The Quick Highlights of Charleston

Charleston.....such a wonderful place.  I will have a lot of really nice memories.  I hope to write more in depth later, but for now...

1.  The downtown neighborhoods. We made the right decision (a little pricey, but right) to stay in a bed and breakfast.  We got free parking and a location in walking distance to almost everything downtown.  It was so "cool" to make believe we belonged there.  We got a nice piazza to spend some reading time on, too.

One nice thing Charleston does is put the neighborhood name right on the street signs.  So you know you are in Ansonborough (the neighborhood we lived in), the French Quarter (yes, Charleston has a French Quarter), or whatever.

The B&B operator gave us good restaurant advice, and let me hook into her internet when my wireless decided not to function.  Thank you, Fantasia B&B, you were the peak of hospitality.

2.  The historic B&B (see above) we stayed at.  Will try to post some pictures when my computer cooperates.

3. Two great restaurants, Hymans Seafood and Jestine's Kitchen.

4.  All the historic churches, parks, the Pineapple Fountain and the Charleston City Market.

5.  Magnolia Plantation.

6.  Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began.  In fact, the Confederacy began in downtown Charleston, but Charleston paid the price...more on that later, again if I have the time to write about it.

7. She-Crab Soup, Salmon and Grits (I don't do shrimp), and the other wonderful low country food we ate.

8.  KKBE.  Another Charleston institution that deserves a blog entry.

9.  Watching the Charleston "Rickshaws" (bicycle cabs.)

10.  Calhoun Mansion's garden area, free of charge.

11.  Earthling Day Spa.  Pricey, and didn't do as much for my back as I had hoped, but the masseuse was excellent, and the spa was spotlessly clean.


What did I miss out on?

1.  The horse drawn wagon tours.  Decided we'd be better off walking....and walking....and walking.  Maybe next time. (Note, one thing the tourist guides don't mention is that the streets smell like....well, the liquid the horses leave behind.)

2.  The Citadel.  Looking forward to the Friday precision drill but they went on spring break at end of classes Friday.

3.  Several downtown mansions, mainly because we ran out of time. 

4. Middleton Place (another plantation), Charles Town landing, and Drayton Hall.

Thank you, Charleston.  I have enough material for a years worth of blogs, if I can remember even half of what I experienced.

And now, on to Savannah.