This morning we headed for the Visitors Center to get a parking spot. I was pleased to find out the trolley system is free. In the guidebook I have, it showed $5 for an all day pass. There are 3 different routes and we had no longer than about a 15 minute wait at any stop. We started out walking as the morning was not overly steamy. Walked all the way down to the Battery from the Visitor Center. Explored a few of the cemetery's and checked out all the beautiful homes. We started to walk back up towards the Waterfront Park. We were pretty warm by the time we got there so hopped on a trolley to eventually get over to the aquarium area. A lady pointed us to the East Bay Deli for lunch. The food was good and the drinks were cold! We decided to take a carriage ride after lunch and hopped on the various trolleys to get back to the City Market area. The carriage rides are interesting in that you never know what route you will get. There are 3 areas of the city and only 20 carriages can be out at a time. One mule team cannot go out more than 8 times in a day. Once you are on the carriage, it pulls up to a little hut where a bingo machine decides which area your carriage will head for. The drivers have to tell the people how many riders and the names of the mules. Then you are on your way. We had zone 3, which goes through the western side of the historical district. We past many beautiful homes and learned that homes downtown can be bought from a price range of $500,000 to $13,000,000. Guess that explained all the fancy cars parked along the streets! We had two tour guides and they were both wonderful. They give a lot of history and answer any of your questions. They explain why the houses were built in a certain layout and why the porch ceilings are "haint" blue (that color confuses the haunts and they either think it's the sky and fly up or think it's the water and drown) and what it means when the privacy door is closed (the ladies have their hoop skirts hiked 4 inches above the ground and that would cause the men to pass out or something like that). A carriage ride is a nice way to see the city and a good way to cool off for a bit.
By this time, we were ready to get out of the city and headed for Folly Beach. There was a bit of traffic getting there, but the beach itself was not too crowded. I was able to find a place to park on the street, which is free, and right by the public access. We did not have our suits, but the warm Atlantic water was so soothing to stand in. The backdrop of the crashing waves and the Folly Pier was just perfect. Wandering up the beach we found a small jelly fish. That was exciting! There are chairs and umbrellas for rent and we will do that if we make it back. It was a perfect beach!
On our way back to the hotel we stopped for frozen yogurt. The place had different kinds and you put whatever you want in your dish with whatever toppings you would like and pay by the ounce. The honeydew and chocolate were a perfect combination!
I love walking around downtown Charleston. It is so easy to picture what it would have looked like in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds because the homes are that old and all you have to do is add horses in the streets. Down by the Battery it was so quiet and peaceful. The stately homes line the park and provide the perfect backdrop to the Holy City. I think this is a must visit place, but avoid anytime after mid-May if you don't like humidity or heat! Tomorrow we check out the plantations!
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