Fort Sumter National Monument

Friday, Oct. 31, 2014

Lake Aire RV Park

Charleston, SC

There are so many things to see and do in Charleston that it was hard to decide what to see first.  Fort Sumter National Monument won for today's activity.

We accessed the Fort Sumter Headquarters on the water front in downtown Charleston.  It required a boat trip to the Island where the fort is located.  This boat leaves 3 times a day, allows 1 hour to see the fort and then brings you back.

Our 30 minute trip gave us time to view the Charleston Harbor including the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge between Charleston and Mt. Pleasant.

The USS Yorktown Museum off of Patriots Point.

There are schooner tours of the harbor and dolphin watches that could be a fun activity.

The fort was built on a man-made island after the war of 1812.  Vermont granite was shipped from up north and dumped into the harbor to create a perfect spot for the Fort.  The US decided to fortify the coastal area so Fort Sumter was started in 1832.

The original Fort was a very impressive fortress to guard the Charleston Harbor from enemy attack. It included 3 story barracks and officers quarters.

The fort was guarded with huge cannons that could shoot a 14" cannon ball about one mile.

They were able to swivel to fire any direction.

As you can see they are very large.

During the Civil War the top two stories of the Fort were destroyed and all that is left is the bottom layers.

All the Confederate and South Carolina flags fly above Fort Sumter.

More Cannons on the lower battery looking out over the Atlantic.

From the first shot fired at Fort Sumter to the last, the battle between North and South was a duel between the heaviest artillery both sides could muster.

More than 43,000 shells, or 7 million pounds of metal, were hurled at Sumter.  Not much is left of the 3 story living quarters.

Land and sea forces used traditional smoothbore guns and new rifled weaponry to pound the fort.  Not much of the fort is left but it held through the various battles.  You can see this 5' thick wall was blown from it's foundation.

Many of the walls were filled with sea shells and sand mortar.

This naval ship was anchored in the harbor.  It has a catamaran hull and can travel at high speed of 60 knots (69 mph).

These pelicans were housed in the Charleston Aquarium and paced by the window all day.

That is all for today, more to come...

Becky and Lonnie

Myrtle Beach and more Brookgreen Gardens

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach, SC

We had a 40 mile move today to Myrtle Beach State Park.  We could only get 2 nights here so we could go back to Brookgreen Gardens.  Our tickets were good for 7 days and today was the last day to use them.

We did not get to take the river tour of the low country on our last trip.  Our first stop was to get on the pontoon boat for a tour of the old rice plantations, now wildlife preserves.

This is a labyrinth the volunteers of Brookgreen created.  If you haven't got enough walking on the grounds you can try this maze.

The rice field water levels were regulated by these gates.  The river has tides since it joins with the ocean so when the tide goes out the gates could be opened and water drained from the rice fields, then  filled during high tide.

The planters came here to grow rice because the climate was perfect.  Unfortunately it took a lot of slave labor to manage the rice fields.  Do to malaria, snakes, and swamp life most of the slaves only lasted a few months.

 The Huntington's bought 5 plantations, not to grow rice, but to let them go back to their natural state as a bird and wildlife sanctuary.

We did get to see one alligator.

The stainless steal rendition of a Southern plantation owner.

After the boat trip we toured more of the grounds that we had missed before.

This statue of Don Quixote was done by Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1947 out of aluminum.  She did her first sculpture in 1932 with aluminum, it was often her medium of choice. 

Anna commissioned Carl Jennewein to create Sancho Panza after years of requests for a suitable companion to her Don Quixote.  Sancho Panza was completed in 1971.

Cycle of Life by Paul Howard Manship 1924.  It is patterned after an armillary sphere, an ancient astronomical device composed of rings representing the great circle of the heavens.

Another of Anna Hyatt Huntington's sculptors representing the birds in the area.  She spent many hours watching the wildlife around Brookgreen.

The Guardian by Sahl Swarz done in 1937.  His strongly defined sculptures were commissioned for government art projects in post offices and courthouses through the 1930's.

Indian and Eagle by Carl Paul Jennewein in 1929.  The sculptor envisioned an eagle being released by a Native American as symbolic of freedom and the American love of liberty.

Diana of the Chase looking down Live Oak Allee'

Beautiful water lilies in the various ponds.

Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014

Myrtle Beach State Park

Since we have only one day to spend here, it is off to enjoy the beach.  We could not have ordered better weather.  It was partly cloudy and 83 degrees.  The water temperature was 71 degrees, cool but pleasant.  We enjoyed a lazy day on the beach.

Tomorrow we head for Charleston.  We are looking forward to touring the old homes and the history of Charleston.  Keep watch for future posts....

Becky and Lonnie

North Carolina Fun

Friday, Oct. 24, 2014

Carrol Woods Campground

Tabor City, NC

We decided to explore the North Carolina beach area today.  We drove to Southport where we took a ferry across the Cape Fear River to Fort Fisher.

We arrived at the ferry dock at 12:00 ready for the 12:15 ferry only to find the next ferry left at 1:00.  In the off season they take a lunch break so we waited an hour for the $5.00 ferry ride.  It was a fun crossing as one of the passengers would hold out a soda cracker in their fingers and the seagulls would fly along side the ferry and take it right out of his fingers.

The Cape Fear River inlet goes to Wilmington and has been an important sea port throughout history.

Large wooden fences surrounded the mounds to keep invading armies at bay. This fort was important to the Confederate Army to protect their supply route during the Civil War.  Cotton was traded during the war and Cape Fear was an important shipping port.  Fort Fisher was much larger but erosion has taken most of the island and during WWII the lsland was used for training so they made an airfield, demolishing most of what was left of the fort.  The State Historical Society have recreated a small portion.  The museum has a lot of the artifacts they have recovered in this area. 

Large sand mounds were built to hold a cannon and munitions were stored below in caves.  It was a good defense as this was the sight of the last fight in the Civil War.

After our ferry ride back to Southport we went in search of Silver Coast Winery on our way back towards the RV Park.

For a $5 you got 5 tastings and the glass.  The wine was more traditional with Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  We especially enjoyed the Cabernet Blanc.

They had a beautiful estate with lots of room for events.

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014

Tabor City, NC

We decided to check out this local event.  The Yam Festival has been going on for a week with a Miss North Carolina Yam Festival Pageant, Sweet Potato Food Cook-off on Wednesday and a parade Saturday morning that we missed.

A Confederate historical re-enactment was at the town gates and fired the cannon on the hour.

We got our picture with the cannon

There was a Classic Car show by Cruisers 4 Christ.  Check out the vintage pop-up camping van.

Beautiful '62 Corvette.

'67 Chevelle with a 454 c.i. engine.

'38 Ford Coupe.

Classic hood ornament.

  

'32 Chevrolet 2-Dr. Sedan.    

'

There were 4 different stages for entertainment.  This local karate group gave us a ninja turtles routine.  There was also a local dance school preforming.

This was the winner of the Art Contest.  They had lots of bounce houses for the kids and music for the adults.

There were plenty of vendors and food booths but we did not find a single yam dish being sold, not even deep fried sweet potatoes.  Funnel cakes, hot dogs, onion rings, fried pickles(?)....

Tuesday we are off to camp at Myrtle Beach State Park for a couple of days and then on to Charleston, SC to see the 16th century antebellum homes.

Lonnie and Becky