Okay, I'm either getting lazy or tired - I vote for tired! We arrived in Charleston on Friday, the 8th. As we were coming into town down Hwy 17, our GPS took us over this very high, very long bridge - we took the first exit off the bridge, then it directed us back onto the bridge to our destination at the first exit on the other side. Hwy 17 has frontage roads on both sides with traffic lights at multiple intersections, including one that is exactly where our motel was. Why the GPS had us cross the bridge and then reverse and cross again makes no sense to me - I think Miss Aggie was just being mean because she knows I don't like high bridges! By the way, this bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere - it is 250 feet high and 2.7 miles long. We seem to be hitting these different cities on the eve of weekend celebrations. This time, it was the Taste of Charleston. We somehow managed to avoid the crowds, but of course the motel rates were higher for Friday and Saturday nights. I still find that rather irritating - they have a full house, so they're guaranteed good revenue, but they still feel justified in charged $20 more per night. It's just wrong!
On Saturday we visited Patriot's Point the home of the aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown, World War II's "The Fighting Lady". The submarine USS Clamagore is right along side the Yorktown, and we toured that first. Oh my goodness! Steep stairs down into the sub, narrow passageways, not to mention the little doorways you have to climb through - you definitely could not afford to be claustrophobic! I only know one former submariner, and I can't imagine how he fit in one of those short beds, let alone walked through those corridors (if that's what it's called). By the way - the Clamagore is the last remaining Guppy class submarine in existence.
After the sub, we climbed many stairs up to the hangar deck of the Yorktown. A very nice, retired Navy volunteer gave us information about the different areas of the ship to tour, and I proudly informed him that my granddaughter served on the USS John C Stennis - he was sufficiently impressed! (Were you also on the USS Carl Vinson, Rachel? My memory does have a few holes in it!) There are many different planes on the hangar deck and the flight deck. I was rather mystified as to how the "elevator" worked for bringing the planes up to the flight deck - I think I figured it out, but I really would need to see it in action to understand. I'm a visual learner! We went down many very steep stairs, and up many steep stairs - it was hot and exhausting. It was also really interesting and awe inspiring - this ship and its men fought in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. The Yorktown also recovered the Apollo 8 space capsule and the astronauts when they splashed down in the Pacific. The space capsule is also on the hangar deck of the Yorktown, and the Friendship 7 is there as well.
Another attraction in Charleston is the H L Hunley, a Confederate submarine that was the first submarine to sink an enemy warship. It mysteriously disappeared in 1864 soon after completing its mission and was recovered in the year 2000 about 3-1/2 miles off the coast of Sullivan's Island. The sub only held 8 men - 7 men to turn the crank to propel it and the captain.
Sunday morning was time for church and I visited a lovely church named Coastal Light Baptist Church. Excellent sermon and wonderful people. I had to cross that nasty bridge to get there, but it was well worth it!
I returned to the motel and Mike and I decided to do a little "island hopping", only here you can drive from one to another. We started with Sullivan's Island where Fort Moultrie is located. I think most of us have visited these coastal forts with all the big artillery, but on the Pacific Coasts the forts don't go back to the Revolutionary War. The fort was not even complete when the first battle was fought and won with the British fleet. This fort was used for the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I and World War II. It is fascinating to follow the fort through all of these periods. I really disliked history class when I was in school - I enjoy it so much more now when I can actually see and touch bits of history. After leaving the fort we drove to the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse - perhaps the ugliest lighthouse I have ever seen. It is 140 ft high, square with straight sides and is thought to be the only US lighthouse with an elevator. Also of note about Sullivan's Island - Fort Sumter was also located here, and Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie from 1827 to 1828. Poe used Sullivan's Island as a setting for his novel "The Gold Bug", and the town library bears his name. From there we proceeded to Isle of Palms, but chose not to stop along the way. Unless you live on the island, you have to pay to park just to walk to the beach. That seems to be the case in most areas along the coast where the access to the beach is easiest.
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