Charleston!

We didn't know much about Charleston except that we wanted to eat a Charleston Chew while doing the Charleston. To the Google cave Batgirl!

Ft. Sumter was the number one thing I wanted to see and Lisa wanted to walk the historic district like we did in Savannah. Sounds like a plan. I booked our tour of Ft. Sumter for the first boat out in the morning so that would give us half the day there and half downtown.

Now the only way you can see Ft. Sumter is by boat and they have several tours a day that go to the island.

Our tour boat awaits.

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier.

The morning started out foggy but that soon lifted. We boarded our boat and soon we were moving across Charleston Harbor out to Ft. Sumter. The first fort you pass out in the harbor is Castle Pinckney. Named for one of the writers of the Constitution.

It was a small fort that really never saw any action during the Civil War. Other than being occupied by the South Carolina Militia. It was the first Union fort surrendered to the south. The ride out is 30 minutes each way and you get to see the harbor as you go. We got to the island and it was like rats leaving a sinking ship. I think I heard them say there were about 240 on board.

This fort has an interesting history and I think it is one that everyone should visit and find out about. Guess what they have out there in the fort? Cannons. Lots and lots of cannons.

The fort itself could hold up to 135 artillery pieces. That was a lot of weaponry back then. Each alcove had a cannon in it and then there were cannons above those.

It was a Union fort to begin with and the south attacked it starting the Civil War. The Confederates took the fort in 30 hours of bombardment. They then held the fort until the end of the war. The fort was under siege from Union gunboats for over 500 days and at the end, it was nothing but rubble.

It was rebuilt in the later part of the 1800's and retrofitted with 2 12 inch M1888 guns for coastal defense.

That's what that black structure was for. To house the coastal defense guns. It served that purpose until 1947 when it was turned over to the national parks. 

If you want to know something about cannons, look at the muzzle. If it is a real cannon it will have a date of manufacture on it.

That's how you can tell how old it is and if it is real or a reproduction. Sometimes they are so old that it is hard to see the date or they have been painted over too much.

The second half of our day was devoted to exploring Charleston. It was nothing like Savannah and our very good friends Jim and Barb said that it wasn't. Savannah was much more charming. Also on a side note, these old towns are not made for one ton dually pickups to be driving all over them. The roads are so narrow. I told Lisa that if we lived here, I would have to have a motorcycle and she would have to have a smart car.

There is a lot of history in this town. However there has been a lot of modernization also. It was quite the mix of old and new. Also it was very retail oriented. We then walked down to Battery Park. Named because of the artillery pieces stationed there during the war.

Lisa said that there was a statue in that park that she thinks was her favorite.

I think it was because he carried a big sword. After that we were getting tired. I wanted to take their free shuttle back to where we parked the truck but they were few and far between. So we walked and walked some more and literally stumbled upon this church. 

This was the entrance. Just this hidden pathway.

It goes on for about a half a block and then opens up into the cemetery.

I would not want to be there at night. It did have a certain appeal to it though. We had had enough of the city so the next day was going to be a beach day. We heard about a beach not far from here. Edisto Beach is a very large beach and it isn't one bit touristy at all. Hardly anyone there. I think the reason for that is, they do not have any public bathrooms at all on the beach.

Lisa did some shelling and I took some wave photos. We also walked the beach like lovers. We each had our hands in each others back pockets. Like in high school.

We also saw a bunch of jellyfish that had washed up on shore. Poor things. I tried to push one back in the water but where do you grab him?

Hopefully they can live till high tide comes and gets them. I just had to look it up and these are called Cannonball Jellyfish. Dang! Learned something again.

"Gladys! Throw a dart at the map and lets go!"

Savannah!

First off. Some unfinished business. We had the "super moon" just recently and I am glad to say that I did not turn into a Werewolf Spiderman. I have finished all of my medication for the bite marks and it looks like the spider left me a couple of scars as a reminder. Thanks spider.

We got to our next undisclosed location called Ft. McAllister State Historic Park in Georgia. This state park is home to Ft. McAllister which was the last Confederate stronghold against General Sherman's march to the sea. This fort was made entirely up of earthen works. Meaning they used dirt for the walls and buildings which proved to be a great way to protect them from naval bombardment. The walls could be easily filled back in at night and then ready to fight the next day. Unlike brick and cement which would be destroyed. The Union army could not defeat the fort from the water. It was attacked multiple times and each attack failed.

On the last battle here there were 120 or so Confederates opposing a 4,000 man Union army. The fort was meant to be attacked by the sea, not overland which the Union army did. It was overwhelmed in about 15 minutes. I learned more history and am in awe of it all.

We booked our site on Reserve America a couple of weeks ago. It was the last site available. It was a handicap site. So we called the park directly and they confirmed that it was handicapped and that we could reserve it. So we did. Now the thing that bothers us is that we are camped here and it feels like we are parking in a handicap parking spot because it has the blue sign that says permit required. We just would not do it. We always try to follow the rules. It was bothering us so we went back down to the office and told them again that someone said we could rent the site. They said it was fine and it was okay. Whew!

Because it is a nice site. It is a pull through with full hookups and 50 amp service. Everything else in the park is 30 amp with water and electric only. Plus now we don't have to walk around with a fake limp when people are walking by. But we are expecting someone to comment to us anyways.

"Oh dear baby Jesus. In your infinite wisdom you must have thought that I have too much blood. Therefore you have created the gnat to help take some of that away. Thank you baby Jesus."

The gnats here are terrible. We are aware that camping by the marshes comes with gnats. We have known it since the first time we camped at Cedar Key. But they are nothing like they are here. Let the gnat wars begin!

We had planned for a sunset dolphin cruise out of Tybee Island. I charged the batteries on my new camera and was excited to take some Pulitzer Prize winning photographs of dolphins leaping majestically in the air with a beautiful backdrop of a fabulous sunset. Photo after photo was taken and I looked at each one as I took it thinking "this is the one worth a thousand words". We got home late and I just couldn't wait to look at them.

WTH!!!!!! There was nothing on the SD card. Not one single picture of the sunset cruise. The dolphins. The clouds. The Birds. The boats. Nothing! The picture from the swamp were on the card. That is the last time I used the camera a couple of days ago. But nothing from last night. As consolation, Lisa took some with her phone and let me use them at least.

None of the dolphin photos turned out. They were just too quick for her phone camera. Things that just want to make you pull your hair out.

Our next day in this area was going to be all about Savannah. What a cool place. We liked this over New Orleans. They don't have all of the street people here, which we hate. This is a old city. There are lots of squares or green spaces with statues and trees in them. I believe  there are 20 squares in all.

The squares were very interesting. We walked down to the river walk. Just looking around at everything and you get this sense of how old it it.

The river walk reminds you of how this was a major seaport also. It still is as we were sitting there watching some of the traffic on the river.

We walked all over the historic district. Just looking at the squares and the architecture of the area.

"Gladys! this is worse than a death march. At least a death march ends. This goes on and on. I'm tired. My feet hurt. I have cramps. My Arthritis!"

"Shut up Tango! There's one more place I want to see before we head back. Forsyth Park".

"That's across town, I will never make it. Let me just die here by this trash can! Please!"

I made it to Forsyth Park. Thanks to the city of Savannah which offers free shuttles downtown. We just jumped on that and bingo, bango, bongo, we were there.

I would follow her anywhere. She makes me.

All in all, we liked this city. It was clean and kept up. No people begging for money or trying to scam you some way. We ate lunch down on the river walk area at the Bayou Cafe. The building was old and so full of character. We had a seat by the window and I was just sitting there when I took this picture.

These bricks were old. Just think of the stories they could tell. Here is a view out our window as we sat and ate.

Our last day in the Savannah area brought us out to Ft. Pulaski. It's a National Historic Monument. It started as a fort for the Confederacy but was captured by Union forces and then used a prison for Confederate troops.

This was a brick and mortar type of fort and has been really preserved well. It even had a moat around it. Something about forts that I just love. The second part of the day took us to Tybee Island. There were gale force winds so it was not pleasant at all there. We did not stay long.

Jellyfish.

We walked out to the end of the pier and took some photos of the angry surf. Lots of jellyfish washed ashore. So watch where you walk if you are barefoot.

Lastly we stopped for lunch at the original "Crab Shack". Cute little island restaurant. You can even feed the alligators there if you wanted.

Alligators waiting to be fed.

Eating shrimp ass's. Yum!

It has been a fun filled couple of days here in Savannah. We are enjoying our time along the coast even if it is a little cooler than we would like. 

"Where to next Gladys?"