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| Rainbow Row, Charleston |
Columbia
Through North Carolina, two people recommended to me that I visit Greenville. I'm sorry to say that I felt it too far out of the way and did not make it there, heading straight for Columbia instead after Charlotte.
Columbia was a worthwhile visit only by virtue of being the capital of South Carolina. I first walked through the Five Points neighborhood for lunch. I saw a sign touting it as the most pedestrian-trafficked and pedestrian-friendly area of Columbia. Literally not a good sign. Foreboding for the rest of Columbia. Even at peak lunch time, there was nothing happening.
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| Five Points |
If I lived in Columbia, I would be at a loss for what to do there. It was dead downtown, dominated by the University of South Carolina. There are nice bits of college campus sprinkled through the city but it's mostly deserted. There are a friend standalone parks, but the whole of downtown felt a little like a park itself - birds chirping, children laughing... peaceful. That was a pretty unique feeling.
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| Beautiful building and grounds |
I arrived in Columbia at just the right time because I finally crossed a full-blown political protest at the capitol building. I helped hold a couple extra signs, asking what Trump is hiding by not releasing his taxes. Got some honks and cheers from passersby. Felt warm, but even the cities of South Carolina are strongholds of ᴙ.
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| Protesters to my left, out of frame |
Columbia has the prettiest capitol I've ever seen (so far). I actively looked for confederate monuments and I could only find one. That was very unexpected for me out of the South Carolina capitol. Recall the flag controversy following the Charleston church shooting a two years ago.
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| Inside the Columbia capitol |
Charleston
For a city that multiple people raved about, I definitely botched my timing to Charleston (same applies for Savannah): Easter Day.
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| City streets at night |
Charleston is 100% a city of tourism, and I did not know that going in. There's a small residential area, but you go to this city to shop, eat, and learn history, and that's it. I had a lot of fun here and want to go back, not on Easter weekend. But it's not a place to live. Through Saturday night, I kept seeing swaths of folk dressed very dapper. I think it was prom night or something similar. That's what type of city Charleston is. I was reminded of LA's Rodeo Drive.
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| So many art exhibitions and stores |
I had a really good BBQ pork sandwich Saturday night with the best cole slaw ever (in conjunction with the slaw from Lexington BBQ, I understand the claim that the south makes it best). I entered a store with a world of hot sauces, sampling a bunch then feeling lousy for not buying anything. And I found a fun free concert. I didn't like the psychedelic headliner band but the atmosphere of the warehouse-turned-bar appealed to me.
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| Charleston's open-air market with mostly arts and crafts |
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Stomach churned for an hour after trying the Flash Bang hot sauce.
The Source, top right, is supposedly the hottest ever on market. |
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| Unexpected words from Lincoln |
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| White Point Garden and cannonballs |
Easter morning I strolled through White Point Garden, went into Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer on recommendation and got a... muffin, then tried to 1. take a ferry out to Fort Sumter and 2. take the Charleston jail tour but timing due in part to Easter schedules didn't allow me. So I was very let down that I couldn't see these parts of history. I instead walked around the Fort Sumter visitor center and monument in low spirits. I will need to return to Charleston one day.
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| Fort Sumter monument, ferry to Fort Sumter, and Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge |
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| Fort Sumter way in the distance, above the right of the ship |
On my way out I paid respects at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
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| Circular Congregational Church graveyard, no signs of Jesus rising here this Easter |
Hilton Head
The southern heat really started to hit me at this vacation spot. A sense of Florida overwhelmed me, both for the heat and the palm trees. This is an island of family tourism, winter homes, and golfing. So many golf courses! A quick Googling says there are 24 courses on the island. The beach is like an amusement park and just barely qualifies as a real beach to me.
Savannah
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| For Gramma |
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| City Market a block or two off the river |
Savannah has an extensive river walk (tourist area) and then twenty-five miniature parks meticulously arranged in a 5x5 grid connected by short streets (historical area). Each park has slightly different character, many with monuments from various periods.
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| The walk along the river |
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| The Waving Girl, bidding safe passage to sailors |
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| One of the miniature parks |
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My favorite statue in the parks, and the only one whose plaque eluded me.
I guess it's just some random gyroscope. |
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| Middle of Forsyth Park, Savannah's "Central Park" |
I had the second best meal of my trip here at The Grey, converted from an old Greyhound bus station, and this is despite choosing from a very limited Easter menu. I followed that up with the famous Leopold's Ice Cream, which was actually a disappointment. Sure, it's ice cream, always good, but I thought the consistency to be on the watery side instead of creamy. Still they do have some creative flavors with whole chunks of goodies mixed it.
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| Here comes the sun. Very pretty blues that my camera probably can't relay to you. |
I watched a serene sunrise at Tybee Beach. The ocean was like bath water and made for a very easy swim. I left in time for the opening of Bonaventure Cemetery and I'm very glad I did because it is a challenge not to get lost in there. I do not advise going toward the end of the day in case you get lost, to avoid getting locked in overnight. Bonaventure takes the cake as best cemetery of all time. If I have any cemetery lovers reading my blog, this one's for you. Mausoleums galore. Separate war and holocaust burial sections. You can sense the undead skeleton hands ready to break ground to grab your ankle. I found a gravestone as recent as 2015 and ones as old as the 1850s, though I think some were older and just illegible.
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| Mausoleum city |
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| Excuse me, have you seen Jesus? |
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| Surely he would rise here. |
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| I would certainly resurrect here. |
Wrap Up
All touristy things going on for this part of my trip. I would love to visit again, away from any holidays. Really wishing I could have ferried to Fort Sumter.
Root Beer
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| Service Brewing Company |
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| Holy City Brewing |
I stopped at Holy City Brewing for their root beer as I left Charleston, but they had run out! Then in Savannah, I wanted a drink at Service Brewing Company, but they were closed both days! Grrr. Definitely need to return for my root beers, as well as Fort Sumter.
From Savannah to Atlanta, I needed to restock my car cooler, and found Boylan root beer at the supermarket.
Boylan Bottling Co (Manhattan, NY): Exceptionally fizzy, tiny bit of bite. Blackberry tinge to taste, though I have been wrong before about what fruits I'm tasting. Good flavor but not spectacular. 5 stars
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| Boylan Bottling Co |
On Repeat
"Album": Waking Up with Sam Harris podcast - Harris is a favorite living philosopher of mine. Also a respected neuroscientist, he wrote one of the books I have on the trip with me. I'm not normally a podcast guy, but Google Music is making it very easy for me to become one now, so I put it on for my long stretches of driving. Waking Up occasionally does an episode on politics, but mostly Harris likes to focus on philosophical topics of truth, knowing, and perception.
Song: Depeche Mode -
Personal Jesus
Up next: Athens, Atlanta
Forseeable: Montgomery, Mobile, New Orleans
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| Callipygian. |
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