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St. Michael’s Church

February 26, 2009
The pulpit in St. Michael's Church, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

The pulpit in St. Michael's Church, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

The picture above was taken in June, 2007, of the pulpit in St. Michaels Church, Charleston, South Carolina.  Betsy and I attended Sunday services at the church and toured the sanctuary after the service.

St. Michael’s Church is the oldest church building in the City of Charleston, standing on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia.  The cornerstone for St. Michael’s was laid in 1752 and in 1761 the church was opened for services.  The only change to the structure of the building was the addition of a sacristy in 1883.  St. Michael’s is one of the few city churches in America that has retained its original design.

The pulpit is the original one, remarkable for both its height and the sounding board supported by two Corinthian columns.  The panel on the front of the pulpit was taken as war booty after the War Between the States and then later voluntarily returned and replaced on the pulpit.  The base of the pulpit still shows the scar caused by a shell which exploded in the church during the Federal bombardment of the city in 1865.

The pews in the church are very much as they have always been.  There is a large, long double-pew in the center of the church, No. 43, originally known as “The Governor’s Pew”.  George Washington sat in that pew during worship on May 8, 1791, and General Robert E. Lee worshipped in this same pew during the first year of the Civil War.

St. Michael’s is a beautiful church.  If you are interested, more pictures of St. Michael’s Church can be found HERE.

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Posted in Travels | 19 Comments »

St. Lucia’s Drive-In Volacano

February 9, 2009
Volcano on St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

Volcano on St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned in a post that Betsy and I had taken a catamaran to Soufriere, St. Lucia, and had seen a drive-in volcano.  Several people commented on that, so I thought I would share some more information about the volcano.  The picture above is one I took of the volcano when we were there.

The St. Lucia volcano, also called the St. Lucia sulphur springs, last erupted in the late 1700s.  That eruption was only a steam eruption and did not involve magma and ash.  Although there are signs of activity, such as boiling mud, and water and steam emerging from the crater, the volcano is dormant.

The caldera of the volcano is believed to be connected to the ocean because there tends to be an increase in activity during a full moon, which causes high tides.

Walking in the crater is now prohibited after a guide fell into a pool of boiling water when he was jumping up and down on the surface crust.  Fortunately the pool was only waist deep, so he was rescued, although he did suffer severe burns.  Visitors are now confined to a boardwalk behind a guardrail.  You can still smell the sulphur from the boardwalk, however.

St. Lucia’s volcano is just one more attraction on an island that is full of them.  I would certainly like to go back there.  If Betsy needs an additional reason to go back, I’ve even found a waterfall we could visit!

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Scenic Sunday # 30

February 7, 2009
The Palmer House, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

The Palmer House, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it, is of the Palmer Home located near the Battery (5 East Battery) in Charleston, South Carolina.  For fairly obvious reasons, the Palmer Home is commonly known as ‘The Pink Palace’.  This picture was taken in June, 2008, when Betsy and I visited Charleston while on a trip to celebrate our anniversary.

The Palmer Home was built in 1848 by John Ravenel, but has been in the Palmer family for three generations.  The house is furnished with antiques dating back two hundred years.

The Palmer Home is now a bed and breakfast.  All the guest rooms are on the third floor and offer views of Charleston Harbor and Fort Sumter.  The room rates range from $165 to $375 per night, double occupancy.  In addition the carriage house, which can be glimpsed to the left in the picture, is available starting at $400 per night double occupancy.  Betsy and I did NOT stay here when we visited Charleston!

To see more beautiful scenes from around the world, or to join and post your own scenes, click HERE for Scenic Sunday.

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Posted in Travels | 33 Comments »

A Covered Bridge

February 2, 2009
The Covered Bridge at Lake County Fairgrounds. July, 2002.

The Covered Bridge at Lake County Fairgrounds. July, 2002.

My blogging friend Tarolino gave me the challenge of opening my fourth picture folder and displaying the fourth picture.  This is a tag that many of you have played, but I have never played this particular version.

The picture above is the covered bridge in the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown  Point, Indiana.  The picture was taken in July, 2002, when I took Betsy to visit my hometown.  The bridge, which was built in 1878, was constructed in southern Indiana, but moved to northern Indiana in 1933.  It’s been in the fairgrounds ever since.

When I was growing up I was in 4-H and exhibited livestock at the fair for several years.  I often crossed the bridge when I was exhibiting.  The pavilions in the background are more recent additions and were not there when I exhibits at the fair.

The Lake County Fairgrounds covered bridge. July, 2002.

The Lake County Fairgrounds covered bridge. July, 2002.

The bridge was (and is) in a wooded setting and is quite pretty.  This second picture (which was number 5 in the folder) gives a better perspective of the bridge’s setting in the fairgrounds.

I’m not going to tag any one.  If you would like to participate please do so.

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Scenic Sunday # 29

January 31, 2009
A beach scene on St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

A beach scene on St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

I mentioned in my last Scenic Sunday post that Betsy and I took a catamaran cruise down the west coast of St. Lucia to Soufriere when our cruise ship stopped at Castries, the capital.

The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it, was taken on our way back up the coast to Castries.  As we came up the coast we passed a resort (I’m sorry I don’t know the name) and the catamaran moved closer to the shore so we could get a better look.

As we came along this narrow palm-covered point of land I got this picture.  It has always looked to me what I thought a tropical paradise should look like.  And I don’t  mind telling you that I wouldn’t mind going back there.  Betsy likes the beach — do you think I could talk her into it?

To see more beautiful scenery from around the world, or to join us and post your own picture on Scenic Sunday, click HERE.

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Tall Ships

January 26, 2009
The Americo Vespucci, Norfolk, Virginia. June, 2000.

The Amerigo Vespucci, Norfolk, Virginia. June, 2000.

Sunday seemed rather chilly here in the Glade, so I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to organize some of my BB (Before Betsy) pictures.  That’s when I came across the picture above.

I have always enjoyed ships, especially sailing ships.  In my younger days I made ship models and I had one of Old Ironsides that took me seven years to complete.  In the spring of 2000 I went to Norfolk,  Virginia, with my daughter Kelly and her husband, Chuck, to see the tall ships.

The tall ships are large sailing ships from around the world.  Although the designs of the tall ships go back to the Age of Sail, most of the ships are relatively modern.  There are periodic races between the tall ships which bring the ships to many ports around the world.  In 2000 they stopped at Norfolk while on their way to New York.

Although there were nearly fifty ships in Norfolk, one that I especially enjoyed visiting was the Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian full-rigged three masted ship about 330 feet long.  The Vespucci is modeled after 18th century 74-cannon ships of the line, although it doesn’t carry any cannon.  The hull is painted black with two white stripes to designate what would be the two gun decks.

The Amerigo Vespucci is still used to train junior officers of the Italian navy, and is a beautiful ship.  If you enlarge the picture you can see some of the ornamentation on her stern.

With luck I can get Betsy to go with me to see the tall ships some time in the future.

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Posted in Travels | 28 Comments »

Scenic Sunday # 28

January 24, 2009
The Twin Pitons, St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

The Twin Pitons, St. Lucia. September 13, 2001.

The picture above (which can be enlarged by clicking on it) was taken from the deck of a catamaran off the coast of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.  The twin peaks shown are The Pitons (Les Pitons), St. Lucia’s most famous landmark.  The Pitons top 2,000 feet in height and flank the entrance to the town of Soufriere on the west coast of the island.

Our cruise ship had docked in the capital of St. Lucia, Castries, early in the morning and Betsy and I took a catamaran along the coast to Soufriere.  This picture was taken as the catamaran approached The Pitons.  After docking in the town we were taken to The Sulphur Springs, the world’s only drive-in volcano, and to a working plantation.  We then took the catamaran back to the cruise ship.

St. Lucia is a beautiful island and if you get the chance to visit I encourage you to do so.

To see more beautiful scenery from around the world, check Scenic Sunday by clicking HERE.

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Posted in Travels | 34 Comments »

Scenic Sunday 27

January 17, 2009
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. September, 2001.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. September, 2001.

The picture above, which can be enlarged by clicking on it,  was taken in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, in September, 2001.  It was taken on the first morning of our Caribbean cruise.  The ship had docked fairly early in the morning, and this is the scene Betsy and I saw as we had our breakfast.

St. Thomas was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493, but the first permanent European settlement didn’t come until nearly 200 years later when the Danish West India Company received its charter from King Christian V to occupy and take possession of St. Thomas and other nearby islands in 1671.

St. Thomas remained under Danish control (with a couple of short exceptions) until March 31, 1917, when it, St. Johns and St. Croix islands were purchased by the United States.

While eating our breakfast both Betsy and I were impressed by the blue of the sky and the deeper emerald blue of the waters of the sea.  We were also fascinated by the small boats in the harbor and the white houses dotting the mountain sides.

To see more beautiful scenes from around the world click HERE or on the logo below.

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Skywatch Friday 27

January 15, 2009
Little River Neck, South Carolina. June, 2001.

Little River Neck, South Carolina. June, 2001.

The picture above was taken in the early afternoon in June, 2001, on Little River Inlet in South Carolina.  The trees are on Little River Neck, a narrow strip of land between the inlet (part of the Intracoastal Waterway) and the Atlantic Ocean.  The clouds are forming over the ocean.  You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

I lived in the town of Little River, South Carolina, from 1998 – 2000.  Beautiful clear skies in the morning and early afternoon were often followed by clouds and a sea breeze in the afternoon, making for a very pleasant environment.

Betsy and I were on a cruise from Little River out into the Atlantic Ocean when this picture was taken.

If you would like to join the fun of Skywatch Friday or to see more pictures from around the world, click HERE or on the logo below.

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Watery Wednesday 18

January 13, 2009
The Ohio River, Madison, Indiana. August, 2008.

The Ohio River, Madison, Indiana. August, 2008.

The picture above was taken along the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana, in August, 2002.

Betsy and I were on a waterfalling vacation that would take us  to Niagara Falls and  other waterfalls in New York.  We had gone to Madison to visit Clifty Falls State Park, which contains several waterfalls.  We found the park to be very nice and we did some hiking, but there was very little water going over the falls.

Madison is a pretty historic town founded in 1809.  It became quite wealthy from the riverboat trade on the Ohio and many of the early homes built in the town are still standing.  Betsy and I explored the historic downtown area in the early evening, and then found a floating restaurant along the river front.  This picture was taken as we were leaving the restaurant after dinner.  I like this picture because of the way the colors in the sky are reflected in the river.  The picture can be enlarged to see more detail.

To see more of our watery world click HERE or on the logo below.

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