anolefan's Charleston, SC Trip Report

[SCTigerCock 171]

I live in the area, and I haven't done nearly 3/4 of the itinerary yet. Bad me.

:'(

[campingpixi 11]

I love your pics!! I still wanna retire in SC!! 9 years to go!!!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Tom- Great update.

It is pretty amazing to think about that plantation building. It was built in the 1700's, and it still stands. That is really amazing. And, look at how well it was built! What craftsmanship and attention to detail! Is anything built like that anymore?

Looking forward to reading more about your trip and seeing some more of your great photos.

TCD

[anolefan 8]

Looks like someplace I could walk around taking photos for weeks!

That is exactly what I did every morning. I took so many photos I had to load them on the netbook each day so my memory card didn't become full.

Tom, Great Trip Report. Wow!!! I feel like I have been on a grand tour of South Carolina’s greatest

City. Glad ya’ll had a great vacation, thanks for sharing with us. :D

Anytime H and thank you! I'm starting to enjoy writing trip reports, but man do they gobble up some time.

We have visited Charleston at least 15 times over the last 18 years. It amazes me how much of the city I still haven't seen

We were amazed at how much we were able to see and do without our children. We took advantage of that time for sure.

I live in the area, and I haven't done nearly 3/4 of the itinerary yet. Bad me.

:'(

That is why, because you live there :)

All you have to do is move away, then go back for a vacation. :dance:

I love your pics!! I still wanna retire in SC!! 9 years to go!!!

Thank you!

I can say that I too would love to retire in that area, although retirement may never come for me

Tom- Great update.

It is pretty amazing to think about that plantation building. It was built in the 1700's, and it still stands. That is really amazing. And, look at how well it was built! What craftsmanship and attention to detail! Is anything built like that anymore?

Looking forward to reading more about your trip and seeing some more of your great photos.

TCD

I made the same comment as I was looking at the detail on the stairs. I told my wife that if everyone didn't need their house built in 90 days we may see more quality work than we do now.

I'm getting ready to start our last full day shortly.

[anolefan 8]

We have made it to Thursday, which was our last full day to enjoy Charleston. We decided to take advantage of that and we were able to see some more great sites.

As usual, I took my early morning stroll around town.

I had seen this sign everyday and thought it was such a friendly reminder I would share it with you.

There was a car parked there everyday I walked by it. I wonder how the property owner dealt with the car owners.

My first stop was a place called Philadelphia Alley, or "Duelers Alley" to some. Apparently this alleyway was the sight of many duels many, many years ago. These duels resulted in multiple shooting deaths. Do you think it might be haunted? I do.

Here is why I say I think it might be haunted. As I was walking through the alley as I approached the overhang of trees that you see in the far side of this photo, I noticed the bottom row of branches begin to blow in the wind. These were the only branches in the entire tree that were moving and it was completely calm outside, and hot. As I walked under the trees my entire body began to get the chills and I got goosebumps from head to toe. It was a really odd, and kind of creepy feeling. Was it a coincidence? Probably. Did it freak me out a little? Absolutely.

Look for the branches in the center of the photo.

After that fun experience I went back to Waterfront Park and grabbed my last photos of the park on this trip.

Here is a closer shot of the fountain directly below our hotel.

Here is where I sat every morning.

And this was my view. Sorry for the backlight, the sun was tough this morning.

I mentioned I was into shooting railings this trip for whatever dumb reason that was. So here is one from opposite ends. Everybody say ooooooh ahhhhh. :)

Here is the pier view from the park.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I snapped this, but for some reason it caught my eye.

In the lobby of our hotel.

After getting ready for the day we walked to the neatest cemetery we saw on our visit. The Unitarian Churchyard.

If you do get to Charleston and want to see a natural cemetery please visit this one. If you only have time to visit one, make this the one you see. It was truly a sight. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I wouldn't want to walk this one at night.

And here is the church est. 1772

Up next, we walk to the The Old City Jail and go to another Plantation.

Only a few more posts to go and we are done...

[mgsmom 9]

What a fun report!!! We also love Charleston. A few summers ago, we took my SiL, BiL, and niece with us for a long weekend at Folly when they were visiting. After a long day of walking and sight-seeing, we rewarded my niece with some "free time" in that fountain outside your hotel. There were kids all over it - they were all having a blast!!!

Unitarian Cemetery is a "must see" for me, too. Thanks for all the beautiful pics! Can't wait to hear about your visit to the Jail!

Oh, and we've seen that military museum before but never taken the time to go in. We weren't really sure if it was open.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

This is a great trip report. I love all of your pictures. Especially the graveyard. If you ever get a chance to come to Michigan you have to go to Mackinac Island and visit St. Anne's. It is awesome and has quite a history.

As you can probably tell I love history and historical places. Ok I'm ready to go to the jail now :banana:

[stefa70 205]

Tom, been busy the last two days, but I HAVE been keeping up! Looks like a nice, romantic, relaxing trip. Great pictures, and yes, I oohed and aahed over the railings.

Love the ghost stuff. Love to hear about it, see pictures and love to watch any of the shows on tv (Ghost Hunters, Ghost Lab, Paranormal State.....) Would love to do an official tour, but I probably wouldn't sleep for a week. Hubby gets mad that I'll watch those shows, then make him follow me to the bathroom, while I turn on every available light I can find on the way!

Keep it coming!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Ohhh and Ahhh @ the railings!

Tom- more great photos.

So what is the story on the natural cemetery? Why do they let it get overgrown like that?

TCD

[Just Whipperwhirl 24]

I am late to this report - Great job so far and Happy Anniversary! We are celebrating 15 years this year also.

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

We have visited Charleston at least 15 times over the last 18 years. It amazes me how much of the city I still haven't seen

Agree -- we saw a completely different side of Charleston when we were there last year. This TR has been GREAT! Now I'm ready to go back again.

anolefan, did you get to try any joggleboards at any of these historic spots? I wanted so badly to get one for our porch at home!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Everybody say ooooooh ahhhhh. :)

Ohhh-HANA!!!

Oh, you said ooooooh ahhhhh. Nevermind.

And stop it with all the ghost talk. :popo: You are really freaking me out here! I mean, that is kind of a scary story. Not as scary as a pic of Devine, or God forbid of TCD eating a Nuremburg sausage, but freaky nonetheless. Pretty cool though.

And finally, I am in Charleston right now! Well, in the airport anyways. Flew in yesterday, drove to Myrtle Beach for work, and now am flying back out. Sorry to say I had no time to enjoy the city at all. I'll have to get back!

[SCTigerCock 171]

And finally, I am in Charleston right now! Well, in the airport anyways. Flew in yesterday, drove to Myrtle Beach for work, and now am flying back out. Sorry to say I had no time to enjoy the city at all. I'll have to get back!

Why didn't you tell me Dave? I would have brought you some boiled p-nuts, grits, and pickeled pig feet so you didn't have to rely on Airport food. The least I could do for the king of Ohhh-Hana. :suspense:

[anolefan 8]

What a fun report!!! We also love Charleston. A few summers ago, we took my SiL, BiL, and niece with us for a long weekend at Folly when they were visiting. After a long day of walking and sight-seeing, we rewarded my niece with some "free time" in that fountain outside your hotel. There were kids all over it - they were all having a blast!!!

Unitarian Cemetery is a "must see" for me, too. Thanks for all the beautiful pics! Can't wait to hear about your visit to the Jail!

Oh, and we've seen that military museum before but never taken the time to go in. We weren't really sure if it was open.

Thanks for the comments!

That fountain was super busy all day long. I secretly wanted to play in it, but thought I might get some strange looks.

This is a great trip report. I love all of your pictures. Especially the graveyard. If you ever get a chance to come to Michigan you have to go to Mackinac Island and visit St. Anne's. It is awesome and has quite a history.

As you can probably tell I love history and historical places. Ok I'm ready to go to the jail now :banana:

Thanks for continuing to follow along!

A few jail photos are coming up shortly.

Tom, been busy the last two days, but I HAVE been keeping up! Looks like a nice, romantic, relaxing trip. Great pictures, and yes, I oohed and aahed over the railings.

Love the ghost stuff. Love to hear about it, see pictures and love to watch any of the shows on tv (Ghost Hunters, Ghost Lab, Paranormal State.....) Would love to do an official tour, but I probably wouldn't sleep for a week. Hubby gets mad that I'll watch those shows, then make him follow me to the bathroom, while I turn on every available light I can find on the way!

Keep it coming!

Thanks S70! I have never had any experiences like the ones I wrote about. It really was kind of an odd feeling.

I can say I'm definitely more likely to watch those shows now though!

Ohhh and Ahhh @ the railings!

Tom- more great photos.

So what is the story on the natural cemetery? Why do they let it get overgrown like that?

TCD

Thanks Andrew!

I didn't really get a back story on the reason the cemetery is left to grow naturally over the graves. The only thing I could find is that it is deliberately done and the only thing that is cleared are the walkways.

I am late to this report - Great job so far and Happy Anniversary! We are celebrating 15 years this year also.

Thank you for joining in and Happy Anniversary to you! I'm just about putting this one to bed. Probably one or two updates at the most.

[anolefan 8]

Agree -- we saw a completely different side of Charleston when we were there last year. This TR has been GREAT! Now I'm ready to go back again.

anolefan, did you get to try any joggleboards at any of these historic spots? I wanted so badly to get one for our porch at home!

Thank you!

We did not do the joggleboards, but saw them at several locations. I honestly didn't know what they were until we were driving home and stopped at a little museum and plantation home off of I-95. They had one along with an explanation of the history of the boards.

Now I'm wanting one for my porch, but those things are huge :)

Ohhh-HANA!!!

Oh, you said ooooooh ahhhhh. Nevermind.

And stop it with all the ghost talk. :popo: You are really freaking me out here! I mean, that is kind of a scary story. Not as scary as a pic of Devine, or God forbid of TCD eating a Nuremburg sausage, but freaky nonetheless. Pretty cool though.

And finally, I am in Charleston right now! Well, in the airport anyways. Flew in yesterday, drove to Myrtle Beach for work, and now am flying back out. Sorry to say I had no time to enjoy the city at all. I'll have to get back!

Good one Dave! I laughed out loud at that one!

Too bad you didn't get a day to explore, I know you would have had a blast.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I am late to this report - Great job so far and Happy Anniversary! We are celebrating 15 years this year also.

Us too! :heart:

[anolefan 8]

I think I will be able to finish this report up with either this post or the next.

After we left the Unitarian Church we walked to the Old City Jail, which was a few blocks away. We were originally going to take the Old Jail Ghost Tour, but after reading the reviews online, we found out that we would have to walk alone about 7 blocks to meet the tour guide at the jail. I wasn't into walking with just the two of us to an old haunted jail then back afterward.

The jail itself has a very creepy appearance. Apparently there were thousands of inmates that died there during imprisonment. The only way you can gain access is to take the tour, and since TCD's cousin was not along with us, we were only able to get photos from the outside.

I can imagine what the inside looks like.

Looks like something straight out of a horror movie doesn't it?

After the jail, we went to eat at Poogan's Porch. This place was awesome! We had fried chicken sliders and a wonderful cheeseburger. The biscuits and honey butter were amazing!

There is history of hauntings here also, involving the original house owner and believe it or not, Poogan, the neighborhood dog who the restaurant is named after, and is buried right in the front yard!

After lunch we visited the Heyward-Washington house on Church St. This house was rented out to George Washington during his week long stay here in 1791.

Here is the detached kitchen and laundry house.

Here is a nice statue in the garden behind the house.

There were two things that we thought were rather amusing during our stay.

1. The amount of joggers in the city. I have never seen so many people running all day, every day.

2. The amount of searsucker suits we saw during our stay. I know my fashion sense is pretty bad, but searsucker? Really?

And as we were waiting for our car at the hotel, I captured this guy.

Not quite as scary as TCD's encounter, but you never know...

I thought I could wrap this up with this post, but I'm pretty tired, so I'll get to it in the morning.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Good now I have something to look forward to tomorrow. :banana: That jail does look scary, I bet it would have been a neat tour. Poogan's Porch sounds fun too. Till tomorrow :popcorn:

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Now that's one spooky looking place, right there!

The biscuits and honey butter were amazing!

Not quite as scary as TCD's encounter, but you never know...

I dunno.... roll the clock back 30+ years and I'm pretty sure this is the guy...

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I dunno.... roll the clock back 30+ years and I'm pretty sure this is the guy...

Oy!

I did not need to see that!

There ought to be a law against public accordion playing.

It should apply to everyone.

But especially to hippies.

TCD

[anolefan 8]

Good now I have something to look forward to tomorrow. :banana: That jail does look scary, I bet it would have been a neat tour. Poogan's Porch sounds fun too. Till tomorrow :popcorn:

I'm down to the last post and this TR will be in the books.

Thanks for reading along.

I dunno.... roll the clock back 30+ years and I'm pretty sure this is the guy...

Scarier than any ghost encounter ever!

The funniest part is while replying to your post I just saw the guys name! Hilarious, Worlds First Psychedelic Accordionist!

[anolefan 8]

If you are still reading along then you have made it to my final update for this trip.

We left off at the hotel waiting for our car to go visit another plantation house.

We decided we would head over the bridge to Mount Pleasant and visit Boone Hall Plantation. Boone Hall is the oldest working, living plantations. It has been operating for over 320 years growing crops. That is pretty impressive!

We drove up on The Avenue of Oaks which was pretty neat.

Unfortunately the shot through the front window is not the best.

I know that they used this plantation to film North and South, and as my wife reminded me, The Notebook. And while the plantation itself was historic, I personally found it to be just okay. The house is one of many to have been built here and is not that old, being built in the 1930's.

The garden on either side of the walkway to the main house was nice.

Here is the old smokehouse.

Here is a shot of the slave quarters. Originally there were 27 buildings here. These are all that remain. Each building has a different history teaching inside. We toured each building and it made me very sad.

I didn't get a picture of it, but as we walked to the butterfly garden we passed through the cafe. A sign on the door read "wifi now available". I thought that was funny. Nothing says 1800's like cruising the internet in comfortable air conditioned cafe.

I was able to get one Monarch Butterfly to stay still long enough to get a photo.

We headed back to Charleston and wanted to get a picture of one more house that we had heard about on our Ghost Walk. Has anyone ever heard of The Whistling Doctor? Well apparently he rented out a room at this house and could be heard whistling as he walked the streets of Charleston and also in his room at the house by other tenants. Supposedly he also was one of the unlucky ones who, during a duel in duelers alley, was shot and ended up passing away in his room at the house. The sign says his ghost still inhabits the house, and according to our tour guide, can be heard whistling through the streets of Charleston. That is the last ghost story I have, but I imagine there are a bunch more in the houses and streets of Charleston.

After visiting that house we walked back to the Saffron Bakery and enjoyed eating these treats in our room.

And with that, I'm done. We got up the next morning, got ready, and made the 7 1/2 hour journey home.

We had a blast and I hope you all enjoyed the report. If you haven't been to Charleston, I definitely recommend it. It is a wonderful place to visit, and we have some great memories that we will recall forever. Thank you for following along and participating in my report.

Oh yea, I do have one more picture. If anyone has ever had to travel the awful route 301 in Florida, there is this little town called Waldo. Every time we drive through here I have always wanted to get a photo of this, but never have.

I present to you my DW in the world's largest Adirondack chair!

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to click on this report over and over again until I get it to 1000 views. :rofl2:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Bravo!

Bravo!

You did a great job on this report.

It makes me want to visit Charleston.

I hope this report gets more views.

It deserves it.

Thanks for taking the time to post it.

TCD

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Let me help you out with the view count, Tom. This was a great report, with awesome pictures. It brought back some good memories and pointed out areas that I want to visit. Thanks for sharing your anniversary with us. :heart:

[SCTigerCock 171]

Awesome TR! Happy to know you enjoyed Chucktown. :dance:

Boone Hall hosts the LowCounty Oyster Festival every year in January. Something to look into, even if you don't enjoy oysters. Just go early, traffic is a nightmare.

http://boonehallplantation.com/annual_oyster_roast.php