Charleston, Day 2

We had an early start to ensure we were in the first group to visit Fort Sumter. In all my history classes I’d missed that the fort was built on an island, and the ferry ride to it was a great chance to see the Charleston waterfront from a different perspective. As the first group, we got to help with the flag raising, and then had about an hour before taking the ferry back. The Fort was decimated, first by the Confederates attacking it and then by the Union retaking it, so there’s not a lot left to actually see but helpful signs and a small museum. A mortar shell that’s still embedded in an inner brick wall was a powerful reminder that this remains the most bombed place in America.

Approaching Fort Sumter

Successfully raised the flag

Mortar embedded on an inside brick wall in Fort Sumter

Our lunch stop was suggested by my brother Devan: Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. It was delicious with a fun atmosphere, and when I mentioned my brother’s love of smoking meats, the staff graciously arranged for us to have a quick peek behind the scenes after the lunch rush. The pitmasters that day were awesome and rightfully took pride in their work, and it was so cool to see how our meal was made.

My favorite BBQ in Charleston

Lunch!

The pitmaster at work

Where the BBQ magic happens

Full of delicious food, we made our way to Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. My favorite part of the grounds was the long Avenue of Oaks draped in Spanish Moss, but I appreciated their acknowledgement of its dark history alongside all the beauty.

Avenue of the Oaks

Outside the slave quarters, Gullah bottle trees are meant to capture evil spirits

I learned that in this region, it was rice that was the main crop, not cotton, hence its location right on a river. Their method of rice production was incredibly labor intensive and dangerous (i.e. snakes and alligators), and only possible with enslaved labor. This plantation also made their own bricks, so as a way of flaunting their wealth they built their slave quarters out of brick and were just off the Avenue of Oaks as you approached the main house. The main house today was only built in the 1930s, but the original slave quarters now have an educational area with a brief presentation on Gullah culture. Taking a quick tour of the grounds we learned how it still functions as a farm today and as a popular filming location, with the most famous probably being “The Notebook” and the miniseries “North and South.”

A filming spot from "The Notebook"

Boone Hall is on the outskirts of town and we opted to go to nearby Sullivan’s Island for dinner. It was probably calmer than downtown Charleston, but St. Patrick’s Day and a Friday meant the main drag was lively. Afterward we visited a beach and it was fun getting to put my feet in the sand, but it was way too cold and windy to stay there for long.