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Colonial Lake – Downtown Charleston, S.C.

Playground, walking paths, picnic tables, athletic fields, tennis courts.

Dogs are allowed.

Colonial Lake - Downtown Charleston, S.C.

 

Intersection of Ashley Avenue and Broad Street
Charleston, S.C.
 
Picture and text below source – http://bit.ly/tkQSvT‘
 
The lake and its park were part of the Commons established by an Act of the Commons House of Assembly in 1768, setting aside the area forever for public use.
The tradition that the lake was developed as a small boat harbor for planters apparently has no foundation in fact.

Most likely, it served as mill pond for a succession of sawmills which operated in the vicinity.

For many years the lake was known as the Rutledge Street Pond.

It acquired the name, Colonial Lake, in 1881, in honor of the “Colonial Commons” established in 1768. Some residents still call it “The Pond.”

The park around the lake was developed in 1882-87.

Fountains were placed in the lake in 1973, not for decorative purposes, but to aerate the water and prevent fish kills on hot summer days.

Gala Week used to be held in the fall of the year, with a fireworks display on the west side of the Pond, which was then an undeveloped area.

Spectators filled to park and crowded onto boats in the lake.’

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

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

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The Cooper River Bridge(s)

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

  1. 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.”
  2. 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.”
  3. 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 –

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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

 

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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

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Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum – Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Picture Source – Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriots_Point

40 Patriots Point Road,
Mt. Pleasant,
SC – 29464
866-831-1720

www.patriotspoint.org/

‘Patriots Point is home to three museum ships:

– USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier

– USS Laffey, a destroyer (closed as of August 2009; to be brought back December 2011)

– USS Clamagore, a submarine‘

 

‘The Yorktown has many exhibits on board, including:

– Medal of Honor museum, with biographies of all medal recipients

– 25 naval aircraft, including:

A-4 Skyhawk

A-6 Intruder

A-7 Corsair

F-4 Phantom

F-9 Cougar

F-14 Tomcat‘

 

‘Exhibits ashore include:

– Civil War-era cannon

– Vietnam War-era:

US Navy Bell UH-1 helicopter

USMC Bell AH-1 Sea Cobra helicopter

PBR-105 river patrol boat

Naval Support Camp

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Cooper River Boat Marina – Charleston, S.C.

Like Deep Sea Fishing?   Boating?  Cooper River Marina is the place to get started!

Cooper River Marina - Charleston, S.C.

Picture and text source – http://bit.ly/nJm9mk

LAT 32-49.928 N-079-56.053W

‘Conveniently located two miles north of the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge and 15 minutes from historic downtown Charleston, the Cooper River Marina is a great facility for recreational and transient boaters.’

Features

– Deep water slips: long-term up to 42-feet, loa; transients up to 125-ft.

– No draft or height restrictions

– Easy harbor access

– 30 amp/120V service

– Floating concrete docks

– Shore side and slip side pump-out service

– Phone line connection for your ISP

– Clean, climate-controlled captains lounge, laundry facilities, showers, and restrooms

– Ships store/convenience store

– Experienced staff

– Fax and email service, Wifi

– Competitive rates

– Ample free parking

– Docking assistance

– Up-to-the-minute local and national weather information

– Gated security

– VHF Channel 16 monitoring

1010 Juneau Avenue,
Charleston,
SC – 29405
843-554-0790bit.ly/nJm9mk
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Charleston Airport Shines!

ABC News 4 reports that “2011 was a banner year for Charleston International Airport despite sluggish numbers across the country.’ – http://www.abcnews4.com/story/16557791/banner-year-for-charleston-international-airport

The Post and Courier reports that “The airport reported Thursday that 2.5 million people traveled through its terminals in 2011, 25 percent more than the previous year.” – http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/19/charleston-airport-sets-record-passengers/

Charleston Regional Business Journal reports that according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, “Charleston’s airport was ranked No. 2 for the largest decreases and smallest increases.” – http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/42306-charleston-airport-ranked-no-2-for-largest-decreases-in-airfare?rss=0