Sweet (South) Carolin(a)

I have had Neil Diamond’s song “Sweet Caroline” stuck in my head for the last two weeks. (I know it’s stuck for you now, so sorry about that!) The origins of the song have nothing to do with this state, but sometimes my mind just likes to relate completely disparate items. Ever happen to you? Well, I digress………again!

After leaving the southern area of the lowlands, we stayed just outside of Charleston for a few weeks. It’s a much larger city than we were expecting after having just visited Savannah, although we were west of the city itself, so it didn’t feel super busy where we were staying. With that said, trying to get to any of the many islands, or Charleston itself, will take you some time on the road. Be prepared for a little travel time is our suggestion. Lots of stop lights.

Dave and I each chose something we really wanted to see and then as a couple of vets, you know we had to visit patriot island and explore the USS Yorktown.

Patriots Point

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum – Charleston Harbor, SC – Patriots Point

The USS Yorktown is basically just resting on land, so no worries about any type of movement as you tour the ship. Almost all of the ship itself is open to the public, just watch you don’t bang your head as you use the ladders to get from floor to floor. (We heard a few “ouches” as we moved about.) We also suggest planning several hours to really fully walk and experience all it has to offer – but bring a lunch! We went in the morning and the only thing to eat, or drink, is from the vending machines stationed throughout the area. I’d also recommend taking a few breaks as you walk from area to area just to absorb everything you are seeing. It’s nice that there are bench seats in several of the areas. There is just SO MUCH to see on this ship!

The USS Yorktown is called the fighting lady and while she is in need of a good boatswain’s mate on the exterior, she’s in pretty good shape overall. You can feel the history as you walk her many decks and read about the men that served on this mighty, mighty carrier. She had definitely taken a beating and yet continued to come back stronger each time she went back to sea during World War II. Experiencing the Yorktown made me want to re-enlist all over again after remembering what being a part of something greater than myself is really all about. We both felt very honored to have been a part of a naval force defending our constitution.

There are several exhibits on the island itself in addition to the Yorktown. The USS Laffey is moored next to the Yorktown and open for touring. They used to have a WWII submarine, the USS Clamagore, but it deteriorated to the point it had to be removed and is now in the process of being scrapped.

The many islands of Charleston

Theresa’s day trip

There are so many islands just east of Charleston, it’s hard to pick just one to see. So, we didn’t. Johns Island appears to be the largest and has the Angel Oak located on it. It runs into Kiawah island where we tried to go to the beach and is primarily full of private developments along the ocean. (We did find one county park where you can access the beach, finally!) Our favorite ended up being Edisto Island. It’s a small town with available parking, a state park with camping available, (not big rig friendly, but available), souvenir shops and restaurants that don’t care if you have sand on your feet. We spent our morning walking the beach as there are so many shells to choose from and had a nice lunch overlooking the water. I think our timing was about perfect because school hadn’t let out just yet, so we didn’t have to fight for parking or access.

I do love a good beach and I’d say this is one of my new favorites. While we were there, I found an author that wrote several mysteries around this island. As an avid reader, I found my new summer collection of books. If you like a little mystery, check her out:

C. Hope Clark Edisto Island Mysteries https://amzn.to/43Mz8rw

Fort Sumter

Dave’s day trip

Fort Sumter has a lot of history associated with it. It’s known as the place the civil war started and experienced the opening shots between the north and south. It’s just outside Charleston in the middle of the river, on a manmade island. Dave liked walking around and getting the feel of the place and seeing all the cannons. I really enjoyed the museum, but we were split on if it was worth the admission.

(When we were in St. Augustine, we visited the Castillo de San Marcos. At 315 years old, it is in remarkable condition and is in much better shape than Fort Sumter.)

In order to preserve the fort, the national historic preservation team is applying a black coating to the walls and some of the walkways. We were there on a day when they were applying it and while it doesn’t smell like tar, it does have an oily type of smell. I found it to be off putting not just from the smell, but because it is used to completely cover the bricks, rocks and different materials that were used to build the fort. (You can see it in the last photo at the top of the picture. All the black coating stuff.) I felt like they were erasing the part where you can reach out and touch history and imagine all the people that were there before we arrived. Dave told me that was a personal issue. Lol. He’s probably right, but I’m not admitting to it!

To get to the Fort, we took a boat ride from Patriot’s point and back. It’s a little over two hours for the whole trip and you get to spend a little over an hour on the fort itself. I truly enjoyed the ride around the harbor area and after talking to some other people on our boat, they had taken a harbor cruise and thought that was a better use of their time as it went right by the fort. Before you come here, check out the options available to you for sightseeing in the area.

As an FYI – there are multiple plantations in the area and other ways to get around Charleston itself. After living in New Orleans for 3+ years, we didn’t feel the need to visit the plantations, and a horse and buggy ride in a large city just didn’t appeal to us. We did drive downtown to the market square of Charleston one morning and found the price of the goods very expensive, and the roads very narrow. (No Louis Vuitton for me!) If you are looking for a sweetgrass basket, you can find them at several of the tourist areas throughout the whole region, so if you decide not to visit the market, you won’t miss finding them there.

We are headed to North Carolina on Monday, and while we have enjoyed visiting South Carolina, we both agreed this isn’t the place for us to settle. I did see a white squirrel in our park when I was walking one day, without my camera of course, and assume that means I am going to win the lottery very soon. (Financial abundance and good luck are headed our way!) Even when we win the big money, our plan is to keep doing just what we are already doing. Living this fulltime life is amazing and it really does feel like an adventure every place we stop.

See ya on the road,

Dave and Theresa