anolefan's Charleston, SC Trip Report

[anolefan 8]

This will not be your usual trip report. My wife and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary last week 5/25, and were lucky enough to getaway for 4 nights this week to Charleston, SC. We arrived Monday and are leaving tomorrow morning.

I am typing this from our room as we take a break from all the walking we have done over the past three days. I wanted to get a start on this report live so I can organize the other photos when we get back home on Friday evening.

In this report you will see a Fort (not the Fort), Cemeteries, Churches, Plantations, Historic Buildings, and some other stuff as well.

I hope you are in for some photos, because I have a bunch to share. Hopefully I will not bore you with repetition, but I really enjoy Historic Charleston and found so many photo opportunities I wanted to share.

We left Monday morning about 9:30am and arrived at our hotel at 5pm. We stayed at the HarbourView Inn in the Historic District. This hotel was excellent and within walking distance to just about everything downtown.

http://www.harbourviewcharleston.com/

Here are some various shots of our hotel.

Here is the view from the rooftop terrace. Look closely in the upper left of the photo and you can see the U.S.S Yorktown Aircraft Carrier.

This fountain was packed everyday we were here. I guess it serves as the community public swimmin hole.

Here is Fort Sumter to the right and a nice sized passenger cruise ship to the left. This tested the zoom on my camera for sure.

As soon as we unpacked, we set out for some dinner and a walk. We ate here and it was excellent.

After dinner we walked around town for a bit. Here is the Customs House.

Here is the Charleston City Market. It amazes me the amount of work these people go through everyday setting up their areas and breaking them down at the end of the day. I didn't get any photos of the inside, but it was pretty busy everyday we visited.

Here is the Circular Congregation Church. It dates back to 1681.

And here is the cemetery.

The big brick tomb to the left of this photo is the oldest tombstone in the cemetery, I believe around 1699. This is the only tomb built like this in the cemetery. The reason no others were built like this, so we were told, was that it was too tough to dismantle to entomb other family members if necessary. This particular one has three family members inside.

More about this cemetery in an upcoming post.

I'm not sure the name of this Church, but it caught my eye during our walk.

That wraps up my first post. I will try and update tomorrow evening after we get home.

[stefa70 205]

Nice TR Tom, and Happy Anniversary to you and your wife! :partythree:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Happy Anniversary, Tom. Loving the pictures. Charleston is one of my favorite places. Enjoy :banana:

[SCTigerCock 171]

I'm not sure the name of this Church, but it caught my eye during our walk.

Hope you had a great Anniversary! :heart:

I believe that is St Michael's Luthern on King St.

I am happy to hear you enjoyed Charleston, or Chucktown as some locals like to call it. Safe travels back home!

I am looking forward to seeing what you think about the area. :popcorn: or should that be :suspense: ?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I love downtown Charleston.

I lived way up in North Charleston for a couple of years (about 25 years ago) and really enjoyed visiting the Battery and the market.

I also attended that church a couple of times as the pastor was the brother of my home church pastor. (Counts)

[H in SC 85]

Happy Belated Anniversary Tom and DW. Tom thanks for the TR on one of our great SC cities,

I love Charleston. BTW Great pics especially the terrace top photos. :D

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Alright! Looking forward to this report, as I also love Charleston. Especially some good Charleston restaurants. Please tell me you took some food pics??!!? :dance:

[campingpixi 11]

wow great report.. that place sure does look nice!!

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Thank you for sharing your TR with us!!

I was trying to talk my dh into a day trip to Charleston for tomorrow. I won a family membership to the Aquarium almost a year ago, but have not gotten there yet. I thought he might be able to get away for a day, but he says he will be too busy.

I will just have to live vicariously through your pictures for now. Isn't that what TRs are all about? :popcorn:

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I love pics! I have flown in to Charleston, but have never spent time there. It looks like a gorgeous old town! I can't wait to hear more!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Hey Tom-

Congratulations on 15 years!

Y'all must have been very young when you got married.

I enjoyed your first post, and I'm looking forward to more.

TCD

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I could spend a whole day just wandering through the Market :banana:

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

We camped in Charleston two years ago -- LOVED it, and cannot wait to get back there! So glad you're posting pix -- looks like we missed some gems and that's good enough reason for me to return!

Tell me you went to Poogan's Porch and got a good photo of their shrimp and grits for Dave, right? I was a total skeptic until I tried them -- and now I dream of them often... :heart:

[anolefan 8]

Nice TR Tom, and Happy Anniversary to you and your wife! :partythree:

Thank you!

Stay tuned for an update hopefully tonight, we just got home.

Happy Anniversary, Tom. Loving the pictures. Charleston is one of my favorite places. Enjoy :banana:

Thanks!

More pictures on the way soon, if I don't tire out before uploading them.

Hope you had a great Anniversary! :heart:

I believe that is St Michael's Luthern on King St.

I am happy to hear you enjoyed Charleston, or Chucktown as some locals like to call it. Safe travels back home!

I am looking forward to seeing what you think about the area. :popcorn: or should that be :suspense: ?

Thanks, and you are correct, it is on King St.

I loved Charleston, and have some suspenseful stories to share in a few upcoming posts.

Hope you stay tuned.

I love downtown Charleston.

I lived way up in North Charleston for a couple of years (about 25 years ago) and really enjoyed visiting the Battery and the market.

I also attended that church a couple of times as the pastor was the brother of my home church pastor. (Counts)

The Battery was a favorite place for us to walk. We loved walking along the water side and taking in all the houses leading up to Battery Park.

Happy Belated Anniversary Tom and DW. Tom thanks for the TR on one of our great SC cities,

I love Charleston. BTW Great pics especially the terrace top photos. :D

Thank you!

The terrace was a popular spot for the hotel guests.

[anolefan 8]

Alright! Looking forward to this report, as I also love Charleston. Especially some good Charleston restaurants. Please tell me you took some food pics??!!? :dance:

I'm sorry to let you down, but I only took 2 food pictures, and they aren't that special.

I will tell everyone where we ate each day though, we had great luck with food this trip.

wow great report.. that place sure does look nice!!

Thanks! It was a wonderful vacation!

Thank you for sharing your TR with us!!

I was trying to talk my dh into a day trip to Charleston for tomorrow. I won a family membership to the Aquarium almost a year ago, but have not gotten there yet. I thought he might be able to get away for a day, but he says he will be too busy.

I will just have to live vicariously through your pictures for now. Isn't that what TRs are all about? :popcorn:

Thanks for joining in.

I hear the aquarium is pretty neat. We did not visit there this time, but will do so when we take our children with us on our next visit for sure.

More pictures on the way tonight.

I love pics! I have flown in to Charleston, but have never spent time there. It looks like a gorgeous old town! I can't wait to hear more!

Thanks!

I definitely recommend visiting here at least one time if you get the chance.

Hey Tom-

Congratulations on 15 years!

Y'all must have been very young when you got married.

I enjoyed your first post, and I'm looking forward to more.

TCD

I was the young age of 23 when we got married.

I can't believe how fast 15 years has gone by.

Hope to keep your interest in the upcoming posts.

I could spend a whole day just wandering through the Market :banana:

We also enjoy walking through the market.

The basket weaving is something to watch.

We camped in Charleston two years ago -- LOVED it, and cannot wait to get back there! So glad you're posting pix -- looks like we missed some gems and that's good enough reason for me to return!

Tell me you went to Poogan's Porch and got a good photo of their shrimp and grits for Dave, right? I was a total skeptic until I tried them -- and now I dream of them often... :heart:

Oh yea we went to Poogan's Porch. I will share that experience in an upcoming post.

Did you stay at the campground close to downtown, Oak Plantation I believe it is called? It looks nice.

I found so many photo opportunities by just walking the streets. It was a wonderful trip.

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Nice TR! It has been many years since I was in Charleston (that's where I spent some time on 'Limited Duty' while in the military), and it has changed a lot!

[SCTigerCock 171]

Did you stay at the campground close to downtown, Oak Plantation I believe it is called? It looks nice.

We have not used Oak Plantation, but I strongly recommend James Island County Park on James Island. Downtown is ~15 minutes away but it is quiet and peaceful there. They also provide a limited shuttle to downtown. If you take your kids, there is a water park at James Island and a dog park with lake access for the dog owners. The largest water park ran by Charleston County Parks is at Wannamaker park near Summerville. However, they do not have camping there. For younger kids, I think James Island is great, for older, definately use Whirlin Waters at Wannamaker.

Also, the parking garage at the visitor center on Meeting Street has RV parking. A really nice set up.

For the military members or retirees, Charleston AFB is expanding the RV park there. I understand more than doubling sites and improving utilities. Probably a 15-20 minute drive to downtown from there.

Look forward to your report and I didn't mean to hijack your thread. :heart:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

We have not used Oak Plantation, but I strongly recommend James Island County Park on James Island. Downtown is ~15 minutes away but it is quiet and peaceful there. They also provide a limited shuttle to downtown. If you take your kids, there is a water park at James Island and a dog park with lake access for the dog owners. The largest water park ran by Charleston County Parks is at Wannamaker park near Summerville. However, they do not have camping there. For younger kids, I think James Island is great, for older, definately use Whirlin Waters at Wannamaker.

Also, the parking garage at the visitor center on Meeting Street has RV parking. A really nice set up.

For the military members or retirees, Charleston AFB is expanding the RV park there. I understand more than doubling sites and improving utilities. Probably a 15-20 minute drive to downtown from there.

Look forward to your report and I didn't mean to hijack your thread. :heart:

I second James Island Park. Plus at Christmas they have a light display and activities. Really awesome :banana:

[anolefan 8]

Nice TR! It has been many years since I was in Charleston (that's where I spent some time on 'Limited Duty' while in the military), and it has changed a lot!

Thanks for following along!

We have not used Oak Plantation, but I strongly recommend James Island County Park on James Island. Downtown is ~15 minutes away but it is quiet and peaceful there. They also provide a limited shuttle to downtown. If you take your kids, there is a water park at James Island and a dog park with lake access for the dog owners. The largest water park ran by Charleston County Parks is at Wannamaker park near Summerville. However, they do not have camping there. For younger kids, I think James Island is great, for older, definately use Whirlin Waters at Wannamaker.

Also, the parking garage at the visitor center on Meeting Street has RV parking. A really nice set up.

For the military members or retirees, Charleston AFB is expanding the RV park there. I understand more than doubling sites and improving utilities. Probably a 15-20 minute drive to downtown from there.

Look forward to your report and I didn't mean to hijack your thread. :heart:

I second James Island Park. Plus at Christmas they have a light display and activities. Really awesome :banana:

Agreed to both of you. We looked into this park for a camping trip when we take the kids and it looks great. I'm pretty sure KFK and H in SC have some pictures posted in the campgrounds thread.

[anolefan 8]

Ok, I think that last post wrapped up day one, which was only the evening since we arrived later in the day.

In keeping with my usual routine when I'm at the Fort, I woke up early on Tuesday morning and went out to explore the town before the normal day to day activities started.

The early mornings are peaceful here as well, and I was able to see quite a few sites on my walks throughout our stay.

Here is The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon on Bay St.

We visited this on a day visit last year with my brother and family. While it was interesting, the Dungeon itself was disappointing for me.

Another church on Broad St.

I thought this house was interesting because of the time it was kept in family, and also because of the design. This is your typical Charleston Single House that you see throughout the city. They are designed one room wide and the narrow end of the house faces the street. This allows for better ventilation throughout the rooms.

This picture doesn't totally show the design, but I have a couple more houses that I'll share later on where you can see it better.

George Washington statue, I thought the silhouette looked nice in the morning light.

The Historic Courthouse.

This Quaker burial sign was directly on the opposite side of the Courthouse. Check out the dates.

I found this rather amusing. Here is a very old church on Market St. that was no longer needed, the symbols removed and now it houses the following:

The Mad River Bar and Grill.

Market Street Winery and Market Street Saloon.

And the Charleston Candy Kitchen.

Where would one get coffee when you are in the historic city of Charleston which has multiple bakeries and coffee shops?

Dunkin Donuts of course.

I'm a creature of habit and had to get my DD every morning. It was only a few blocks away from the hotel.

Waterfront Park was just across from the hotel. Every morning after I walked the city and got my coffee, I came here, sat on a bench, and just relaxed for a while.

There were 2 of these signs, one by each fountain in the park. The fountains were literally ankle deep, if that. I wonder if there was an incident that caused these signs to go up at some point.

One of the fountains.

This little guy was directly above the bench I was sitting on and would soon come down looking for food from me.

I was into taking pictures of railings for some reason this trip. Our hotel is in the right hand side of the photo past the fountain.

And that wraps up the early morning portion of Tuesday.

In case you are wondering, it is only about 8am :)

Up next DW gets up and going, we get breakfast and head on over to Fort Sumter.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Great pictures Tom. I am enjoying your relaxing stroll around Charleston. Of course I still wouldn't be up at 8 o'clock in the morning to do it :rofl2:

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

Oh yea we went to Poogan's Porch. I will share that experience in an upcoming post.

Did you stay at the campground close to downtown, Oak Plantation I believe it is called? It looks nice.

We stayed at James Island County Park. As other Fiends have said -- just wonderful. Truly a great campground. In addition to the dog park/water park, there were tons and tons and tons of bike trails that we rode forever.

Loving your photos -- just beautiful!

[stefa70 205]

That tree lined sidewalk at Riverfront park is beautiful. I could sit there all day, especially with a DD coffee!

Maybe the lifeguard sign was put there for people like me?! YOU said the water is ankle deep....so that would probably be hip deep on me. :rofl2: I promise to wear my arm floaties if I decide to take a dip in that fountain!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Wow, everything looks so different then what I remember. Of course, I lived there before Hurricane Hugo.

I wish I had taken and kept more pictures. Of course back then, it was all film cameras and film and processing was expensive and we were BROKE!!

[Sensei 18]

Thanks for the TR. I'll be up that way (Savannah) in a couple of weeks camping, and I'm sure we'll make at least one day trip to Charleston. It's been many years since I was there so I'll try to spot some of the buildings in your pics.