I'm Southern. Plain and simple. I also love the fact I'm a Southern girl. I didn't realize how proud of this I was until I moved to south FL, and trust me, there are not nearly enough Southerners down here. Folks don't even know what pickled okra is down here. I mean, come on! Seriously? We love that stuff! Anyway, I digress. For our anniversary, Seth and I decided to take a trip instead of buying presents, and we chose to go to Charleston, SC. If you've never been, then you must go if you love good old-fashioned Southern food, amazing customer service, and gorgeous architecture. I fell in love with the city! So much so I asked Seth if we could move there, and his words, "We're not Gamecock fans...we're Razorbacks." In his mind, enough said! If only I could look at things so simply!
The first day there we spent just walking around on the east part of town by the ocean in the area known as the Battery. It's breath-taking! If you're on East Battery and you look west, you see these magnificent mansions that have been standing since the 1800's with giant porches (they call them piazzas) on the south end of the house.
To the east is Ft. Sumpter. For all those who don't know, this is where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Actually, the first shot was fired at Ft. Johnson, but Ft. Sumpter generally gets all the credit.Actually, the first shot was fired at Ft. Johnson, but Ft. Sumpter generally gets all the credit. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time downtown that day b/c the Sethie Poo wasn’t feeling too swell, and we did just drive all night to get there. The next day, however, we got busy with our exploring! We went to Magnolia Plantation, which is known for possessing the oldest romantic garden in the country. We spent several hours here just wandering around, and during our “wanders” we went on a tour of some original slave cabins dating back to the early 1800’s. We also walked in a slave cemetery, which was so humbling. It gave me goosebumps just walking through it.
To those of you who know me, you know I’m scared scared scared of alligators. I hate them. I think they all should be shoes. Or purses. Or luggage. I don’t care what you think of me…I think they’re gross, and they freak me out. Period. Well, at Magnolia Plantation, they offer an Audobon Swamp tour. Seth kept harassing me, telling me we needed to take it blah blah blah. My answer was of course, no! I thought he was joking. Come to find out, no, he’s serious. Since this was our vacation, and not just mine, I gave in. It wasn’t so bad when we were walking along the swamp on a very secure pathway surrounded by fence/wire. However, that pathway soon gave way to just a freaking trail going through the middle of the freaking swamp. No lie. I thought I was going to cry I was so scared. Seth then reassured me it couldn’t be too dangerous if they were letting 80-year old people walk through there. Seriously, though, y’all. It was just a path about 3 feet wide, and on the sides where the path ended was straight-up swamp. I’ve never seen a real swamp before. I’ve been to the University of Florida, and they call that the Swamp, but this didn’t look like that! This was legitimate swamp. At one point, we were standing on this little baby bridge that was maybe 9 inches above the water/algae/nastiness, when Seth said, “That log right there looks like a gator.” The log then moved. This sucker was a 12-foot alligator, and he swam right under us. Seth was proud of me b/c he said I was conquering my fears; I just said I was going to have nightmares.
Also that same day, we went to Ft. Sumpter. That place was beyond cool. Then again, I’m a bit of a nerd and love me some American History, especially that time period. We only got to stay an hour there, but it was so neat. I never knew cannonballs could fly so far! Some of them could easily fly through the air for over 4 miles! We thought that was pretty impressive!
The following day we spent checking out the grounds of two of the other plantations in the local area: Drayton Hall and Middleton Place. Middleton Place was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! The house wasn’t much b/c most of it was burned by General Sherman and his army, but the grounds were exquisite! They were designed by the student of the man who designed the gardens of Versailles. Everything that was growing there had been planted! What I found to be super cool was an oak tree that was over 1000 years old. They had documentation proving “she” was a landmark for the Native Americans in the area long before the colonists settled Charles Town.
It started raining on us while we were there, but luckily there was plenty of foliage to keep us dry. It was pretty romantic hanging out under the giant magnolias watching the rain.
Next, we visited Drayton Hall. Drayton Hall is one of the only plantation homes in the area that wasn’t destroyed by General Sherman. Luckily for us, everything in the house is still in its original condition. Original mantles, floors, mahogany staircase, crown molding carvings all along the ceilings, paint colors, everything. What I found to be crazy is every plantation house we went to (3 total) there were alligators. I never knew how marshy Charleston was! You certainly wouldn’t find me outside after dark!
The next couple of days we really got busy with the sight-seeing! We toured several houses within the city limits that were all magnificent! We also went to the Museum of Charleston, where they had a bridal exhibit dating from the 1700’s to present day. It was fascinating to me to find the average woman was about my size! Finally somewhere I would have fit right in! Being in Charleston feels like you’re stepping right back into the mid-1800’s. A brief history lesson. At the time of the start of the Civil War, Charleston was the richest city in the US; although, it was only the 4th largest. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, and Charlestoians were very proud folks. During the war, the city was under attack from the harbor for over 500 days, but they never lost their pride. Most people gave everything they had, money, silver to be burned down, food, etc for the “cause.” Consequently, after the war, most people ended up very poor and had little. Still, they had their pride. The city continued to be occupied by Union soliders for years after the war. Due to this lack of funds, renovations were neglected and changes were not made. By the time outsiders came into the city and showed an interest in making changes, the Preservation Society of Charleston had been founded. Many of the older homes were purchased and restored. There was also a law enacted stating one had to go through a committee seeking permission to do such changes as painting their fences, shutters, etc. Due to this, it’s still a very nostalgic city, and it literally feels like you’re stepping back into the time of Scarlett O’Hara.
On the final night of our vacation, Seth and I celebrated our 3-year wedding anniversary! I still cannot believe it’s been three years! Being married to such an incredible man certainly makes time fly! We celebrated the occasion by going to a restaurant called Magnolia’s, where I had the best fried chicken of my ENTIRE life! Sorry Momma and Bridgett, but it’s true!
I know this ended up being super lengthy, and trust me, I edited out a ton! I just wanted you all to get a brief insight into what we experienced. Seriously, y’all, if you ever have the chance to go to Charleston, seize it b/c you will not be disappointed!
1 comment:
Hey Guys...enjoying getting the chance to read your blog. It sounds like you had a good time on your trip...wish we could have joined you. Miss you both...be blessed!
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