We left the Outer Banks on Sunday and headed back to the mainland. We had planned to continue south along the coast but due to the effects of hurricane Dorian we were unable to get to the Ocracoke which was very badly affected. We spent Sunday night in Greenville, NC and drove on to Wilmington, NC on Monday. We stayed right on the riverfront and we were able to enjoy walking along the Riverwalk with great views of Cape Fear river and the WWII Battleship, the North Carolina which is moored across the river.
Tuesday morning saw us drive back to the coast, stopping for a walk on Ocean Isle Beach and an overnight stay in Myrtle Beach, SC - another lovely beach. We were pleased that it was off season and very peaceful as it gets so crowded in high season.
On Wednesday morning we drove to Charleston, stopping for lunch in T.W. Graham & Co, in sleepy McClennanville, SC.
We had read that this was where you could get the best fried veggies and fresh seafood in the whole darn state! So of course we had to see if this was true. And it was! We had lovely fried green tomatoes and the freshest shrimp ever!
Then it was on to Charleston, SC. Charleston is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the South and really is very charming. But we cannot forget a tragic part of its history - that it was a key port and trade center for the slave industry and bustling slave auction houses clustered near the Cooper river to the east of the city’s downtown area.
On Thursday morning we took the hotel shuttle into downtown Charleston and strolled up to Liberty Square which was the point of departure for a visit to Fort Sumter. The Fort is an island fortification about 30 minutes by boat from downtown Charleston. It was here on Fort Sumter that the opening shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12th, 1861. Once we disembarked, a Park Ranger gave us a short history of the role played by Fort Sumter in the Civil War.
After lunch and back in downtown, we did a little sightseeing and saw the Pineapple Fountain which is a focal point of the Waterfront area. It was in the low 90s and very humid so Sylvia went ankle wading in the fountain! Pineapple motifs are very common in Charleston and represent hospitality.
We then walked along Rainbow Row which is a series of 13 colourful historic houses and is the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the USA.
On Friday morning, I headed into downtown and strolled (too hot and humid to go any faster) through parts of historic Charleston and admired the beautiful churches and mansions.
Outside the Charleston Museum, there is a full size model of the H. L. Hunley, which was the first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship, on the night of 17th February, 1864.
On Saturday morning we spent a short time in the Farmers’ market in downtown Charleston and then headed out of the city to visit Magnolia Plantation, one of the plantations along the Ashley River. On a tour of the house we learned that it was founded in 1676 by the Drayton family who own it to this day. It has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of the American nation unfold before it from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond. It is the oldest public tourist site in this part of the country, and the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870.
Once we left there, it was a short drive to Kiawah Island where we plan to go cycling and chill - even in these 90+ degrees.
Great pics. Surprised some of those lovely old buildings survived the ravaging of the Feds in the Civil War. You must have clocked up about 800 US miles by now.
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful, particularly that seafood lunch - enjoy!
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