Another of our incredibly beautiful southern cities! Founded in 1670, both the city and the state are named for King Charles II of England. “Carolus” is Latin for “Charles”. We stayed at the KOA Campground in Mt Pleasant and experienced two nights of severe thunderstorms and tornado watches. You can see some of the downed limbs below…

Day 1 was a boat tour to Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay. Fascinating! It’s where the first shot of the Civil War was fired on April 12, 1861. The Union Army surrendered the fort to the Confederate Army and they held it for the remainder of the war.

This flag on display in the fort is the actual flag that was flying during the confederate barrage in 1861!

Following the tour we had an incredible meal at Pages’s OKRA Grill.

The shrimp and grits are a Charlestone favorite and DELICIOUS!

Day 2 was a guided bus tour of the city. So much to see but we were fascinated by the architecture of the beautiful homes…

Notable is the unique “Charleston Single House”.

One room wide with three rooms along its length, including the central hall. The narrow side of the building faces the street, with one room on each floor having a street view.
The front door to the home is placed in the middle of the side, not facing the street. The door opens into a short hallway and staircase between the two length-side rooms.
Piazzas (what porches are called in Charleston) flank the full length side of both floors. Often a street-facing door is placed onto the first floor piazza.

As with other historical cities, there is SO MUCH MORE to see and we hope to return and do just that.