Posts Tagged ‘Charleston’

Scenic Sunday # 62: Charleston

September 20, 2009
East Battery Street, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

East Battery Street, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

This is my post for the Scenic Sunday meme, which shares beautiful scenes from around the world.  To see more Scenic Sunday posts, or to join and show your own pictures, click HERE.

The picture above was taken on the seawall of Charleston Harbor in Charleston, South Carolina.  It shows some of the beautiful homes on East Battery Street, many of which date back to the Civil War.  Fort Sumter, site of the first shots of the Civil War, is in the harbor off to the right.  Behind me and to the left is White Point Gardens, more commonly known as The Battery.

I lived in South Carolina for three years and have visited Charleston several times.  It’s a beautiful city and I thoroughly enjoy walking through the the historic district (as long as it’s not too hot!).

The picture above was taken in June, 2008, when Betsy and I visited Charleston on our anniversary trip.  If you would like to see some more scenes from the area around The Battery, click HERE.

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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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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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Our Walking Tour of Charleston

August 20, 2008
George at the entrance to Catfish Row in Charleston, June 22, 2008.

George at the entrance to Catfish Row in Charleston, June 22, 2008.

Betsy and I were looking forward to celebrating our anniversary on June 22 (a day early) by taking a sunset cruise in Charleston Harbor on a sailing schooner. It had rained the previous day, cutting short our visit to Boone Hall Plantation, but we hoped that Sunday would be better.

As I’ve mentioned we went to church at St. Michael’s Church in the morning, and then walked around The Battery before taking a carriage tour of the historic district.

After the carriage tour we still had quite a bit of time before our cruise, so we decided to get a bite to eat. We had done some internet research and went to the Fleet Landing Restaurant on Charleston Harbor. We were able to eat on the deck and enjoy the breezes coming in from the harbor.

After eating we walked around the historic district some more before we headed to the Aquarium Wharf and the schooner. As we walked we noticed the sky getting darker and darker, but we remained optimistic. We got to the wharf and found the schooner, but there was no one there. A quick phone call confirmed that the cruise was cancelled because of weather. It started raining as we walked back to the car.

Although we didn’t get to take our cruise, we still had a wonderful time in Charleston. To see more of our walking tour click HERE.

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Our Charleston Carriage Tour

August 14, 2008
Rainbow Row, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

Rainbow Row, Charleston, South Carolina. June 22, 2008.

As I’ve mentioned before, Betsy and I were in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday, June 22, 2008.  We attended church at St. Michael’s and then walked around The Battery.

We enjoyed our walking tour of The Battery, but it was a very hot day and walking soon lost its charm.  Several horse- and mule-drawn carriages passed us as we walked, so we decided that would be a better way to see Charleston.

We found Palmetto Carriage and bought our tickets.  We were directed to the nearby barn of the company and told that our tour would soon start.  It was there that we discovered that Palmetto Carriage uses mule-drawn carriages.

Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable.  The city of Charleston has a system to limit the number of carriages in any given part of the historic district.  All carriages have to stop at a control point after they are loaded and it is then that they are assigned one of four routes.  So the guides have to be familiar with all four.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour.  The carriage moved at a slow enough pace that we could see what the guide was talking about.  We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Charleston, especially first-time visitors.

To see more of our carriage tour, click HERE.

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Charleston’s Battery

August 11, 2008
George at The Battery, June 22, 2008.

George at The Battery, June 22, 2008.

After attending church service at St. Michael’s in Charleston, Betsy and I drove down to White Point Gardens, also known as The Battery.  White Point Gardens sits at the southernmost point of the Charleston peninsula, where the Cooper and Ashley rivers meet and flow into Charleston Harbor.  Originally opened in 1837 as a public park, the Battery was fortified during the Civil War to protect the city against Union troops.

The Battery is one of the best spots in the city for strolling.  There are live oaks draped with Spanish moss, pleasant ocean breezes, and lovely views of Charleston Harbor.  The Battery is also home to some of the city’s most lavish residences.

We were able to find a parking spot and walked along the seawall and then through the garden.  We then walked along South Battery and Meeting Streets before heading back to the car.

To see more of our walking tour of The Battery, click HERE.

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