Back from Charleston, SC!

I decided for part of school vacation, that I would take my teenage daughter to Charleston, SC. We stayed at the Mills House, a Holiday Inn owned antique hotel – very lovely and very un-Holiday-Inn-like.  Charleston is a wonderfully historic southern city, and there is much to be learned! You literally cannot turn a corner without discovering something new, whether it’s strolling through the church cemeteries, touring through homes, or simply shopping at the marketplace. Rather than prattle on, I’ve decided to give you a bit of a photographic tour through the historic district. Enjoy!

My daughter was thrilled with our pink hotel. I highly recommend this historic, reportedly haunted place if you plan a visit to Charleston:

This first photograph was taken in the cemetery of the Circular Church. The headstones are very old, dating back into the 18th century and it’s hauntingly beautiful to stroll through. There’s actually a headstone in this cemetery that reads “I told you I was sick”! Sadly, I could not locate it.

Secret gardens abound in Charleston. Look down any alleyway or through any wrought iron gate and there they will be, beautiful and often whimsical:

The wrought iron work throughout the historic district gives the city a special, unforgettable charm. Each is unique, intricate, and storied!

I mentioned the Marketplace or City Market. This long flea market runs down the center of Market Street and hosts all sorts of stalls containing anything you can think of: crafts, food, jewelry, etc. The land was donated by a wealthy Charleston family back in the 1800s with the stipulation that it’s to be used as a marketplace but slaves should NEVER be sold there. It runs from the Meeting Street all the way to East Bay Street. Plan half a day to properly shop this market:

Charleston homes all have long porches they call verandas. They often have a door in front of them which they call a privacy door, kind of amusing when someone can just hop over the veranda rails. The ceilings are often painted a pale blue, that the locals call ‘haint blue’, haint meaning haunt. The assumption is that ghosts will pass a house with haint blue ceilings on the verandahs, thinking that the ceiling is the sky. Take a look below for a fine example: