Day 25 – (05/27) Charlotte/Ft. Mill, SC (Day 2)

Weather – There was a light rain after the tornado warning expired last night, then all was quiet.  We awoke to a sunny morning.  That all changed before noon.  We had a heavy downpour then a drizzle for a short time.  This is only the third time we've seen rain in 25 days of travel.  It rained again later in the day

Housekeeping

We spent the morning doing laundry, refilling prescriptions and grocery shopping.  Fortunately, all were finished before the rain hit.

The Visit

So, why are we in Ft. Mill?  Dick’s Uncle Daryl and Aunt Patricia live here.  We’ve never been to their home.  This is a great opportunity to see them and catch up on family events.

We had a tour of their home and saw some of Daryl’s handiwork and examples of Patricia’s many craft projects.  They have many mementos from their travels.

Sears' home in Ft. Mill

Daryl and Patricia Sears

Living room and travel mementos

Daryl built the fireplace behind the lamp
(His office is enclosed in the corner cabinet ... pretty cool)

Sun Room

Dining Room

We headed off to wonderful dinner at Olive Garden in a torrential downpour.  The rain stopped during dinner.  We then went to the campground for a tour of the trailer.

Dick’s cousin, Dan Firman, is travelling north from Ft. Myers, FL tonight.  He plans to stop by Uncle Daryl’s on the way.  We may get together for breakfast tomorrow.

Day 24 – (05/26) Charlotte/Ft. Mill, SC (Day 1)

Weather – The temperature reached the high-90s by mid-day.  It was mostly sunny with a light breeze.  The weather became threatening in the early evening.  Tornado sirens went off at about 9:30pm … but, more about that later.

We travelled 211 miles today.  It consisted of 122 miles to Lexington, SC and an additional 89 miles to Ft. Mill, SC (just outside Charlotte). 

Lexington

We stopped to visit and have lunch with Barb and Dan Novak (our sister-in-law and brother-in-law).  We haven’t seen them for many years.  Hopefully it won’t be so long next time.

Barb & Dan's home in Lexington

Barb, Carol & Dan

Barb's bunny dolls are waiting for some clothes.

They gave us a tour of their church.

New sanctuary at Pilgrim Lutheran Church

This was the old sanctuary

Doug (their son) is a highly-respected detective with the sheriff’s department.  We don’t have pictures of him to share.  We did get to see his home and some of his wife Rachel’s gardening handiwork.

Back of Doug & Rachel's home

We were tempted to try out the pool

The garden had pools and fountains

We had a delightful lunch at Zorba’s Greek Restaurant.  It’s Barb and Dan’s favorite and we certainly saw why.  They have a friendly staff and very good food.  Ummm!

Ft. Mill

We’re camping at the Charlotte/Ft. Mill KOA.  It’s OK, but not as nice as its Woodall’s Rating suggests. 

The Coca Cola 600 race is at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday.  This campground will be really jumping for the next two days.

Tornado Warning

Sirens went off at about 9:30pm.  We joined a small group of campers who gathered inside the block wall restrooms.  Everyone returned to their campers after the alert was cancelled in about an hour.  We were surprised that the park personnel offered no guidance for what to do when the sirens went off. 

This is an interesting way to meet your neighbors.

These girls watch over their dogs, and vice versa.

The iPhone weather application kept us informed.

We had some wind gusts, lightning and light rain.  The severe storm travelled north of us.

Day 23 – (05/25) Charleston, SC (Day 2)

Weather – The temperature reached the mid-90s.  It was mostly sunny with a light breeze.  It’s still really hot.

This was a touring day.  We took a 10am Gray Line tour of the city, a cruise to Fort Sumter, and then toured the Joseph Manigault House across from the Charleston Museum.

City Tour

This was our first Gray Line tour.  It was well worth the cost.  We travelled throughout the city seeing all kinds of sights: churches, mansions, The Citadel, Hampton Park, marinas, College of Charleston, etc.  Gray Line provided the “transportation glue” to tie three tours into a seamless event.

Charleston Bay

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge across Charleston Bay
(It cost 1/2 billion $)

USS Yorktown (CV-10)

Carnival Fantasy

The waterfront

Fort Sumter

The shots that started the Civil War were fired here on April 12, 1861.  The multi-tiered work of 1861 was reduced largely to rubble during the Civil War.

Approaching the fort

Five flags in the foreground flew over the fort

Carol was looking for the powder room and found the powder magazine.  Oops!

Inside the powder magazine

The fort - before and after

Casemate (gunroom)

Our ride back takes 30 minutes

Casemates

Replica of H.L. Hunley submarine
(outside Charleston Museum)

Joseph Manigault House

Joseph Manigault, the original inhabitant of the house, amassed his wealth from plantations and was a representative in South Carolina's state legislature. The National Historic Monument was completed in 1803.  The house had no running water and no kitchen.  Pictures from inside:  

Dining Room

Main entrance.   Staircase is cantilever and self-supporting. 

Main entertaining room

Ceiling decoration

Campground

The Oak Plantation Campground is one of the best of the trip.  The setting among tall oaks is peaceful and tastefully done.  Their services are excellent.

Oak Plantation Campground

Site N5

We've had a great stay here.  We head for Columbia and Charlotte tomorrow.

Day 22 – (05/24) Charleston, SC (Day 1)

Weather – The temperature reached the mid-90s.  It was partly cloudy with a light breeze.  It’s still really hot.

We whisked through southeastern Georgia in just 1 day and are now in Charleston, SC.  The drive was short, just 110 miles from Savannah.  The route: north on US 17 from Savannah into SC to I-95 north, north on I-95 to exit 33 at South Point, then east on US 17 to Charleston and the Oak Plantation Campground. 

We tried to beat the heat, so we connected the trailer early and left Savannah at 8:45am.  The drive on US 17 was beautiful and serene.  It was lined with plantations, marshes and pine forests.  There were very few services along the way.  We arrived in Charleston at 11am and stalled (a.k.a. having breakfast at a Waffle House) for an hour before check-in at the campground.

The new campground is outstanding!

We drove to downtown Charleston, got tickets for tomorrow’s tour, did a walking tour, and had dinner.  There was so much to see!  We got a flavor of the area by walking King, Broad and Meeting Streets.

Lots of upscale shops on King Street

So many beautiful buildings on Broad Street

US Post Office on Broad Street

St. Michael's Episcopal Church
(At Broad and Meeting Streets)

City Hall ... said to be the oldest in the country
(At Broad and Meeting Streets)

South Carolina Society Hall on Meeting Street

Poyas-Mordecai House on Meeting Street

Private garden of Poyas-Mordecai House

Branford-Horry House on meeting Street

First Scots Presbyterian Church on Meeting Street

More about the First Presbyterian Church

Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street

Isaac Motte House on Meeting Street

George Eveleigh House on Meeting Street

Thomas Heyward House on Meeting Street

Calhoun Mansion on Meeting Street

Josiah Smith House on Meeting Street

White Point Gardens at The Battery

The buildings were magnificent and plentiful.  Streets were lined with historic treasures ... far too many to remember here.

It was a long day.  We’re tuckered out.