Charleston, SC

An interesting city to explore. It's was larger than I expected. The homes are lovely and spread throughout and mingled among modern buildings downtown and on the riverfront. There was a wonderful downtown market where the locals sell their wears including the famous sweet grass baskets. This is an art that has been passed down through the generations, basically among slaves. They can be very intricate and beautiful but have a hefty pricetag.
We took a boatride to Ft. Sumter which we found fascinating. The beginning of the Civil was all around. I have never seen so many state flags flown from everywhere. It became very obvious after awhile.
The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown is berthed in the river at Mt. Pleasant and open for tours. It was the first time I'd been on this type of ship. WOW! It's huge! 3,000-4,000 men, a city in itself totally self contained. The flight deck is big, until you consider planes landed on it and had to stop immediately (with help of a hook).
We also visited The Citadel museum. The cadets played an important roll at the beginning of the Civil War. They aided in firing on the supply ship that was bringing the Union soldiers at Ft. Sumter needed supplies and turned the ship away. This was the prelude to the firing on the fort that started the war.
South Carolina is a beautiful state in many ways. Very interesting landscape - "the low country". These are the areas of "salt marshes" where the water comes and goes. Then there's the rest of the state with lush vegetation and beautiful wisteria that grows wild in the trees along the roads. It's in full bloom and outstanding.