Charleston, Charleston......

This is Mari, Sue and Betsey in front of the Visitor's Center.


After a fun day of hanging out and catching up on life in general, we got up at 5:30 and headed for Charleston SC which entailed a 6:15 ferry ride and four hours of driving! Priscilla had left on Wednesday, we sewed on Thursday so Friday was chosen as the Charleston day. Sue, Betsey, Mari and I (as well as Barbara still in California because she is under the weather) have been internet pals for close to 15 years! We have gotten together in California and NY in the past (but only once had all five of us together).


We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Charleston so we decided that a bus tour would be the best way to see the most of the city in the shortest time so we signed up for the 2 hour bus tour and house tour. We then doubled back and walked through the market and then a very late lunch at a spot recommended by the tour guide (note: don't trust the tour guide for a recommendation!). Charleston is as beautiful as I remember. Mari managed to get a phone book and called a local quilt shop for directions. Then the search was on!! We only had twenty minutes before they closed!! Needless to say, it took getting lost and another phone call before we found the shop. They nicely stayed open for us and of course we just had to buy something! We were all pretty tired by then so headed on home which was longer than going as we both couldn't take the ferry as we were too late and the navigators fell down on the job (giggling I might add by this time).

This was inside the roof of a very old Unitarian Church in Charleston. Freedom of religion was rigorously enforced in early Charleston which prided itself on its tolerance.

This was an example of the fine ironwork throughout the city. The last time I was here was probably close to 20 years ago and there was still a lot of reconstruction going on. There is so much more that has been restored now -- really amazing considering the age of many of these homes.

My family has mocked me for years as the first time I was in Charleston I was totally fascinated with the earthquake bolts and would point them out on every building. Here is an example of one! These were used to shore up buildings damaged badly in a 7.0 earthquake in the late 1880's. They literally screwed them back together and held them in place with these bolts. Many times they were covered with something decorative and they are a clear indicator that a building is more than 100 years old.