Happy 12th Birthday, Jilly! Love you, Grandma and Grandpa
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Fort Sumter
Patriots Point
From Patriots Point we took the 30 minute boat ride to Fort Sumter. The fort is located at the mouth of Charleston Harbor where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers come together.
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge that connects Mount Pleasant and Charleston.
Fort Sumter's in the distance!
Charleston and Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge seen in the distance. The people of Charleston actually watched when Fort Sumter was fired upon, starting the Civil War.
These are the only flags that have ever flown over Fort Sumter: the 5 small flags from left to right are the Federal flag with 33 stars, "Stars and Bars" Confederate flag, South Carolina flag, second Confederate flag on white (changed to Confederate flag we know today after it was decided there was too much white and it might be seen as a flag of surrender), and finally the 35 star Federal flag. There were 36 states but stars are only added on the 4th of July so even though Nevada was our newest state, she was not yet represented on our flag.
Paddle-wheel boat headed to Charleston.
Cannon
Same cannon from inside the fort; this is on the bottom floor of the fort. The top two floors are no longer there as they were blown away during the final siege on Fort Sumter.
On April 12, 1861 a mortar shell was fired from Fort Johnson in Charleston Harbor starting the American Civil War. For 34 hours the Confederacy bombarded the fort forcing the Federals surrender. On April 14 victorious Southern troops claimed their prize.
For the next four years Fort Sumter remained a Confederate stronghold even under frequent Union attempts to capture it. Between 1863 and 1865 the Confederate soldiers kept the Federal land and navy at bay for 587 days, one of the longest sieges in modern warfare. By February 17, 1865 the fort was virtually demolished and the Civil War was at its end. The Confederates reluctantly abandoned the fort to be reclaimed by Federal troops.
The angle near the magazine where the ammunition was stored; a fire here prompted surrender of Fort Sumpter to the Confederate Army.
This is "tabby", a mixture of shells, lime, and water. It was used to line the walls of the powder magazines.
Entrance to magazine.
No wonder Fort Sumter was a formidable denfense for Charleston Harbor with a cannon as large as this one.
An artillery shell is embedded in this outside wall.
10 inch mortar, model 1819, unearthed in excavations during 1959, is similar to the one that fired the signal shot from Fort Johnson on April 12, 1861.
Can you see the red line on the South Carolina flag pole? That is how tall the walls of Fort Sumpter stood before being demolished.
Outside wall on the right face.
Imagine two more stories on top of this wall and that is the original height of the fort.
We entered and exited through the sally port.
Charleston on return trip.
Grave marker on a sandbar in the middle of Charleston Harbor.
USS Yorktown
The USS Yorktown was an aircraft carrier used during World War II by the United States Navy. It is 888 feet long and held up to 90 aircraft in 1944. There were 360 officers and 3,000 enlisted men on board in 1943.
Can you see the black submarine? The Clamagore is the only Guppy III submarine preserved in the US. It could stay submerged for 36 hours at 3 knots and had 24 torpedoes ready to fire.
CHARLESTON
Dayton Hall
Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America that is open to the public. It is considered one of the best examples of Georgian-Palladian inspired architecture. Drayton Hall has been a rice plantation, a military headquarters, a strip mining site, and a country retreat. It has survived the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Earthquake of 1886, Hurricane Hugo, and urban sprawl!
Hand-carved fox on the overmantle in the downstairs hall.
A small section of the downstairs withdrawing room ceiling; one of only a few examples of a completely intact hand-carved, hand-cast plaster ceiling from the 18th century.
Doorjamb where the Draytons kept track of the heights of their children. The last heir had no children so she cheated and added the height of her dogs!
Stairway used by servants leading upstairs; the only stairway that went from the basement to the second floor.
The bricks of this plantation house were made by the slaves who lived on the grounds. This brick has the fingerprints of the person (maybe a child) who took it from the mold. Can you see them on the right?
Carving on main staircase.
Pantry
Basement floor
Scott is hulling the rice using a mortar and pestle much like the slaves on Drayton Plantation used. After it was hulled, it was put in a large flat fanner basket used to winnow the rice.
Following the Civil War phosphate was mined on the grounds.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Cypress and live oak lined road to Magnolia Plantation also owned by the Drayton family.
Magnolia Plantation House
Horticultural Maze
There are many beautiful, blooming azaleas in this maze. John Grimke Drayton introduced the first azaleas to America and was the first person to plant them outside. In 2010 Magnolia Gardens identified 15 varieties of Indian Azaleas previously thought to be extinct. They are now propagating them to share with other preservation-minded gardens across the nation.
The White Bridge
More cypress knees.
Peacocks
Miniature Pony
Romantic Garden
Camellia, 20,000 on display. Magnolia Gardens had the most extensive camellia collection prior to the Civil War. Ancient Camellias (pre 1900) are the speciality of Magnolia.
More azaleas in bloom.
The Nature Train
Cypress swamp
The green on top of the swamp water is duck weed.
Cypress knees.
The black vine on this tree is poison ivy; the leaves are gone but the vine is still poisonous.
Spanish moss - it's not Spanish, it's not moss... but it is related to the pineapple!
Alligator sunning on a wooden dock designed just for him.
Slave Quarters
Huge azalea bush covered with blooms!
Pyracantha
See the green line on the grass on the opposite side of the river? It's the high tide line.
Egret
More 'Gators!
We were really quiet and this alligator remained motionless. It's the closest I've ever been to an alligator!
Angel Oak Tree
The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be 400 to 500 years old, stands 66.5 feet tall and has a circumference of 28 feet. From tip to tip the longest branch is 187 feet.
Downtown Charleston Architecture
This fence would definitely keep trespassers out!
This was really an interesting feature of southern homes in Charleston. The "front door" led to a porch that usually faced east, then another door on the east side entered the home. If the house had more than one family then there would be several front doors on the east side porch.
This door leads to a porch but notice the gas light and the fire insurance mark. Many of the older houses in Charleston had their history posted beside the front door.
We saw many older homes where this vine grew on the rise of outdoor steps.
Rainbow Row
A series of thirteen houses, many with common walls painted in pastel colors.
Waterfront Park
Pineapple Fountain
Circular Congregational Church
Scott and I went to The Sound of Charleston, from gospel to Gershwin. It was an amazing night of music that defines Charleston and it's unique southern charm.
Saxophone player, Lonnie Hamilton, was unbelievable; as a senior in high school Lionel Hampton listened to him play and invited him to join his band. He just needed to be in Virginia on the following Monday. He went home, told his mom, and she replied, "you're going to college!" And that was the end of that! He was a high school band director for over 20 years.
The program ended with Amazing Grace. In 1749, John Newton worshipped at this church and was inspired by the sermons he heard to write one of America's favorite hymns.
This is the fence outside the Magazine decorated for Christmas.
We had lunch on the patio; the temperature was in the 80's. I had a shrimp taco and an avocado taco, both were delicious! Scott had beef and chicken! Yum!
Sweetgrass Basket Makers
Along a seven mile stretch of the Sweetgrass Basket Makers Highway (Highway 17) near Mount Pleasant many little stands are set up by artisans who sell their sweetgrass baskets. Most of these women (and a few men) have been making baskets since they were 5 or 6 years old. The baskets are made from sweetgrass, bulrushes, pine needles, and woven together with palm.
They slip an old, rounded spoon handle between the grasses to make a hole for the palm to go through as they sew the basket together.
Holiday Festival of Lights
These soldiers lined the entrance.
There were themes throughout the park including Under the Sea, Outer Space, Dinosaurs, Patriotic, and Santa's Toyland. My favorites were two children throwing snowballs at each other and Noah's Ark with at least 20 pairs of animals! Scott liked the two Charleston Bridges over a pond reflected in the water.
They had light displays for everyone... here the dish runs away with the spoon! All the nursery rhymes were depicted. Little Miss Muffet, Little Boy Blue, Jack Be Nimble, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, and on and on!
I loved this one because of the depth it shows.
Roasting marshmallows.
Mount Pleasant KOA
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