircraft on top of it and a big, BIG hanger inside it. It was quite interesting to tour...but very hot!

 There were actually two ships there to tour but I've forgotten the name of the other.

 Isn't it strange so see how they made planes foldable so as to fit more in the hanger?

 It was so large inside!

And, there was a wounded submarine there as well.

They want to raise money to refurbish it but it hasn't happened yet.

Another day we also rode a boat for a 90 minute tour of the harbor. We toodled past Fort Sumter, a site of a lot of history. In fact, Fort Sumter was the site of the first shots fired starting the Civil War.

My favorite part of that boat ride was that we saw dolphins in the wild. That was pretty exciting for this prairie girl! They were very hard to photograph. It turns out they didn't naturally bob around in an upright style waiting for me to focus and shoot my camera. I finally just started clicking when we saw several in the same area. It was kind of like my alligator photo; I had to blow it up to see what I had. 

OK, I just barely got the photo, but it was enough to make me happy.

Charleston Neighborhoods

As I told you, we went to Charleston with our friend, Chad and Nicole, to attend a North American Lutheran Church Convocation. After that ended, Nicole and Chad moved to a resort on Mount Pleasant (just across the harbor from Charleston) and Ben and Sara (our son and daughter-in-law) joined us for a  couple of days. The day after they left, Mike and I set out to see a bit more of Charleston on our own.

We decided to take a tour in a little van around the town.  They were just lined up, many vans, and they left every 30 minutes or so. We purchased our tickets and were directed to a van. We waited a few minutes and looked up to see Chad and Nicole getting on the same van! Of all the vans tours that day, we ended up on the same tour! It was really pretty funny.

Anyway, this little tour was really very informative. We learned all about the wall that once surrounded the city. We saw so many beautiful homes, many that were several hundred years old. It was absolutely amazing to me to see how they had been so well maintained. They took such pride in keeping them historically accurate, it was easy to feel you were travelling back in time.

I wish I'd been taking notes so I could tell you about each of these homes, but I didn't and I can't. Sorry. I can tell you that one of them had a cannon ball go through its roof and that that cannon ball is still in an upstairs room!

You'll see a pink house that was along the harbor. It was said to have been owned by a dentist who originally chose the color to be that of healthy gums. Hmmmmm.....

We walked along the battery. People kept telling me we should see the battery and I admit I didn't even now what they were talking about. Well, it is part of that protective wall around the city. Now it is like a boardwalk along the harbor, with beautiful historical homes along beside. 

When we were first talking about going to Charleston, Ben told me he knew I'd just love going through the neighborhoods, looking at the houses. He was so right! I think I will just let you browse through my photos of some of those homes. Sorry that I had to take them through the van windows, sometimes on the move. You'll get the feel for the neighborhoods, though, anyway.

Charleston: Charm, Treachery, Water

Our last morning with Ben and Sara in Charleston involved strolling through the downtown area.

It felt like a small town and to many I suppose it is, but there were many, many blocks of those small town charming stores.  I guess we didn't actually go into any of them, but I'm sure they were charming.

Even the alleys between the streets were charming.

I just want to let you enjoy a few photos.

We happened upon a place called the Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon. This place was oozing with history. It first was built as a meeting place, a place for debates and other exchanges of ideas.

We toured the "dungeon" art of the building and learned a lot of things. For one, I didn't realize how much Charleston had been traumatized by pirates. Some of those pirates were held there.

This particular jail wasn't all that big and it was all one big space. Men and women were just put down there together.

During the Revolutionary War the British took siege of Charleston and used this jail. 

At least 3 of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were housed in this jail.

George Washington spoke from this building and attended a ball inside this building.

Later, slaves were auctioned off from the front steps.

I looked around at the place and thought the handmade bricks and prettily shaped ceiling were adorable. It was such a contrast to the stories we heard of all the suffering that occurred in and around that building.

One of the most prominent Americans to be executed for treason to the British crown was Isaac Hayne.  He was a man enjoying a comfortable and prominent life, a father of seven children, when the Revolutionary War interrupted his serenity.  Hayne became a colonel who eventually was tried for treason.  He spent his last night in this place.  One of his sons was allowed to come tell him good-bye and reported seeing his coffin sitting there prepared for him.

I wondered what that must have felt like for Hayne.

From The Execution of Isaac Hayne by David K. Bowden...

A contemporary of Hayne described the day: “The streets were crowded with thousands of anxious spectators . . . When the city barrier was past, and the instrument of catastrophe appeared full in view, a faithful friend by his side observed to him, ‘that he hoped he would exhibit an example of the manner in which an American can die.’ He answered with the utmost tranquility, ‘I will endeavor to do so.’ He ascended the cart with a firm step and serene aspect. He enquired of the executioner, who was making an attempt to get the cap over his eyes, what he wanted? Upon being informed of his design, the colonel replied, ‘I will save you that trouble, ‘ and he pulled it over himself. He was afterwards asked whether he wished to say anything, to which he answered, ‘I will only take leave of my friends, and be ready.’ He then affectionately shook hands with three gentlemen–recommended his children to their care–and gave the signal for the cart to move.”

If you are interested, go here to read a lot more.

We moved on to enjoy a nice lunch at a trendy restaurant, Blossom, then went down to the harbor for a bit. I like to look at water, you know. We were at City Park and it was a warm Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed watching people enjoying the big fountain there. I also enjoyed looking out to the harbor.

Sara and Ben, kids at heart.

 I am not really sure what a barnacle is but maybe these are barnacles?

 Water makes it a party, huh?

 I saw child after child try to suppress that flow of water.

The water always won.

 I told you, I like to look at water.

 I wish you could hear all the squealing and giggling!

 It was really, really hot but it was worth it to be by the water.

I spent quite some time at the end of this dock...or is it a pier?

What is the difference between a dock and a pier?

We had to say good-bye to Ben and Sara as they had to get back to their real lives.

I hope we can do something like this with them again soon!