Charleston...We Love You!

We took 194 pictures in Charleston. We'll spare you all of those and we narrowed it down to our top 43. We always research the places we are staying. Which we did for Charleston but we have to give special thanks to Brad's Bloomsburg buddy of 45 years, Rick Menitti, for being such an awesome long distance tour director to us...he wasn't even in town! Ricked moved there a handful of years ago and was visiting his daughter and grandson in Nola while we were in his town. Bummer we missed visiting but he was a very-very gracious host. We rolled into Charleston around 3 o'clock. We were hungry so first thing we did was go to a Guy Fierri Diners, Drive-In and Dives and Rickeroo recommended restaurant for a late lunch. Ohh Boy! It was fantastic. Brad had the duck confit club (below) and Kathy had a porkstrami (yes, not a typo) Rueben. We split some duck fries and the short rib Chile for apps. Brad had the double-Ipa below while Kathy, a local cider. The only thing we didn't get was that the whole restaurant, inside, outside, post, bathroom, and every inch of the place had graffiti written on it. And this wasn't the only place we'll get to in Charlotte that had the same motif. Weird, but I guess that's where you get the "Dives" part of Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives? We were so filled from lunch we skipped dinner..

The next day we toured historic Charleston. We went to the Aiken-Rhett and Nathaniel Russell Houses. The cool thing about the first house was that they equally represented the homeowner and the 18 slaves that worked there. From the slaves sleeping quarters to the kitchen and laundry rooms that they worked it was insightful while shedding light on their workload and living conditions. The Aiken Rhett house below was preserved and not restored. So it remained original and authentic.

Side of the Aiken-Rhett house

Courtyard w/ slave quarters

the tour was audio supported

garden and porch

1of3 suspended stairs in city

The Nathaniel-Russell house below was restored, not original like the Aiken-Rhett house. Their restoration team went to great lengths to make sure that the home looked like it did back in the 1770's. It was beautiful, lavish, and ornate and was also a self-guided audio tour. We preferred the first one, but, it was intriguing touring this house as well. We met and talked with two Connecticut curators and we enjoyed all the history that happened under these Charleston roofs.

That same day we went to the White Point Garden and the Battery. Both were breathtaking, full of character, splendid architecture in these massive southern waterfront homes. We picnicked in the park.

The next day we took a boat tour to Fort Sumter. The place where the first shots of the Civil war were fired. If you look closely at the picture of Brad at the flagpole, the red marker signifies where the forty foot walls of Fort Sumter were originally before being pounded twenty feet smaller by 25,000 Union shells blasted them away during the Civil War.

Next we went to Boones Hill Plantation. Once a 4000 acre plantation and now a 430 acre working farm. It was an awesome combination of guided and self guided walking and driving tours. It was magnificent, well-kept, well managed, insightful and entertaining. On our way home we stopped at the BEST barbecue we've ever eatn' at. The brisket cut like butter, the ribs thick and flavourful with a few different BBQ sauces to accompany them. Beans, Jalapeño corn pudding and great local beer.

Savannah, Georgia is our next stop. Looking forward to it.