Charming Charleston
Last week I took a trip to Charleston and it was one of the most beautiful and interesting places I have ever been. Although there were some stressful parts it was one of the most fulfilling holidays of my life.
I travelled by coach from Raleigh to Charleston, stopping in: Florence (SC); Myrtle Beach (SC) and Georgetown (SC). According to Google the journey should have taken 4 hours and 6 minutes. On the Greyhound bus it took approximately 9 hours total of travelling due to all the stops and a slight delay at Florence, SC. Arriving at the hostel was a great experience.
The Not So Hostel Hostel was really easy to check in to; very clean and provided towels and breakfast throughout the entire trip. Even though it was shared with a bunch of other people, I paid for my own room and it was quite easy to avoid people if I didn’t want to see anyone. The Hostel was also about 20 minutes walk from King Street, the main high street of Downtown Charleston, right in the heart of the Historic areas that make up Charleston.
After arriving on Thursday, I had a rest at the hostel and then walked down to a local pizza place that makes a huge variety of fresh pizzas. I walked down to King Street and relaxed in a beautiful green space called Marion Square. I met a gecko there. It was adorable. I had fun.
On Friday I got up early and walked 45 minutes to the South Carolina Aquarium. This place was one of the best places I have ever been to. Not only was it beautiful, it was really carefully curated and the staff were so friendly and helpful. I got to see rehabilitated birds and sea turtles. I stroked stingrays and small sharks and starfish. I got to see a tank with over 40 species of sea creature and divers that went in daily to clean the tank out. For such a moderately sized aquarium there was a huge amount to see. As it is on the coast they have platforms to view wild dolphins and pelicans as they jump and dive into the water.
On this same day I also went to three sites that are protected as part of Charleston’s heritage. The first was the Joseph Manigault House. This beautiful house was owned by architects and feminists throughout the 18 and 1900s. The house was owned by the Manigualt family before The Great Depression where it was bought and used as accommodation for soldiers and families up until its restoration in the mid 1900s. The house had beautiful fixtures and a gorgeous garden that had a British influenced gatehouse. I also visited The Museum of Charleston which contained items from Charleston’s history as well as Natural History Museum pieces and a new exhibition on ‘Microfashion’.
The museum was reasonably small with a good deal of sections including one centred around the civil war, so many of the areas contained brief summaries and specifically curated items. The final place my pass got me into was the Heyward-Washington House. That is The George Washington. The house was owned by the Heywards; a baker claimed the house next and finally it became a lodging house where George Washington stayed on numerous occasions. If the gardens at the previous house were pretty the Heyward house’s were stunning. The garden was developed and maintained by a local gardening society and with the breeze blowing through it felt like a British State Home. The inside had a priceless bureau which was custom made in sections to provide drawers; a desk and a huge bookcase although my favourite feature has got to be the wooden flower decoration at the top that could be rearranged by hand.
Saturday bloomed bright and hot so it was a perfect day to hit the beach. A friend from work had driven down the night before so we drove to Folley Beach. It was flat and breezy and I still managed to get burnt even though we were only there for a couple of hours. The beach town had a restaurant called Snapper Jacks that sold delicious fish and chips and I managed to get a mint green Folley Beach t-shirt at another local store. After that we drove to Shem Creek to meet up with some other people. After spending some time at a beautiful bar by the name of Saltwater Cowboys we travelled back into a Charleston to relax in a condo on King Street. From this apartment we sat on the rooftop patio and saw all the hustle and bustle on King Street. We also got to see the sunset on Charleston. It was a very relaxed day and my sunburn continued to grow throughout the day… it was totally worth it.
The last day in Charleston started off with getting breakfast and checking out of the hostel. Once we had eaten we walked down to The Market and I saw all sorts of vendors for things from wallets to paintings to antiques. At the end of The Market we continued walking down to The Battery where you could look out at all the boats coming in and out of the port. We then got back to the hostel (which we had already checked out of) and drove back to Raleigh. It took 4 and a half hours which wasn’t so bad. I’m still yet to unpack. Charleston left a profound impression on me. I came back happier and relaxed and motivated to continue working. With three months left on placement I really need to make the most of it. Although if you ever get a chance to come to the East Coast, Charleston should be at the top of your list of places to visit.
