My visit to the other Charleston

Charleston SC that is.  I spent 4 years living in Charleston IL and always wanted to check out the larger, more well known Charleston.  Let me just say the SC version has a lot more to offer than the IL version.  There are parks and beaches and alligators and tons and tons of history.  I spent the first day just wandering around the city.  There is a great visitor center where you can park your car for the day and then it's a short walk down to the Battery.  This is the paved walkway along the water that offers beautiful views out over the water and of the gorgeous homes that line it.  I think one of the things I liked most about Charleston was the architecture of the homes.  The fronts of the buildings are so beautiful and probably haven't changed much since they were built.  Some even have those old gas lamps that are lit up at night.  A carriage ride is another popular thing to do in the city and gives you a different perspective.  And that perspective varies depending on who is giving the tour.  I think our tour went past some of the more sordid points of interest of historic Charleston!

Charleston is where the Civil War began and, despite what I read in one guide book, a visit to Fort Sumter is a must.  A short ferry ride takes you from Patriot's Point out to the fort and offers some wonderful views of the city.  I really enjoyed visiting the Fort and, if you like history, you will too.  There is a ranger talk when you first get off the boat and then you are free to wander about on your own.  The island is also a bird sanctuary so you can only go so far out of the fort itself.  It's amazing that a fort on a small man-made island played such a significant role in our country's history.

The departure point for Fort Sumter is Patriot's Point.  There you can take a tour of an aircraft carrier and a submarine.  There is nothing stranger than touring the massive space that is an aircraft carrier and then climbing down the metal staircase into the narrow confines of a submarine.  You can get lost on an aircraft carrier.  You can get claustrophobia on a submarine!

My most favorite part of my trip was my visit to Drayton Hall, one of the 3 plantations you can visit on the scenic Ashley River Road.  Construction on the home began in 1738 and it survived both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  The reason I liked it so much is because the home hasn't been changed.  There is no indoor plumbing, no lights, no air conditioning and no "as it would have looked" furniture.  I arrived a few minutes before the home opens and therefore was the only person on the guided tour.  As my tour was finishing, one of those large charter buses was arriving.  Being on my own gave me a real sense of Drayton Hall.  There were no people in the way for pictures, no annoying questions and no standing at the back of the group trying to see over them.  One of the most poignant spots on the grounds was the African-American cemetery.  The area is kept natural and the majority of the graves are not marked in anyway.  I walked around in silence, absorbing the sounds of the forest that surrounds the site.  Very moving.

A short drive away is the Magnolia Plantation.  I went and wish I hadn't spent the money.  This site is geared towards tourists.  There is a petting zoo for kids, an overpriced cafe, trolley rides and very visible 21st century upgrades in the home itself.  Where Drayton Hall only had one or two lights that had been installed for worker safety, Magnolia Plantation had air conditioning (with a thermostat identical to the one in my house), tons of "period" furnishings and lots and lots of people.  I did walk along the garden path and paid to walk on the swamp walk.  I think that was the only thing worth the money as I saw a lot of alligators and managed to avoid a cotton mouth snake due to a nice man ahead of me pointing it out.  I would not recommend!

The other plantation on the road is the Middleton Place.  I did enjoy my time there.  I did not pay for the house tour.  Instead I took the free guided garden walk and then wandered the grounds on my own.  One path I turned around on because there was an alligator blocking my way.  Did not want to step over him!  I also enjoyed a delicious lunch in the restaurant which had a wonderful view of one of the gardens.

On my trip I also checked out the Charleston Tea Plantation (only one in the US!), the Angel Oak tree (over 1500 years old and ginormous) , took a boat to Bull Island (very remote, home to alligators who make lots of scary rumbling sounds), had sweet tea (disgusting!) and had some delicious BBQ pork and rice with hash at a local fast food place.  The people were all so friendly, the weather was gorgeous (I went in May) and the city was beautiful.  I want to go back and discover more of what the other Charleston has to offer!