Four Days in Charleston

It was with much anticipation that we approached Charleston. From the very start of our trip, we have been told wonderful stories and recommendations about Charleston. The city of Charleston and the North Channel are the two places that every Looper we have talked with has said are Must Do visits.

In order to reach Charleston from the ICW, you travel up the Ashley River which is rather nondescript. I am not quite sure what I was expecting, but this river was not it. However, we did see another Nordic sibling that lives on this river, so I was not disappointed after all.



Then all of a sudden, we entered Charleston Bay. The Bay itself is truly magnificent both in beauty and size. A great deal of American history took place upon these waters and shore. From the early 1700s through today, Charleston has always been a thriving seaport.

Standing tall is the Ravenel Bridge along with the USS Yorktown which is permanently stationed in Charleston.

As one sees the city from afar already one is caught up in the battles, loves and charm of the Charleston. The wealth of Charleston’s citizens is evident everywhere as is the pride they feel for their city, culture and history. From the water what is most notable about Charleston is the absence of tall buildings which allows the church steeples and original building profiles to be very evident.









Never have I seen so many beautifully maintained homes, gardens and public buildings in one location. While Savannah and Beaufort, South Carolina also represent wealth and culture in the South, Charleston is in a class totally different from that of the other two cities.









There are many jokes about the little old ladies who “man” the Historical Preservation movement in Charleston, but without a doubt these ladies have done their homework and with militant Southern Charm have seen to it that the homes, gardens and public buildings of Charleston have been maintained and restored in the most authentic and beautiful manner possible.



Friday evening after a short visit downtown, we decided to walk back to City Marina. We walked down Meeting Street which is the heart of the historical district.



It would have been a wonderful walk of about three miles back to the boat, but it was so unbearably hot that I could not concentrate on what I was seeing. I know I would have appreciated the sights more if the weather had been cooler. So we decided that we would take a carriage ride the next day to again see the same houses and to learn more about them. The carriage ride was well worth the money and time. I would very much recommend the carriage ride as the way to see Charleston in order to capture a total overview before setting out on foot.

I am not one for souvenirs per se but I do like to obtain local folk art or artwork from local artists when we travel (if I can afford it). One of the things that I most wanted was a Sweetgrass basket which are hand woven in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.



The coiled Sweetgrass basket is an historically significant example of African-American cultural heritage that was brought by transported enslaved African people. Sweetgrass basket weaving (or sewing as it is often called) is seen as a gift from God. The craft which is handed down from generation to generation requires a great deal of patience and creativity as there are no set patterns. Each piece is unique and each artist develops their own style. We first saw them Friday evening at the City Market in downtown Charleston but something told me to wait in my purchase. I am so glad that I did because on Saturday we visited the Farmer’s Market which is held each Saturday morning. I have been to many Farmer’s Markets but this is certainly one of the best. There had to be at least a hundred vendors there all selling goods that are native or made in South Carolina. It was beastly hot but that did not prevent me from visiting each and every vendor. There were several vendors selling Sweetgrass baskets but I was captivated by a couple whose work was different from most of the others. I stopped to visit with them and they told me all about how the baskets are woven, how the tradition is maintained within families and how the materials were adopted to suit the plant life that grows in South Carolina. I purchased a basket as well as a pendent that I can proudly wear.

One of the things that I found most interesting about Charleston was that the rods in the homes and buildings that I thought were for hurricane protection are really for earthquake protection. These rods run through the buildings to stabilize the buildings and are often capped off with a decorative marker. Like the Midwest, the Eastern States of the US are also prone to earthquakes, with quakes occurring in greater numbers than in the Western US states but the magnitude is less.



Fort Sumter stands proudly off shore and surprisingly I found myself rather emotional each time I would look at the fort. I thought of course of the Star Spangled Banner but also the fort seemed to symbolize and personify the Civil War to me in a way that I was not expecting.

We had planned to leave Charleston after two days but FINALLY the rains came. With the rain came a small craft advisory that remained in effect for two days. Charleston Bay and Harbor is so large that the small craft advisory was issued for this area due to the exceedingly strong winds. This was fine with us as it gave us some time to relax and get caught up on laundry and blog entries.

Hours on the water: 4.5
Nautical miles traveled: 23.7
Number of bridges to be opened: 0
Time spent waiting at bridge: 0
Next Destination: Minin Creek Anchorage
What we're listening to: To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
What we watched: Beautiful Charleston
Lesson for the day: Charleston is indeed the jewel of the South
Obligatory knitting report: Hats for the Wunder Kids