More Walking Tour Shots

Charleston is such a pretty town that I figured I'd post a few more photos from our walking tour of the old downtown section.

This is the Market Street area not far from where we parked. We had a good time strolling along this part of the town, shopping and deciding on a restaurant for lunch. Carole bought a pair of silver earrings in that mall.

Carole in the restaurant. We liked this place. The weather was very pleasant and it felt good to sit in the outside area for our lunch.

We saw a number of these merchants selling woven baskets. They're very pretty and imaginative. All of them claim to be authentic Gullah artisans.

This is the old Customs House. Nice building.

One comes across a lot of these very cool alleyways between the buildings. I suppose all of the streets were once paved with brick and river rock.

Along The Battery.

Another shot of the cool fountain in the park.

This pier is also along The Battery.

Another view of that strange Confederate monument.

One of the colorful apartment buildings on the waterfront.

This was the largest church on Church Street. It's quite an impressive structure.

And, last, a composite I made of one of the cemeteries that we strolled past. This time, the spirits allowed a clear picture. (Click to embiggen.)

Charleston, South Carolina

One of the highlights of our trip was a walking tour of Charleston, South Carolina. We had our travel trailer parked at Edisto Island State Park campground. The drive into Charleston took us about one hour. It had been many years since I'd been to Charleston. A few days after Hugo hit, in fact. So it had been pretty much twenty years to the day since I'd set foot in that city. And of course it was nothing like the ruin I had witnessed then.

If there was a city in the deep South where I could retire and be happy to live in, it would likely be Charleston. The downtown area around the Battery is absolutely charming and glaringly beautiful. There's real history here. As close to true old history as you're likely to encounter here in the USA. The houses hint of a time long gone; the streets still seem something like those days; the people are the same faces that would look back at you should you have found yourself walking those avenues two hundred years ago.

Carole and I had a great time walking around downtown. We shopped on Market Street and had lunch at a nice open air restaurant. We then strolled up and down streets and alleys taking it all in. We walked along the water and looked out into the bay. We took photos of old churches and monuments. Returning on the wide loop we traced on those brick roads we stopped and had expensive, rich ice cream cones.

It was a wonderful way to share the day, and we both had a lot of fun.

This is where we parked on Market Street to shop and begin our two-hour walking tour.

Very happy me in the open-air restaurant where we had lunch.

Carole shopping in the mall along Market Street.

One of many scenic street views along our walk.

Carole splashing around in a public fountain near The Battery.

I like all of the horse-drawn carriages around. We thought about taking one of these tours, but opted for a self-guiding walkabout.

Obligatory photo with cannon and mortars.

One amazing part of the city are the vast numbers of stunning old homes and apartments.

What's a walking tour of Charleston without taking a shot of a cemetery? I took this photo and for some reason it came out all wonky! Discolored and pixilated! Were the spirits at work? Who knows??!!

This was a monument in honor of the Confederate (and apparently gay) defenders of Fort Sumter.

Chalk Up Another Camera to the Nature Gods

We're back from the South Carolina coast. I'm still a bit weak, but getting better. I'll post more later.

As usual, I managed to find some nice nature spots. This huge live oak was located in the Old Charles Towne park near Charleston. A very impressive tree, but of course not the biggest live oak I've ever seen. Still worth noting.

This trip was memorable because I lost both a wrist watch and a digital camera to the ocean. Luckily, both were inexpensive. But still a pain in the ass. Also, I took along a second digital camera. My old reliable Canon Powershot A80 that is still going after all these years.

Nice oak in Old Charles Towne.