Charleston

Charleston has been a delight to visit. As a city, she is graceful, pretty and so welcoming. Between Dottie and Bill, and Charleston Classic Carriage Tours, we spent hours exploring the city’s Lowcountry architecture, cuisine and hospitality.

By the mid-1800s, Charleston was one of the busiest port cities in America. The United States Custom House was completed in 1879 and continues to serve its original purpose.
Old carriage house along Middle Atlantic Wharf
Pineapple Fountain. The pineapple is seen as a symbol of hospitality throughout Charleston.
Rainbow Row on East Bay Street
StStephen’s Episcopal Church, founded in 1822
Carson, our carriage horse
Shrimp and oysters with smoked gouda grits, bacon, spinach & Pernod cream at Grace & Grit

We wandered through Historic Charleston City Market. The Market dates back to the 1790s and covers four city blocks filled with local vendors proudly selling their wares.

Sweetgrass baskets
The Market Hall serves as the entrance to the City Market and is owned and operated by the Daughters of the Confederacy. It is also home to The Confederate Museum.

A walk along the waterfront brought us to famous East Battery Street lined with stately homes, and White Point Garden. The Battery itself is a defensive seawall and promenade that runs along the lower shores of the Charleston Peninsula. We also drove through the grounds of the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina.

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge is open to motor, pedestrian and cycle traffic and connects downtown Charleston to Mt Pleasant
East Battery
The Louis DeSaussure House, 1 East Battery St, completed in 1859
The PorcherSimonds House, 29 East Battery St, circa 1856
Monument in White Point Garden commemorating the Confederate Defenders of Charleston and Fort Sumter during the Civil War, 1861-1865
The Citadel was established in 1842. The bronze Citadel Ring Statue stands at the gateway to the college campus.
The Citadel Parade Ground with Padgett Thomas Barracks in the background. The Citadel Parade held on Fridays during the school year is open to the public to watch.

We waved Bill off on a 60-foot yacht as part of a five-man crew as they set sail for the Virgin Islands. Safe and happy sailing to the team!

The Ocean Star
from left to right: Hugh, Bill, Nicky, Benji, David

A visit to a local rifle range gave us the chance to try our hand at target shooting. Sammy took to it like she’s been doing it forever and impressed Dottie, the lads around us, and Scott the range safety officer with her aim and first-time prowess. I, on the other hand, was on the verge of throwing a tantrum when I couldn’t initially locate the target through the scope and then couldn’t even see where the bullet had landed. It turned out I couldn’t find the bullet hole because I had hit the bullseye – it was through the dead centre of the target 😂

Setting up the targets
Sammy with the evidence of her precision shooting
Thanks Dottie!

After a week in the Palmetto State, our holiday within a vacation has come to an end and we leave South Carolina and the Aimar family with warm thank you’s and farewells. We will be back!

P&S