Continuing with our southeast Atlantic tourist towns, we drove up to
Charleston, taking the scenic US17 rather than the interstate. Once
again our hotel was at the edge of the historic district, so we checked
in and headed out.
The AAA guide had a couple of walking tours, so on Wednesday afternoon we headed down Meeting St. toward the Battery. Lots of horse drawn tours to choose from, but once again we went with the walking tour.
This is the Calhoun Mansion but not THE John C Calhoun's. Later we did visit his grave. JCC was a strong Southern defender and a VP of the USA.
From the Battery, a view of Castle Pinckney. It's more famous brother, Fort Sumter, is closer to the mouth of the harbor.
The Civil War seen as the Lost Cause. A couple asked us to take their picture in front of this statue. I didn't ask their reasons, just pushed the button.
Many of the homes in the historic district had been refurbished and were quite beautiful. The thicker the rope detail around the door, the richer the merchant.
Where we ate on Wednesday evening. Aptly named. In the lower right window of the restaurant are two pictures. On the right is George W. Bush with takeout from Sticky Fingers. On the left is Stephen Colbert congratulating the restaurant as "the best thing to come out of Charleston since Stephen Colbert."
On Thursday morning, a first for this trip -- blue skies! Walking tour #2 through historic Charleston.
This is St. Philip's Church, THE Charleston church to belong to. In the attached cemetery is the grave of John C. Calhoun.
Original cobblestone street- stones often came from ships that used them as ballast
The serendipity of travel. We were walking south along E Bay St. (which used to be the shoreline before two blocks of fill went in) when the guidebook mentioned restrooms available two blocks east. We walked to Waterfront Park and saw...
...a pier with a water taxi service. A quick read of the sign showed that it taxied over to Patriots' Point, where we had intended to drive later in the day. Quick change of plans. Onto the taxi and we floated over to....
...the aircraft carrier Yorktown. After visiting the USS Midway in San Diego during our Around The World voyage, I found the Yorktown to be nicely done but not as well done as the Midway. Not as much was open, fewer exhibits, and no docents around explaining the various items. If you can visit only one aircraft carrier, pick the Midway. But it was an interesting visit.
Cynthia skipped some of the interior routes, and took this picture from the hangar deck outside bench.
After our Patriots' Point visit, we water taxied back to the Battery. Here are a couple of other boats we shared the harbor with.
Back at Waterfront Park, a splashy fountain.
A late lunch at the Toast of Charleston.
A trip through the City Market shopping area. We bought nothing.
We ended our tour through Charleston with a visit to the Mother Emanuel AME Church, the site of the horrific killings two years ago.
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