Charleston is a beautiful Old South City. It is vibrant and energetic. Charleston was founded in 1670 and was once the wealthiest city in the American colonies. It was also a major port city during the slave trade.
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The Old City of this South Carolina port city was founded in 1670, and is defined by its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and pastel antebellum houses, particularly in the elegant French Quarter and Battery districts. The Battery promenade and Waterfront Park both overlook Charleston Harbor. From The Battery you can see Fort Sumter, the federal stronghold where the first shots of the Civil War rang out.
The attack on Fort Sumter is generally taken as the first shots fired at the beginning of the American Civil War. The Battle of Fort Sumter began on April 12, 1861, when South Carolina Militia artillery fired from shore on the Union garrison. These were the first shots of the war. The bombardment continued all day, watched by many happy civilians on The Battery in Charleston. The fort was cut off from its supply lines and reinforcements and surrendered the next day.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is a historic house with gardens located on the Ashley River outside of Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest plantations in the South. Also located on the grounds is the Magnolia Audubon Swamp Garden which has an Egret and Heron Rookery and the swamp was once used as a reservoir for the plantation’s rice cultivation.
The Yorktown Aircraft Carrier Museum is located in Mt. Pleasant, SC across the Cooper River from Charleston. The Yorktown is the second Aircraft Carrier with that moniker and is named after the first Yorktown Aircraft Carrier that was sunk at the Battle of Midway during WW2. It has a display of WW2 and Vietnam Era planes and also includes a modern FA-18 Fighter and the Apollo 8 Space Capsule that went to the Moon and back carrying Astronauts Frank F. Borman, James A. Lovell Jr., and William A. Anders.
The Magnificient Angel Oak is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park on John’s Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The tree is estimated to be 400–500 years old. It is owned and curated by the City of Charleston. It is truly awe inspiring and humbling.
