Charleston, Day 3

Not surprisingly, the streets were quiet the morning after St. Patrick’s Day–the perfect time for a walking tour of the historic area! There was also a light rain, but it seemed to make the pastel colors of Charleston’s buildings pop even more. Our guide was excellent at weaving together centuries of history (the good and the evil), notable individuals, and the stories behind some of the standout homes and buildings. We saw the streets that inspired “Porgy & Bess” during Charleston’s renaissance, and learned why some of the old homes had fake front doors on the side. All in all, a great morning.

Saint Michael's Church--one of the oldest in Charleston and sporting Tiffany windows

One of the beautiful homes

The city's old lots were long and narrow, so for these homes the "front" porches were on the side with a door leading into the home. These "hospitality doors" opened onto the porch. The second story's porch ceiling is painted blue, another Gullah tradition to keep away evil spirits (and apparently insects and birds).

French Huguenot Church, still holding services in French

For lunch, we visited Bertha’s. It’s outside the historic downtown so a bit of a drive, but this soul food restaurant was recognized with a James Beard award and the chicken was delicious.

Bertha's Kitchen

After lunch and closer to downtown, we visited the Charleston Museum. It’s the first museum in America and had a little bit of everything–history of South Carolina’s Low Country (with an emphasis on the Civil War), natural history with an emphasis on birds, textiles, even an Egyptian mummy. It truly gave me a greater appreciation for the city and its surroundings, but I also have to give them props for a clever artifact placement–in the ladies room there was a historic chamber pot on display.

Dinner was an encore at Rodney Scott’s–it was that good! This time I had potato salad and hush puppies for my sides. And it was great fuel for our evening’s activity: a Pirates and Ghost tour of the historic downtown. Charleston is a colorful town in more ways than one, and it was fun to hear the local myths and legends while seeing additional parts of town all lit up at night. I also encountered a “map in the wild” in a hotel lobby–a Charleston couch!

Loved their fabric choice!