Odometer- resting
Trip-
I seem to always start out with " The weather today..." because it really does make a big difference in what we plan for the day ahead. I mean, why go out in the rain to sight-see if you can wait a day and have sun? So that leaves me trying to figure out a creative way of saying that we were supposed to get sun in the morning and clouds building in late afternoon, and we planned to take advantage of the morning to see more of the Charleston area. The clouds never left all day so we took off in the car to see the Charles Pinckney Historic Site and then go over to Fort Moultrie.
We drove north on route 17 towards Pinckney's plantation and were struck with how dense and lush the vegetation is in the Charleston area.
Charles Pinckney was a very influential statesman in this area, and had a large role to play in both the State Government and in the Continetal Congress. Many say he was one of the primary draftsman in the writing of the US Constitution and signed it for South Carolina. He at one time had 7 plantations in the Charleston area, the one we went to see was a fairly modest rice plantation.This is a more modern house built in 1820 which the National Park Service uses for its information center. But built near the site of the original home which burned.
It gives you pause to think that young children from the family may have played in the branches of these trees in the late 1700's
The Pinckney's plantation was sold and broken into smaller plots, the 28 acres with the house is all that is left of the original. Many other plantations in the area are in much better condition and open to the public, but Joan and I could not justify the $20 plus per person entrance fees.
From the plantation we drove over The Isle of the Palms highway to the Atlantic coast and took Palm Boulevard south to Fort Moultrie National Park. (Thanks again for the Senior Pass- we got in free!)
I have spent too much time on this blog about forts- I am revealing my interests at your expense. I wanted to see this battery because of it's role in destroying Fort Sumter in the opening of the Civil War.
It is amazing that in this day and age, modern weaponry has rendered forts totally obsolete...
Here is a view of Fort Sumter from Fort Moultrie- didn't need the zoom this time.
An added bonus to our day, just down the street from the fort was this lighthouse.
This is the Charleston Lighthouse on Sullivan Island- it's triangular! From a distance, it looks like it's made of T-111 plywood, but it is actually concrete and steel with an aluminum skin. Built in 1962 it is the last major continental lighthouse built by the US Coast Guard. It stands 162 feet high and originally had a 28 million candle power arc light that was visible more than 26 miles out to sea. One of the interesting things is that it was painted red over white, but the neighbors complained until they repainted it black over white to go with the colorc scheme on the older lighthouses in the area. Oh-yeah- it is of the only US lighthouse to have an elevator and air conditioning. It was 1962- what did you expect?
Trip-
I seem to always start out with " The weather today..." because it really does make a big difference in what we plan for the day ahead. I mean, why go out in the rain to sight-see if you can wait a day and have sun? So that leaves me trying to figure out a creative way of saying that we were supposed to get sun in the morning and clouds building in late afternoon, and we planned to take advantage of the morning to see more of the Charleston area. The clouds never left all day so we took off in the car to see the Charles Pinckney Historic Site and then go over to Fort Moultrie.
We drove north on route 17 towards Pinckney's plantation and were struck with how dense and lush the vegetation is in the Charleston area.
It gives you pause to think that young children from the family may have played in the branches of these trees in the late 1700's
From the plantation we drove over The Isle of the Palms highway to the Atlantic coast and took Palm Boulevard south to Fort Moultrie National Park. (Thanks again for the Senior Pass- we got in free!)
Here is a view of Fort Sumter from Fort Moultrie- didn't need the zoom this time.
An added bonus to our day, just down the street from the fort was this lighthouse.
Near 5 PM it looked like it might rain and we were getting hungry, so we headed back to the RV park. Our trip home took us over the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge.
Off tomorrow to someplace around Columbia- we haven't decided where yet- Wandering fools!
Your Traveling Friends
Jeff and Joan
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