Charleston SC

May 01, 2013

Charleston South Carolina

We just enjoyed a lovely couple for days in Charleston. We had to come into the marina because of a busted pressure hose in the water maker. Fortunately the guys at the marina were able to get Gary to a place where he could get another hose and he soon fixed the problem. The rest of our time here we ate and drank and did a whole lot of sightseeing.

Scenes from Charleston,

Grocery shopping



We passed Parris Island where they "Make Marines"

Very high tides makes for long docks and high boat houses.

St Helena Sound on a dreary looking day

Charleston as seen from the water

Over Gary's shoulder is the aircraft carrier Yorktown

A slave tag
The Civil war between the North and South started in Charleston at Fort Sumter
One of the main issues that caused the war was the slavery and the people
from Charleston and South Carolina used a lot of slaves to work their rice and cotton fields.

Some of the original houses in Charleston are the Borough Houses
"The Borough" is the name associated with the former African American section
of Ansonborough neighbourhood. 



Marion Square

A quaint little garden right in the middle of the city

Citadel Baptist

Fried green tomatoes-yummy!!!

Charleston City Market / Daughters of the confederation Museum.

Moon Pie

 St Mathews
Charleston is known as the Holy City because of all the churches.

Gary with (what I call) a Bottle Brush Tree.

Just a wall , in the middle of nowhere, possibly a part of the old Harbour. Not sure.

This made me smile.
At the marina where we are staying they had a political meeting, Republican
in case you are interested......and guess who is running for office here.
Ex Governor STANFORD, remember the guy
who everyone thought was missing, meanwhile he was with his girlfriend in South America.
During the six days that he was absence, one of the excuses offered by Sanford's spokesperson was that Sanford was hiking the Appalachian Trail.  As a result, "hiking the Appalachian Trail" or "hiking the Appalachians" has become an acceptable euphemism for "you know what" LOL

I wanted to go in there and get a picture of him but Gary wouldn't let me, so I just shot a general picture.

Guess who was in 7th heaven?
USS Laffee, she was almost destroyed by  kamikazes in the 2nd WW

A volunteer who got Gary to tell visitors about some of the planes on display.
I guess
he could tell an enthusiast when he saw one.

On Patriot Point where they have 2 big boats , a submarine, and a Vietnam Camp
on display

Aircraft carrier -it is HUGE Not all the planes on display were used on this ship.

I wish Gary had someone there with him who could appreciate all this

 stuff, but he had to settle for me.

Captain's seat

At the helm

Fly boy

This ship is so big they had 4 dentists a operating room and a sick bay.

A sub, aircraft carrier and 2nd WW ship

I couldn't get Gary to stop taking pictures

Tour guide on our horse drawn buggy

The Charleston Single House

The Charleston Single House is the architectural style most associated with Charleston, South Carolina. These distinctive homes have a grace that is perfectly suited to the hot, humid local climate. They are only one-room-wide and the narrow end of the house faces the street. Two-story verandas (called "piazzas" in Charleston) stretch down the long side

See those dark, round circles on the building?
Those are Earthquake bolts , iron rods used as reinforcements in
buildings to prevent them from collapsing during an earthquake.

At the market you can buy freshly made body lotion

A sweet grass basket weaver. It takes a lot of time and hard work to make
so the baskets are very expensive.

Note the address?? Properties are so small they have 1/2 s

If something is 75 years or older, you are not allowed to remove it or paint it.
This is an old stepping stone for getting off carriages, and because it is
 older than 75 years, it stays right where it is.

Gas lamps , always lit, except when there is a hurricane.

At the Market you can buy something to eat
but best of all are the hand made Sweet grass weaved baskets, but they are pricey so I didn't get one.

Dave, our horse...I was al little nervous...

Notice all the chewing gum stuck to this pole?
The silver sign above it reads:
"Defacing public property, including placing chewing gum here is illegal.
Fines up to $1,092 will be enforced"

Mint Julep, tried it once and that was once enough...

More Fried Green Tomatoes, these weren't as good as the others

Shrimp on grits
(When I asked the waitress for a Southern meal this is what she suggested,
for my South African friends, pretty much Shrimp sauce on slap mieliepap)