The Charleston Pit Stop
The first time I visited Charleston, SC, was about 12 years ago when Joe and I were on our way to camp on the beach of St. Augustine, Florida. It was raining pretty hard and we only stayed about an hour. We visited Battery Park and the historic City Market and vowed to come back.
That happened on the way home from Folly Beach Island, where Joe and I were on vacation with our sons, Josh and Dylan, and our grandsons, Bryce and Liam. We stopped on our way to a barn raising at Josh’s place near Asheville, NC. This time, we also didn’t stay long, not because it was raining but because it was hot and President Obama was in town (for the funeral of the innocent victims of the Charleston church shootings). We had hoped to take a horse buggy tour of the city but most of the buggy tours weren’t running and many of the streets were closed down.
That’s okay. There was lots to do at Battery Park.
The canons were real, but the openings were cemented shut because tourists used to shove stuff inside them, I heard a tour guide say. Here’s what one online site wrote about it: A lovely spot on the waterfront that features southern mansions, cannons, cannon balls, oak trees, palmettos, statues, a gazebo, and incredible views of Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, and the Sullivan Island Lighthouse.
There was a cool tree canopy and some strange birds that Liam took a liking to.
Speaking of Liam, I love this shot of him because he asked me to take it of him (which I believe was a first) and he posed so sweetly.
Besides the strange birds, we also met a tiny pony, a service animal its owner said.
We also visited the City Market. It stretches four city blocks. I bought a hand fan, Bryce browsed a Lego display. We got some lunch somewhere up in a balcony room where Liam spilled his water and the waitress frantically wiped it up because she said if she wasn’t quick it would drip down on customers below.
So that’s all she wrote. Once again, we just skimmed the surface of Charleston. Another trip is in order, soon.
_________Shadow Shot Sunday
July 10th, 2015 4:14 pm
I cannot get over how big the boys have gotten…..It just seems as if time has truly flown by….I remember how excited you were when Bryce was born and then Liam, too—-and look at them now….So wonderful to take a trip like that with them at this time in both their lives. Lovely pictures, my dear……A sad sad time in Charleston—–But sweet that you found lovely things to do, anyway.
July 10th, 2015 7:16 pm
Our great-grandsons were born there and It is a beautiful city. I am glad for the flag coming down, sad that it took something so horrible to motivate the lawmakers to do what should have been done a long time ago.
July 10th, 2015 8:36 pm
One of my favorite cities!! So sorry for their tragedy.
July 11th, 2015 6:32 am
I’ve enjoyed the photos you’ve posted of your family trip. Charleston is such a lovely area. Wish we lived close enough to visit more often. Have you spent much time in Savannah? It’s another southeast coastal city steeped in colonial history and endless beauty, a place I still enjoy after many years of frequent visits.
July 11th, 2015 12:19 pm
what a lovely place to visit! Great photos of your cute family!
July 11th, 2015 8:20 pm
I’d love to visit the SC Low Country and Charleston someday for the gastronomic treats (although a fave down there, oysters, I’ve not quite developed a taste for), but someday…Liam’s pose is adorable indeed!
July 12th, 2015 6:47 am
A shady city! (In more ways than one, I suspect.)
Shadows in the Plaza
July 12th, 2015 2:00 pm
How cool that Liam got to do a ‘staredown’ with a bird above him in the tree!
Loved that last shadow too-a keeper!
July 12th, 2015 2:46 pm
I loved your photos of Battery Park, particularly the miniature pony and the nicely bent branch of the tree.
Have a Wonderful Day!
Peace 🙂
July 13th, 2015 1:05 am
I was there decades ago but didn’t see much of the city. Love the tiny pony!