Day 2 in Charleston was my mom’s birthday! Yay! We had big plans for this day, so we were up and at ’em early.
My mom and I stopped at the Starbucks in our hotel for a quick breakfast before taking a Lyft to the harbor for our tour of Fort Sumter. You have to take a ferry ride to Fort Sumter since it’s not accessible by car/foot. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes and one of the park rangers gave us a history lesson about the fort on the way there. Some facts about the fort:
- In 1861, it was where the Civil War began with the Battle of Fort Sumter.
- Most of the fort was built by enslaved men, women, and children. You can still see their fingerprints on some of the bricks.
- The fort was supposed to be built within 15 years but it took more than 30 years and was still never fully completed.
- When it was originally used, the fort’s walls were much higher than they are today. The fort was decimated during the Civil War and the damaged walls were re-leveled to a lower height.
We were the first tour group of the day, so we got to witness the raising of the flag. It was pretty neat! What I didn’t like is that the park ranger spent a good 20ish minutes continuing his history spiel when we were in the direct sunlight and BAKING on black concrete. I love listening to history, but not when it’s 90+ degrees outside, super humid, and the sun is directly in my eyes. I think all of us were grateful when he finished.
We were given about 45 minutes to explore the fort, and the first thing my mom and I did was escape into the air-conditioned museum to cool down. They had tons of artifacts and history in this museum, but it’s also tinged with the knowledge that these were Confederate soldiers/artifacts, so it feels a bit squicky at the same time. Then again, it’s a part of our history nonetheless and pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t help anyone.
After we had sufficiently cooled down in the museum, we walked around the outside of the fort, viewing the cannons and seeing the way the fort might have looked at the time it was in regular use. One of the park rangers also pointed out the destruction of part of the fort by a cannonball.
We took the ferry back to Charleston and got a Lyft to the Charleston City Market, which was a little over a mile southeast of the harbor. First, though, we stopped for a quick bite to eat at Henry’s on the Market. I wish we had more time to explore this restaurant as it’s the longest-running one in Charleston, but alas. We were mainly there for sustenance. We ordered a chicken fingers appetizer and two drinks (I got a rum punch that was delicious!), which satisfied both of us. There was this interesting dog competition playing on one of the TVs and when I tell you that the whole bar was engaged in this competition… we were riveted!
After lunch, we spent the next few hours walking up and down all the stalls at the Charleston City Market. There was so much to see here! There was local art, jewelry, touristy tchotchkes, clothing, food, pet items, and on and on and on. I spent a bit too much money here and bought:
- A gorgeous print of Rainbow Row
- Two wood bookmarks (one to give to Elizabeth)
- A Christmas ornament
- Stickers for my water bottle
- A magnet for my fridge
- Two coasters with my beloved Miami Dolphins insignia
There was so much more I wanted to buy (so many beautiful handmade earrings that I was so tempted by!), but I had to stop myself at a certain point. Eventually, we left the market and made our way back to our hotel. It was around 3 p.m. at this point and our dinner reservations weren’t until 7:15, so we both had nice, long naps before taking showers and getting all fancy for dinner.
We had dinner at Oak Steakhouse, which is situated inside a historic bank building that dates back to 1848. There are a few locations around the southeastern U.S., but none in Florida, so this felt like an extra-special treat for us. We enjoyed our meals, although I wouldn’t say it was the best steak I’ve ever had. But the mashed potatoes we got to go along with our steaks were top-notch. So creamy and delicious! We capped off the evening with dessert—layered chocolate cake and a peanut butter pie. I couldn’t tell you which one I enjoyed more!
After dinner, we tried to go to a nearby dueling piano bar but the cover charge was a little steep for us and it was standing room only, so we nixed that plan in favor of walking back to the hotel, getting in our jammies, and playing a round of Yahtzee. We know how to party!
NOTES
- Where we stayed: Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston
- What we ate: Henry’s on the Market and Oak Steakhouse
- What we did: Fort Sumter Tour ($35 for adults ages 12-61; $31 for active military and adults over age 61; $21 for children 4-11; and free for children younger than four)
I’m so glad you addressed the history part of things. “It’s a part of our history nonetheless and pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t help anyone.” This is such a great way of putting it! It’s why I’ll go visit a plantation if they address slavery in a real way (not handwaving “the slave quarters were over there”), but give most plantations a pass. I think visiting important sites of battles and the like are important to actually see the impact of a super bloody conflict, but they don’t usually romanticize things.
It looks like you and your mom had a lovely time in Charleston and I’m enjoying these recaps and the beautiful photos very much!
Yes, I was really on the fence about visiting a plantation (and ultimately, we did not visit one) because so many of them don’t seem to address the true horrors in the correct way. (At least from what I read online.) And so many plantations are STILL doing weddings!
I’m glad you had a great 2nd day – aside from the longwinded history lesson in the heat!! I would have been ready to move on as well. I didn’t make it to that fort but I went to another spot by Tybee Island.
I think the market you visited is the one I had major problems with… I didn’t feel like they addressed that this is where slaves were bought and sold. Like they kind of pushed that history under the rug and now it’s like – look at all these wares you can buy. It just rubbed me the wrong way…
The heat was oppressive! Thankfully, I’m used to it because it was very similar to Florida but oof. I was ready for that history lesson to be done.
What a lovely birthday! Minus standing in the sun and listening to that spiel. Gross. Hard pass. LOL. And similar to Engie, I like how you addressed visiting historic sites and coming to terms with crappy parts of our history.
The market sounds like a lot of fun! I love what you got and am impressed you were able to stop! I struggle in that regard 😉
I love that you two build in downtime each day! That’s so important!
I am such a fan of the mid-day downtime! I just can’t be on the go all the time, and this gives me the second wind I need for dinner!
I have never made it out to Fort Sumter! Yikes it can get so hot in the South!! But coming from Florida you’re most used to it than I am from chilly Canada!
You look stunning in that fancy outfit and the headband is too cute!!!
The weather definitely felt similar to Florida I’m used to the heat/humidity, but oof, it was still quite brutal. I can imagine how different the weather feels for a Canadian!
Thank you! That’s so kind of you to say. <3
History lessons can be fascinating (and tough at the same time) and I agree with your statement that we can’t really erase “bad” parts of history, but hopefully can educate in a positive manner so it won’t repeat itself.
Happy birthday to your Mom. Sounds like you had a great day and celebrated appropriately! 🙂
I thought it was important to address the history behind Fort Sumter because it’s not great! But it’s a part of who we are, unfortunately.
She had a great day! Yay!
This sounds like a GREAT day- a perfect combination of history, shopping (so fun) NAPPING (every perfect day must include a nap) and then a fancy dinner out. I’m sure your mom enjoyed her birthday!
It was a great day! And yes, every perfect day MUST include a nap, especially on vacation!
Thank you for sharing all the details of your trip, and your perspective on all of it. I’m curious about how the history was presented – was it a neutral presentation (I hope?)? I also struggle with the tension between what was and what is and how that influences our decisions. Your approach seems balanced and thoughtful. 🙂 (And as Elisabeth said, you look lovely in the pictures! So relaxed and happy. <3)
The history was presented pretty neutrally. I mean, they were very clear that fighting for slavery was the wrong position to take but presented everything pretty factually for the most part.