Charleston Visit 2006: May 2006

Charleston - A Friendly Place!

My impression of Charleston will always be that it is a very friendly place. Our first day there was terrific! The bus driver offered to wait for us while we got change. He recommended a place for breakfast, but when we got there the cafe looked dark inside. The driver then hopped off the bus and walked across the street to make sure it was open before we got off the bus! We were very impressed!

King Street

King Street is one of the main arteries leading to the heart of Charleston's historic district. This is the "newer" end of it, near where we had breakfast. More views of King Street below.

The Market

Charleston has a market area in the historic district. Local arts and crafts may be found, as well as typical tourist souvenirs and food. Angie and I are shoppers, so we had loads of fun here!

My friend Angie (left) bought a hand painted souvenir of Rainbow Row from a local artist.

Carriage Tour

The carriage tour was one of the highlights of the trip. Charleston tour guides are required to pass written and oral tests in order to be licensed, so they are very knowledgeable.

This magnificent red Belgian was at the stables tossing back a couple of cold gallons of water before going out on his next trip. After each trip, each horse's temperature is taken upon his return to the stable. If he's too warm, he stays in until he cools down to an acceptable temperature.

This is our carriage pulled by Hero, a beautiful Percheron. These horses, weighing in at around a ton, can pull loads up to five times their own weight. A full carriage is usually only one-third as heavy as what they are capable of pulling. Many of the horses now pulling carriages around Charleston were rescued from slaughterhouses. Our guide, who was very entertaining, clearly enjoyed her job and loved old Hero to pieces, bless his heart.

Gullah Tour

Another highlight of our Charleston trip was the Gullah tour. Here I am with Alphonso Brown, the owner of Gullah Tours. Alphonso is a former teacher who delights dozens of tourists every day with his entertaining and tremendously interesting tales focusing on the African American historical side of Charleston.

Alphonso told us about master ironworker Philip Simmons, who made most of the iron gates for which Charleston is noted. This is an example of Mr. Simmons' handiwork.

And here, relaxing at home, is Mr. Simmons himself! He is in his early 90s now (as of April 2006) and no longer does iron work himself, but he teaches it to several apprentices. Mr. Simmons enjoys the many visitors that Alphonso brings by with his tour to greet him.

Sweetgrass Baskets

Weaving sweetgrass baskets is a local craft for which the South Carolina Lowcountry is famous. The baskets are beautiful, come in an amazing variety of styles and are nearly impossible to resist.

The skills originated in West Africa and were handed down through the generations. We saw many women weaving and selling them but only one man. Basketweavers sigh that it is a dying art, as youngsters have no interest in or patience for learning the craft.

My cats are far too interested in my wicker chairs, and not in a good way, so I satisfied my sweetgrass basket craving with an exquisite, souvenir-sized basket which I put up on a high shelf, far away from admiring claws!

Here I am with Annie, who created my basket. Annie lives in Mt. Pleasant, a charming town just across the river, and has been making sweetgrass baskets since she was eight years old.

A Pastel City

Charleston is a pastel city. Homeowners once painted their buildings in deeper hues, which faded in the merciless subtropical sun. Having discovered that lighter pigment kept the houses cooler, pastel colored buildings became common. Houses in shades of salmon, pink and even lavender add vibrancy to the Charleston architectural character.

A style of architecture common to Charleston is the "single" house, as it is only a single room wide, such as this yellow house. This was thought to have been done to avoid a frontage tax like in England, where the city taxed the homeowner based on how much of the house faced the street. Charleston never had a frontage tax, but some were taking no chances! The door, which looks like a typical entry door, doesn't open into the house but rather onto the side porch (piazza, if you're a local!) where people spent quite a bit of time escaping the heat.