Touring Charleston

When my daughter heard we were visiting Charleston, South Carolina again, she asked, in a voice tired of asking the question, "Haven't you seen all there is to see down there?"

Somehow, no. Though we've taken carriage and walking tours, read articles and field guides, and had long discussions with others familiar with the city's history, time and events that shaped South Carolina and the United States have packed so much into the settlement established in 1680, I can't learn it all despite my efforts to do so. But I keep trying.

How?

Tours

Visitors to Charleston have at their disposal, a variety of informative carriage and walking tours. Most companies offer several routes, so if I take a carriage ride in the morning and hop onto another later that afternoon, chances are I'll see a different side of the city. Different streets. Different buildings. More history. Some companies also offer architecture tours. Others focus on photography or Charleston's ghostly past.

Self-guided tours are also available. Whatever I choose, I know I'll learn about the city.

For a different perspective, I can also choose a guided tour of the harbor once blockaded by the British, Blackbeard, and then Union forces. Travel to Fort Sumter, or take a watery ghost tour to learn even more about the city that once aspired to become the Queen of the South.

Museums

As I mentioned in a previous post, Charleston has a creature called Museum Mile. On this occasion, we spent time in Stop 2: the Charleston Museum. The artifacts, reproductions, old photos, clothing, maps and more not only overwhelmed us in their number and explanations, they taught us more about eras we were familiar with—and some we weren't. I took notes and photos (no flash, please!) and said what every other visitor probably said as they walked through the exit doors: I need to go back.

There are fifteen stops in the Museum Mile in a one-mile range. And that's not counting the twelve churches located in the historic district. Just more to see on return visits.

Reference Materials

I also like to tour Charleston at home. On each of our trips, we make it a habit to peruse the regional section of the closest Barnes & Noble. While in Charleston, we also stop in the Waldenbooks located at the corner of Meeting and Market. There, I generally find books I wouldn't have known to buy. On this visit, to expand my Charleston collection and my knowledge of the Holy City, I purchased Charleston: Then and Now by W. Chris Phelps, Charleston Icons, and A Walking Tour of The Walled City (Kindle download). At the Charleston Museum, I bought The Scourging Wrath of God: Early Hurricanes in Charleston, 1700 - 1804.

No doubt, I'll buy more on our next visit. As I've learned, there's always something new to see in Charleston, and I love touring the city in Lowcountry style.

Touring the SC Lowcountry

Charming one-room houses with piazzas overlooking lush courtyards. Churches with columns, pediments, and soaring steeples. Buildings drenched with history. All and more were on our mind when we traveled to South Carolina's Lowcountry for a self-guided tour of Charleston.

Friend and new author Shannon McNear accompanied us on the excursion. Shannon not only sets her stories in the Lowcountry, she steeps herself in historical research, going as far as visiting archeological sites to get a sense of the layout. She also holds what artifacts she's permitted to handle to feel the weight and texture of the material. Her knowledge and resources enhanced our tour, as did her sparking personality and sense of humor.

Using Shannon's worn pamphlet, we began our tour at the open-air market on Market Street. Built around 1841, the market is filled with vendors selling hats, duplications of historical prints, famous "Sweetgrass" baskets and more. After purchasing a few items, we walked down Church Street to the first stop on our list, St Philip's.

A national landmark, St Philip's dates back to 1681. It's a favorite for Church historians and those photographing quintessential Charleston. On this occasion, our goal wasn't the building itself, but the cemetery on its grounds and across the street. Charleston's cemeteries are history books. One doesn't have to walk far to see the names Alston, Pringle, Pinckney and others who did much to shape Charleston, and South Carolina's history.

Though one does need to search for headstones in places they wouldn't think to look. We found markers embedded in sidewalks and running alongside the walls.

Across the street from the church, adjacent to the auxiliary cemetery, I spotted something we'd missed on earlier visits. A sign on a tall, black wrought-iron gate that read "Pirates Courtyard". A shadowed walkway so narrow, two could not walk down it side-by-side led to a grassy area barely visible behind the building. But was it public or private? That question kept us from stepping foot on the pirates' rest. I've yet to find an explanation on the web. However, this spot is listed on at least one ghost tour, so we'll check it out during our next visit.

For information on the history of St. Philip's, go to www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/charleston/stp.htm

We continued our tour of churches and cemeteries, houses and alleys, inspecting the interior of St. Michael's and the Huguenot church. The exterior of tenement houses built in the 1600s. The restaurant on Unity Alley where George Washington ate during his visit to the Lowcountry. The oldest homes in the city, noting stucco covering brick in some places, and where visible, the straight mortar between bricks that seemed to be too small for their slots.

At lunchtime, we stopped at Carolina's Bistro where we discussed history and storyline while dining on Cauliflower soup, truffle fries and pasta. Refreshed, we took up our tour again, and were soon reminded history is on every corner of Charleston, even in the people we encountered in the streets.

On our way back to Market Street, we met a man doing repair work on one of Charleston's historic churches. He took time to explain why the mortar joints of many homes and brick fences looked so straight (leveled with a razor) and that stucco covered some walls because the soft, oyster-shell-and-limestone bricks slowly disintegrate in the Lowcountry climate. A beneficial stop not mentioned in the tour book. Minutes later, we happened on another vendor selling the famous Sweetgrass baskets. Just one of many ties that bind Charleston's history to the present.

 

Shannon chats with a basket maker

For those unfamiliar, this particular art of basketweaving originated in African. The descendants of slaves who brought the art with them continue the tradition, selling them in the market, streets, or booths along Highway 17 as previous generations had, though many now sell their baskets online. The pricetag often shocks tourists, but the process is time consuming, often taking twelve to twenty-four hours depending on the size of the basket, and all baskets are handmade. It's interesting to note that a former missionary I once worked with gave me a basket she'd purchased in Uganda. It is worked exactly as some of the baskets Charleston weavers make today.

For more information on the history and cultural importance of these baskets, click here for an abstract. I also recommend Mary Alice Monroe's novel, Sweetgrass.

Hours after beginning our tour, we said goodbye to Shannon and headed up Highway 17, taking a quick detour at the Waterfront Park near Patriot's Point for a shot of the Ravenel Bridge.

But we weren't finished yet. When traveling between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, we love to stop at two jewels in the Lowcountry's crown: Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet. Off season is a great time to visit "The Hammock Coast". Hotel prices are lower, camping spots more likely to be available, and more sand is visible on the beach. Though it appears bars have more of a presence in Murrells Inlet than they had in previous visits, Huntington Beach State Park, Brookgreen Gardens, the Marshwalk and your choice of seafood restaurants makes Murells Inlet worth the stop.
Note: if you're on a budget, check out the restaurant's menu before walking inside. On a recommendation, we ate at Lee's Inlet Kitchen. The food is great, and their hush puppies addicting, but at this writing, entrees range from $17.95 to $36.95.

A final note: We usually avoid Myrtle Beach. I prefer trail getaways to crowds and traffic. But since it is low season, we decided to explore on this occasion, and I found I'd been suffering from a case of not seeing the forest for the kitschy trees. In addition to numerous accesses to long stretches of sandy beach, Myrtle Beach is home to a lovely state park. It's now on our To-Do list. For more information, go to South Carolina's Myrtle Beach State Park site.

Savannah River Queen's Sightseeing Tour

Relive a bygone era...

So the brochure for the Savannah River Queen states. That and the sight of that majestic boat floating on the Savannah River reinforced every notion we had about the trip, and as one who loves Savannah, it pains me to admit we had a horrendous experience. But stick with me, because I have what I hope is good news.

We traveled to Savannah last week for a conference on, of all things, architecture (so fitting for that grand town.) While there, I indulged in what I promise you was research for my novel-in-progress. A pivotal scene takes place in Savannah, and I had to experience several things first-hand--including a ride on the riverboat. After the conference, we went to ballast-stone covered River Street and purchased two tickets for the one-hour narrated tour on the Savannah River Boat Queen.

I was thrilled. Long ago I took a ride on the Belle of Louisville and the experience left me wanting more. This was my husband's first such ride, and I'd hoped it would be as special. After boarding, we went to the promenade deck (via steep steps. The boat doesn't have an elevator) and settled at a table on a covered patio. But while the brochure talks of tales and historic facts and a river once used by founders, in reality, we went past factories, warehouses, and the biggest pile of scrap metal we've ever seen:



And the captain talked about each of these as we went. This was so far from the romanticized version I had, and had written in my novel, that I was almost sick. Though my husband tells me the queasiness may have been caused by the fumes from a passing refinery. I know the particles had me coughing a time or two.

So was there an upside to the cruise? We did see a few interesting sights:

And of course, the view of River Street from the boat is worth climbing those steps:


But at $18.95 a person, it simply isn't worth the price.

So what's the good news? I called the company today and found out the captain doesn't always head toward the industry section. At times, they sail eastward toward Fort Pulaski.

After what we went through, I had to ask. "Why don't they go in that direction all the time?" I'm told it depends on river traffic and, "there isn't anything to see." The rep I spoke to obviously didn't take the refinery tour.

But there's more good news. The Riverboat Company, which runs the boat, offers longer dinner, brunch, Gospel, and--this has to be the best--moonlight cruises. Imagine that boat lit up like a grand chandelier skimming over dark waters. Could anything be more romantic? While I haven't yet taken any of these tours, judging from our experience, they should provide the passenger with distractions that will help make the cruise a memorable one.

Which is good for my novel, since my characters are taking the dinner cruise. Guess what direction the captain chooses on that trip!

Would I take another ride on the Savannah River Queen? If it were the dinner or moonlight cruise, if I knew we would be heading east, and if I had a coupon (I'm cheap), I would be willing to give it another try. So don't totally discount this attraction. Just be aware of what you may encounter.

If I didn't talk you out of it, for more information on Savanna River Queen tours, go to www.savannahriverboat.com/

And be prepared to ask questions.

Touring Savannah with Oglethorpe

Though we've visited Savannah several times in the last few years and have learned much about that city's history and culture, we decided to take a guided tour during a recent visit to expand our knowledge and, like hunters seeking pirate treasure, to search for sights unknown. To this end, I picked up a brochure for Oglethorpe Tours at our hotel. The promise of a 90-minute excursion for $10.00 a person grabbed me, so off we went to check it out.

As has become our custom, we parked in the public garage at Abercorn and Bryan Street. This garage is a half block from Bay Street, which runs parallel to River Street and the Savannah River. It's convenient and therefore, considering the cost of parking meters and the strain on ones feet, cost effective.

We walked to Bay Street, where I realized I failed to memorize the departure point. A quick call to directory assistance connected me to the company, and the driver offered to rendezvous with us at Johnson Square. I'm still trying to decide if that was a good decision. As it turns out, Oglethorpe Tours will transport you anywhere you want to go in the Historic District after the tour is over. In addition, if you need transportation within the district later in the day, you can call the company and they'll shuttle you (service ends at 5:30 PM.) So when we boarded the windowless trolley at Johnson Square, we were boarding at the end of the tour when the driver was dropping people off. We didn't arrive at the Visitor's Center--where the tour begins, folks--for another half hour.

On the upside, it began to rain during that time, and we saw parts of Savannah we didn't know existed in relative comfort as we snaked our way down narrow streets. More on the rain later, so keep reading.

We'd taken a carriage tour of Savannah on the occasion of our first trip to the setting of the infamous Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and in addition to learning about Savannah's history, we received a great overview of the city. I was curious to see if this tour would differ, and if so, how.

While our guide took us to the standard stops: the Green-Meldrim house, where Sherman stayed during the Savannah leg of his March to the Sea; the home of Girl Scout founder, Juliette Gordon Low; the Mercer home; Colonial Cemetery, and more, she also took us to City Market, which we somehow missed on previous visits, and nearby Franklin Square, home of the Haitian Memorial, erected to honor the Haitians who fought in the Revolutionary War. We also saw an evangelist get arrested (lower left):

Freedom of speech and religion as long as you have a permit, eh? Soon after, we saw the Pirates House and heard the story of how the buccaneers shanghaied young men using tunnels and impressed them into the pirate life. We saw much, and the tour was definitely worth the money, but one of the most fascinating aspects of the trip was our guide herself, Margie.

Margie isn't an export. She's pure Savannah, and if you've done a bit of reading on the city, you'll know quaint of the eccentric kind isn't just the style, it seems to a requirement. As that quaintness makes Savannah more interesting, so did Margie lend a more unique element to our tour. She's gregarious. She's hilarious. And she's also terrified of thunderstorms, so you can imagine how she felt when a storm cell passed directly over the city in the middle of the tour.

While researching small towns in the southern Louisiana area for my first, a.k.a. practice novel, Marching to Zion, I came across one of those stories about a southern lady who faced down a union commander who demanded she leave her home so he could destroy it. I think that lil' ol' steel magnolia gave the commander a piece of her mind served with a side of sweet potatoes.

I'm proud to say our darling, southern-stock Margie was no different. While cloud to ground lightning bolts zinged nearby, knocking out power in some places, Margie's trembling hand pointed to the old dueling grounds near Colonial Cemetery. When thunder blasted overhead, she pulled the trolley off the road in front of the old Telfair Hospital, counted to ten, and then proceeded to give us several detailed stories about Mary Telfair and her sister, Margaret, and Mary's philanthropic work in Savannah. The storm raged overhead, but Margie shook her fists at it (after she covered her ears with them) and rallied on. I'd have to take another tour to be sure, but because of her determination, I think we received twice the information we would have on another tour, or with another guide. So Margie, if you're reading this, thanks for making our trip to Savannah memorable.

As I mentioned earlier, the trolley is windowless to give you an unimpeded view of the city. However, it is equipped with clear sheets attached to the roof, which we unrolled and secured to the side of the vehicle so we could continue the tour in the rain. We got a bit wet before that though, as did the seats, which Margie happily dried for us.

According to their website, Oglethorpe Tours offers three different excursion. They have a variety of stops throughout the Historic District, and again, the tours are only $10.00 per person. Well worth the money, especially if Margie is your guide.