Things to do in Charleston, S.C. – Page 5

October 25, 2012

CSS Hunley – Submarine – Warren Lasch Conservatory Center – Charleston, S.C

Picture source – Hunley.org

1250 Supply Street,

Charleston,

SC – 29405

843-743-4865

www.hunley.org

The CSS Hunley or L.L. Hunley is a previously sunken Confederate submarine which was finally found in 1995 off of Sullivans Island. It was found by the National Underwater Marine Agency team of best selling author Clive Cussler.

Stories on Hunley.org –

– The Historic Mission (and Sinking)

– Finding the Hundley

Wikipedia.com article on the L.L. Hunley

‘Weekend Tours of the Hunley

Hunley tours are available every Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM and Sunday Noon-5 PM. Last tour begins at 4:40 PM. Tours are not available on weekdays so scientists can continue their work preserving the Hunley for future generations. Tours are not available on Easter Sunday.

Tickets ordered in advance are $12.00 plus a service charge and can be purchased by either calling toll-free 1-877-448-6539 (1-877-4HUNLEY) or at www.etix.com (links to specific dates listed below). Children under 5 are free.

Walk-up tickets are also available on a first come, first serve basis. These tickets do not have a service charge. Tickets for Friends of the Hunley members, senior citizens, and military are discounted to $10.00. If you are eligible for this discount, please purchase your ticket at the door.

The Hunley is located at:

Warren Lasch Conservation Center

1250 Supply Street (on the old Charleston Navy Base), North Charleston, S.C.

Tour Inquiries

– For questions about Hunley tours, please call the Friends of the Hunley directly at 843.743.4865 ext. 10.

– If you have questions about pre-reserved tickets, please contact Etix.com at support@etix.com.

– Group tours (20+ guests) can be scheduled for weekdays with advance notice. For more information, contact Josephine Starnes at 843.743.4865 ext. 28 or email herjstarnes@hunley.org

October 24, 2012October 24, 2012

Cabbage Row or Catfish Row, Charleston, S.C.

Click here for picture of Cabbage Row on PalmettoCarriage.com

Picture source – http://www.palmettocarriage.com/cabbage-row.html

Cabbage Row got its name from African Americans putting produce on the window seals to sell.

Today there a couple of shops in this location.

Author DuBose Heyward wrote a novel, Porgy.

The main character lived on Cabbage Row.

George Gershwin and Heyward later wrote the musical, Porgy and Bess, and changed the name of the area to Catfish Row.

PalmettoCarriage.com tells us more…

“Cabbage Row is a structure from the Revolutionary War era. It is a well preserved example of this type of home, consisting of a pair of houses connected by a central arcade. The structure is three stories tall with commercial ground floors that have stood the test of time. The area is now lined with private homes and specialty shops but that wasn’t always the case.” Read more…

October 23, 2012October 23, 2012

Audobon Swamp Garden – Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, S.C.

Source of Photo and Text – Magnolia Plantation and Garden

3550 Ashley River Road,

Charleston,

SC – 29414
843-556-1012bit.ly/v1YQ2D

‘TIMES:

Daily, 365 days a year. From opening until 5:30 PM.

However, once you have purchased your ticket, you can stay and enjoy the Audubon Garden until dusk. Allow 1 hour for the self-guided walk.

COST: ($8 per person, children under 6 free)

The Audubon Swamp Garden is a unique world where trees grow from the water, islands float, and everywhere wild creatures go about their secret lives. It boasts a diversity of living things almost unequaled anywhere else in America. Thousands of plant and animal species coexist amongst the cypress and tupelo gum trees, surrounded by blackwater. Each year, hundreds of egrets, herons, and other waterfowl nest within feet of the walking path. You can explore this wild and otherwise inaccessible landscape on boardwalks, bridges, and dikes.’

October 10, 2012October 10, 2012

The Cooper River Bridge(s)

1939 Postcard of the Cooper River Bridge featured on American-Journal.org

Picture Source – http://american-journal.org/2012/01/cooper-river-bridge-charleston-s-c-c-1939/

The Cooper River Bridge is technically three bridges with separate names that served to transport Charlestonians over the years.

Its history is revealed on CooperRiverBridge.org . The three bridges are:

The Grace Memorial Bridge – “The 2.71-mile bridge, later to be named the Grace Memorial Bridge, was built in just 17 months, at a total cost of approximately $6 million. It was opened with a three-day celebration on Aug. 8, 1929.”
The Pearman Bridge – “In ceremonies on April 29, 1966, a new $15 million bridge over the Cooper River, parallel to the Grace Bridge, was opened to traffic, and dedicated in honor of Chief Highway Commissioner Silas N. Pearman.”
The Ravenel Bridge (also known as the New Cooper River Bridge) – “Now the diamond towers of the Ravenel Bridge have been named the John P. Grace Tower and the Silas N. Pearman Tower to remember the men and the bridges that served Charleston.”

Be sure to visit the Mount Pleasant Pier at 71 Harry Hallman Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant. It is a lovely park and gives you a great view of the bridges. Here is what the Charleston Park and Recreation Commission says about it:

“Part of the Memorial Waterfront Park complex, the 1250-foot long Mount Pleasant Pier stretches out into Charleston Harbor under the foot of the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge. The pier’s foundation was created from pared-down pilings from the old Grace Memorial Bridge, and one end of the pier now features an 8,100-square-foot covered pavilion for hosting dances and other events. Visitors can enjoy beautiful views of the bridge and harbor from the pier’s bench swings and shade structures.”

Learn more about the bridges on the Wikipedia ‘Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge’ article.

There are many, many beautiful images of the bridges on Google images –

October 10, 2012October 10, 2012

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge – Charleston, S.C.

Picture source – Wikipedia.org

www.cooperriverbridge.org/

Charleston, SC – 29401

“The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, also known as the New Cooper River Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge over the Cooper Riverin South Carolina, connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The eight lane bridge satisfied the capacity of U.S. Route 17 when it opened in 2005 to replace two obsolete cantilever truss bridges. The bridge has a main span of 1,546 feet (471 m), the second longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.” Wikipedia.orgFor more information on the history of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, the Pearman Bridge, and the Grace Memorial Bridge – known as the Cooper River bridges – see ‘The Bridge(s) of Charleston’.
Related:

– The Mount Pleasant Pier

October 10, 2012

The Charleston Museum – Americas First Museum

www.charlestonmuseum.org

360 Meeting Street,

Charleston,

SC – 29403

843-722-2996

Email – info@charlestonmuseum.org

‘America’s First Museum, founded in 1773.

Its mission is to preserve and interpret the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry.

We invite you to explore this rich, varied history at the Museum and its two National Historic Landmark houses.

All are located downtown, in America’s Most Historic City.

Inspired in part by the creation of the British Museum (1759), the Museum was established in 1773 by the Charleston Library Society and is commonly regarded as America’s first museum. Its early history was characterized by association with distinguished South Carolinians and scientific figures including Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Reverend John Bachman and John J. Audubon. Many of the original collections were destroyed by fire in 1778 and operations were suspended during the American Revolution; however, collecting resumed in the 1790s.’

‘First opened to the public in 1824, the Museum developed prominent collections declared in 1852 by Harvard scientist Louis Aggasiz to be among the finest in America.

Operations were temporarily suspended due to the Civil War, but began again shortly after the conflict.

Progressively acquired from the late 18th century to the present, the Museum’s collections now present the oldest-acquired and the most comprehensive assemblage of South Carolina materials in the nation.

Modern collecting emphases include natural science, ornithology, historical material culture and both documentary and photographic resources.’

Hours of Operation

Museum – Monday-Saturday 9-5, Sunday 1-5

Historic Houses – Monday-Saturday 10-5, Sunday 1-5

Admission

Museum – $10/adults, $5/children 4-12, children 3 and under free

Historic Houses – $10 adults, $5/children 4-12, children 3 and under free

Group rates and discounted multi-site tickets available

Information and Prices subject to change

October 9, 2012

South Carolina Aquarium – Charleston, S.C.

100 Aquarium Wharf

Charleston,

SC – 29401

843-720-1990

www.scaquarium.org

‘Like’ them on facebook – https://www.facebook.com/scaquarium

March-August

Open Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

(Building closes at 6 p.m.)

September-February

Open Daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

(Building closes at 5 p.m.)

Closed Thanksgiving Day, Dec 25, and half day Dec 24 (open 9am-1pm).

October 9, 2012

Rainbow Row – Charleston, S.C.

83-107 East Bay Street,

Charleston,

SC – 29401

on facebook – on.fb.me/rzahLU

Rainbow Row is the name for a series of colorful historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina. The houses are located north of Tradd St. and south of Elliot St. on East Bay Street. It is referred to as Rainbow Row for the pastel colors used to paint all of the houses. It is a common tourist attraction and is one of the most photographed parts of Charleston.’

Source – Wikipedia

October 6, 2012

Folly Beach Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier

Picture and Text Below Source – http://bit.ly/h4PgV4

101 East Arctic Avenue,

Folly Beach,

SC – 29439

843-588-3474

bit.ly/h4PgV4

‘Fishing, walking, birding, and the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Edge of America are just some of the possibilities at the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier, where you can find some of the best saltwater fishing in the area.’

‘The Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier is a breathtaking landmark that stretches 1,045 feet into the sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean. At 25-feet wide and 23-feet above sea level, the pier is the second longest on the east coast and offers not only spectacular views, but a variety of fishing tournaments, special events, and dining.’

Full-service restaurant, Locklears Beach City Grill

Special events & tournaments

Rod rentals

Restrooms (handicap-accessible)

Gangplank Gift & Tackle Shop

Beach access/showers