Charleston 2026

 We started out this morning with a bike ride across town. We purchased an online walking tour "Ghost Tour of Charleston" that started on the east side next to Rainbow Row.   A note about Lime bikes. They were an efficient and economical way to get around Charleston. We spent around $25 total for two bikes this week. We did feel slightly unsafe however, not having helmets and also riding in traffic without dedicated bike lanes. The bikes are electrically boosted, so very easy to pedal and get up to speeds around 20 mph. We would do bike rentals again, in another city, hopefully with better safety measures.  The first stop on our walking tour was the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. Tickets for the  Dungeon tour were around 20 bucks ea. That included a veteran discount and added on tickets for the Slave Mart, nearby.  The exchange and dungeon was an interesting tour, led by a guide.  This was the location of government in the 1700s. George Washington v...

We took an Uber to McLeod Plantation this morning, primarily because it is a 10 minute ride from our Airbnb.  At a few acres, it's much smaller than what it once was (a 1700+ acre cotton farm). It's now owned by the county as a historical site. Other plantations in the area are still operating, much larger, and still owned by the original slave owning families, which is a troubling thought. And this was the tone of the plantation tour - that slavery was of course evil, but also complex and troubling in pervasive ways that still has impacts today. As recently as 1990, when the last surviving "McLeod" died at age 104, a slave descendant was STILL living in one of the former slave cabins... Or at least, in a small structure where those cabins originally sat. She cared for the last McLeod in his final years as his nurse. The property purchaser (an earlier historical society) evicted this last slave descendant, in spite of her being given a "lifetime right" to li...

We started the day with a walk across the city into the bay. This is where we picked up the ferry to Fort Sumter.  It was a perfect day for a ferry ride. Light breeze, sunny, around 80°. We got some interesting history by the tour guides on the way out regarding the American Revolution, the Civil War and the history of the Bay in Carolina. The Fort itself is not very large.  In fact it is about 1/2 the height it was when it was in service. It was completely destroyed by shelling twice, once by the confederacy and once by the union, as each side held it, alternatively, during the Civil War. It was decommissioned as a military outpost in 1948. While on the fort grounds we watched a flag raising. The flag that was raised is a historical flag from women the war broke out in 1861. It has 33 stars, for the 33 states that existed at that time.  I also learned what a spangled star was at this visit.  "Spangled" means slightly tilted, so there is no top point, pointing straig...

We start the day with breakfast at the Airbnb then a 20 minute walk down to the visitor center. We checked out some tour options but ultimately decided to take the free city DASH bus to the southern side of the city.  If you want to feel the true heart of a city, ride public transportation. We got an earful of a lady's story of her father's passing and estate distribution, or lack thereof, while all of her friends weighed in. We exited the bus at the Four Corners of Law - federal, state, city and church buildings all at Broad Street and Meeting Street.  We then walked to Rainbow Row, Chalmers Street (where the street is paved with ballast stones of English ships), and the Pineapple Fountain. While near the Pineapple Fountain and looking out over the bay, we saw two dolphins cavorting about 50 feet away from the docks. Pretty neat. Later research convinced us that they were probably mating. They were very.... affectionate. How many can claim to have seen such a sigh...

I started the trip in a bad mental state due to a wire transfer situation that I won't get into. So to start, I had a low annoyance threshold.  But here's a question: Should toddlers/babies be allowed to fly on airplanes?  My vote is no.  Our flight had 3 kids in front of us who were completely ignored by their guardians (two sisters?), except to fill them full of apple juice and snacks. 3 hours of kids crying, complaining, shouting, giggling and bouncing around the seats.  A relief to get off the plane.  Charleston airport is a small, clean and efficient facility.  We rented a car (Genesis GV70) for the first day so we could get out into the country. Nice car. Luxury rental was only $10 more than economy.  First Stop, Charleston Tea Garden.  The tea garden is about a 40 minute drive from the airport via scenic county roads shadowed by huge live oak trees.  On site is a functioning tea plantation and processing factory.  As much free tea...