Charleston!

We spent the last four nights at the St Johns Marina just outside Charleston, SC.  My cousin Gayle and her husband Scott were our hosts and tour guides for our stay.  They live on Folly Island, not far from the marina and treated us like royalty.  We explored the Folly Island community, Charleston, Patriot Point, and Ft Sumter while there and had a grand time.  Charleston has been one of our best stops so far, so full of history and charm.  We had the added bonus of having Gayle’s daughter, Tyler, join us for a visit on the boat with her husband, Michael, and their three kids.   It was a reminder that Claiborne, Addie, Luke and Jude will soon join us for a week in the Portsmouth/Norfolk area and it is good to have children on the boat again!

The Duvals and Fosters on the tour bus.

Charleston is on two rivers, the Ashley and Cooper.  This is the Cooper.  

Gayle and Scot's son in law's (an architect) firm did work on this building.  

Four corners in downtown Charleston.  Each corner is occupied by a building of law.  Federal, state, and local government buildings and a church.  

The Hunley is a confederate sub that was the first attack sub to sink a ship.  Unfortunately it also sank in the process with all hands lost.  The sub was found by divers in the 1990s, raised and is now on exhibit in North Charleston.  This is the exhibit hall with the prototype.  The original is in a tank of water being restored.  

The sub was designed in part by a New Orleans lawyer named Hunley, who was killed when the sub sank on a sea trial. 

The commanding officer of the Hunley carried a coin that had diverted a shot and saved his life during the battle of Shiloh.  He also had several pieces of jewelry  The coin, jewelry and his remains were aboard the sub.  

The sub was hand powered.  The girls are in the cranking positions.  

The Fosters wine and dined us!

USS Yorktown.  This carrier was built during WWII after the original sank during the battle of Midway.  

Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began.  The fort was taken by the Charleston Militia, and stayed in the Rebels' hands until the end of the war.  The Union Navy was unable to re-take the fort, and was repulsed.  However, toward the end of the war, Union forces took the adjacent island, and reduced the fort to rubble with artillery fire

Note the before and after pictures.

As we left Charleston this cutter (with guns showing) approached us, but let us go by unchallenged.  

Gayle and Alexis. 

Gayle and Scott's grand kids!