For several years now, I've wanted to visit the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC, so for this year's Summer vacation I took a week-long road trip to Charleston. I didn't really plan it, but it turned out that a good bit of the History I took in on this trip centered on the African American and Gullah Geechee experience in the Lowcountry. In addition to the International African American Museum, I visited Patriot's Point (taking day and night tours), Charles Towne Landing, the South Carolina Aquarium, the Old Slave Mart Museum, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, McLeod Plantation, the North Charleston Fire Museum, Fort Johnson, and Fort Lamar. I also tried three of Charleston's BBQ restaurants; at one of them I had the best BBQ I've ever eaten. During the road trip, I was able to listen to the area's military and aviation communications, federal and USCG communications, public safety communications, and more. I did very little on amateur radio during this trip; I had just a couple of QSOs on the 146.7900- (PL 123.0) repeater on the USS Yorktown at Patriot's Point and checked into the "Scanner Junkies" net on TGIF DMR using DroidStar on Thursday night.
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| An F-4J Phantom II, Charleston Harbor, and the Ravenel Bridge as seen from the Bridge of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) at Patriots Point in Charleston, SC |
On Monday, I drove up to Charleston from Savannah and visited Patriot's Point and Charles Towne Landing before checking into the hotel. Later that night, I went back to Patriot's Point for a nighttime tour; the first time I'd been there at night. On Tuesday, I took the hotel's shuttle to downtown Charleston and walked around the Historic District for the day, visiting the South Carolina Aquarium, the International African American Museum, the Old Slave Mart Museum, and the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon; lunch (and shelter from a heavy thunderstorm) was at the East Bay Deli and dinner was at Poogan's Smokehouse. On Wednesday, I drove up to McClellanville and visited Hampton Plantation (the Visitors Center was closed and I walked around the grounds, but the mosquitoes and flies were horrible), drove back to Charleston and ate lunch at Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ before going to McLeod Plantation. On Thursday, I just wandered about Charleston County, vising the North Charleston Fire Museum, Fort Johnson, and Fort Lamar; lunch was at Home Team BBQ in West Ashley. Friday morning was the return trip to Savannah.
MilCom/Aviation
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| Communications and radar antennas on the USS Laffey (DD-724) at Patriot's Point in Charleston |
While traveling to, from, and around Charleston (and from the hotel) I could easily hear both military and civilian aviation traffic from Joint Base Charleston/Charleston International Airport as well as communications from MCAS Beaufort, McEntire JNGB near Columbia, and Shaw AFB in Sumter. I could also hear activity from military operating areas in South Carolina, east central Georgia, and off the South Carolina and Georgia coasts. In addition to VHF/UHF airband communications, I listened to the Joint Base and Naval Support Activity Charleston sites of the USAF 57C TRS and the Boeing Charleston DMR TRS. It wasn't unusual for military and aviation activity to be limited in the afternoons and evenings as rain and thunderstorms passed through (not unusual for Summer in Lowcountry SC).
MCAS Beaufort
119.050 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
342.875 - MCAS Beaufort Tower
125.125 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
292.125 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
123.700 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
269.125 - Beaufort Approach/Departure
299.275 - VMFA-312 Tac 1
289.275 - VMFA-312 Tac 2
304.200 - VMFA-533 Base
234.075 - VMFA-533 Air-to-Air
236.250 - VMFA-533 Air-to-Air
343.200 - VMFAT-501 Base
326.700 - VMFAT-501 Tac 1
349.225 - VMFAT-501 Tac 2
341.825 - VMFAT-501 Tac 3
136.825 - ATAC Air-to-Air
CHECK 6# (F/A-18C/D, VMFA-312)
HAWK ## (F-35B, VMFA-533)
SWEDE ## (F-35B, VMFAT-501)
WARLORD ## (F-35B, VMFAT-501)
FLANKER ## (F-35B, VMFAT-501)
REAPER ## (F-35B, VMFT-402)
ATAC ## (Hawker Hunter F.58, ATAC)
Joint Base Charleston
126.000 - Charleston Tower
239.000 - Charleston Tower
122.800 - Charleston Executive Airport
120.700 - Charleston TRACON
306.925 - Charleston TRACON
349.400 - JB Charleston "PALMETTO Ops"
134.100 - JB Charleston "PALMETTO Ops"
314.450 - 437th/315th AW Air-to-Air
123.325 - Boeing Charleston Ops
123.025 - Helicopter Common
USAF 57C TRS (JB Charleston/NSA Charleston sites)
TG 751 - JB Charleston FD Dispatch (encrypted/unencrypted)
TG 752 - JB Charleston FD Tac 1 (encrypted/unencrypted)
TG 754 - JB Charleston FD Tac? Unknown (encrypted)
TG 834 - 437th/315th AW (encrypted)
TG 836 - 437th/315th AW MOC 1 (encrypted/unencrypted)
TG 837 - 437th/315th AW MOC 2 (encrypted/unencrypted)
TG 838 - 437th/315th AW (encrypted)
TG 841 - Joint Base Charleston Unknown (encrypted/unencrypted)
TG 884 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 885 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 910 - Joint Base Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 950 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted/unencrypted)
TG 954 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 967 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 969 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 971 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 972 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 973 - JB Charleston/NSA Charleston Unknown (encrypted)
TG 986 - Patch to Charleston County FD Dispatch
Boeing Charleston DMR TRS (CAP+)
TG 19 - Boeing FD Dispatch
TG 71 - Boeing Unknown
TG 81 - Boeing Unknown
TG 170 - Boeing Unknown
TG 175 - Boeing Unknown
TG 181 - Boeing Unknown
TG 190 - Boeing Unknown
TG 193 - Boeing Unknown
TG 200 - Boeing Unknown
TG 223 - Boeing Unknown
TG 224 - Boeing Unknown
TG 225 - Boeing Unknown
MOOSE ## (C-17A, 437th/315th AW)
BEZEL ## (C-17A, 437th/315th AW)
BLOB ## (C-17A, 437th/315th AW)
REACH #### (Various, AMC Airlift)
BOEING 318 (B789, N783HA, Hawaiian Airlines/Boeing Test)
BOEING 514 (B78?, Boeing Test)
CAP 3973 (C182, N873CP, SC CAP)
N365MT (B407, MedTrans/CAREFLIGHT Walterboro)
N461MT (EC35, MedTrans/MEDUCARE 1 Charleston)
N600MT (B407, MedTrans/MEDUCARE 3 Lancaster)
N765MT (B407, MedTrans/MEDUCARE 2 Sumter)
MEDEVAC YELLOWSTONE 9 (E55P, N289TX, Transmedics Inc)
Columbia Metropolitan/McEntire JNGB/Shaw AFB
124.150 - Columbia TRACON
133.400 - Columbia TRACON
285.600 - Columbia TRACON
298.300 - 169th FW/157th FS Ops "SWAMP FOX Ops"
309.850 - 169th FW/157th FS U14
237.250 - 169th FW/157th FS U16
318.100 - Shaw AFB TRACON
254.325 - Shaw AFB Tower
252.100 - 20th FW SOF
273.700 - 20th FW/77th FS Ops "GAMBLER Ops"
259.900 - 20th FW/77th FS Air-to-Air
262.000 - 20th FW/77th FS Air-to-Air
267.600 - 20th FW/77th FS Air-to-Air
274.875 - 20th FW/77th FS Air-to-Air
277.225 - 20th FW/77th FS Air-to-Air
MACE ## (F-16CM, 169th FW/157th FS)
VIPER ## (F-16CM, 169th FW/157th FS)
CLUB ## (F-16CM, 20th FW/77th FS)
DEVIL ## (F-16CM, 20th FW/77th FS)
DUTCH ## (F-16CM, 20th FW/77th FS)
NUGGET ## (F-16CM, 20th FW/77th FS)
RENO ## (F-16CM, 20th FW/77th FS)
Ranges/Operating Areas
254.350 - Gamecock MOA
264.700 - Poinsett Range Control
343.750 - Bulldog MOA Discrete
228.750 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
127.725 - DOUBLESHOT Primary
258.400 - DOUBLESHOT Discrete
279.725 - DOUBLESHOT Discrete
284.500 - SEALORD North Primary
120.950 - SEALORD North Primary
376.900 - W-137 Discrete
377.400 - W-137 Discrete
226.025 - Beaufort TTR
240.250 - Beaufort TTR
Miscellaneous MilCom/Aviation
326.700 - AR-202 Primary
324.600 - AR-207 Primary
148.1250 ($585) - SC CAP Repeater R21 Charleston
BACKY ## (KC-46A, 916th ARW)
BRONCO 0# (A-10C?, 23rd FG?)
FORGE ## (Various, USAPAT)
LUCKY ## (KC-46A, 916th ARW)
NEPTUNE ## (P-8A, VP-30)
SAM ### (Various, USAF Transport)
SANDLAPPER ## (SC Civil Air Patrol)
SODA ## (KC-135R, 134th ARW)
USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315)
GULFTEST ## (Gulfstream Test Flights)
OMEGA 10 (DC10, N974VV, Omega Air)
Jacksonville ARTCC
124.075 - Summerville High
124.700/269.550 - Columbia Low
126.125/285.650 - Statesboro High
127.875/319.200 - Aiken High
132.425 - Hunter Ultra High
132.925/363.200 - Allendale/Savannah Low
133.450 - Florence Low
133.625/370.950 - Georgetown High
134.375/317.550 - Charleston Low
Atlanta ARTCC
128.100/322.325 - Augusta Low
FedCom/US Coast Guard
Charleston is home to one of the US Coast Guard sector headquarters, so there is plenty of USCG activity to listen to, on both Marine VHF and Rescue 21 frequencies (some of the activity on the P25 Rescue 21 frequencies is encrypted). Something interesting I heard during this Charleston trip was Sector Charleston conducting radio checks with their boats on their UHF Rescue 21 frequency, CG 410. They did those checks each morning on CG 127 and CG 410, but I only heard operational traffic from the boats on CG 127 and Marine VHF 1021. I also stumbled across what may have been crew communications from the USCGC Willow (WLB-202) on 164.0250 (CSQ), although I've also been told that it may have been coming from a NOAA ship also homeported in Charleston. No VHF FedCom activity was noted from Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historic Park; the only communications I heard from them was on the Palmetto 800 TRS.
156.8000 - Marine VHF Ch 16
157.0500 - Marine VHF Ch 1021/21A
157.1000 - Marine VHF Ch 1022/22A
157.0750 - Marine VHF Ch 1083/83A
171.2375 ($293) - CG 127, Sector Charleston
413.0000 ($293) - CG 410, Sector Charleston Air Ops
164.0250 (CSQ) - USCGC Willow (WLB-202)?
USCGC Kingfisher (WPB-87322)
USCGC Willow (WLB-202)
RB-S 29460
RB-M 45709
RB-M 45743
RB-M 49408
26140 (ATON boat?)
171.0125 (PL 103.5) - Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center Maintenance
Palmetto 800 TRS
TG 1822 - Ft Sumter NHP
Public Safety
Practically all of the public safety communications for Charleston and the surrounding area are on the Palmetto 800 P25 statewide TRS. An exception is the South Carolina Forestry; their communications are on VHF analog repeaters. Fire and EMS communications are mostly unencrypted (an exception being Colleton County).
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| Charleston Fire Department's MARINE 101, the Fireboat Louis Behrens |
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| MEDUCARE 1 departing MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital; I could watch medical helicopters come and go from MUSC from my hotel room across the Ashley River |
159.2325 (DCS 131) - SCFC Huger (Berkeley Co)
159.2475 (DCS 115) - SCFC Okatie (Jasper Co)
159.4050 (DCS 155) - SCFC Cottageville (east Colleton Co)
159.3150 (DCS 025) - SCFC Coastal Ops
Palmetto 800
TG 704 - Beaufort County FD Dispatch 1
TG 550 - Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue Dispatch (Beaufort Co)
TG 552 - Hilton Head Island Fire/Rescue Tac 1 (Beaufort Co)
TG 1040 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 1078 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Ops
TG 1045 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Incident 4
TG 1046 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Incident 5
TG 1048 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Incident 7
TG 1064 - Berkeley County FD/EMS Incident 22
TG 1399 - Goose Creek FD Fireground 1 (Berkeley Co)
TG 1400 - Goose Creek FD Fireground 2 (Berkeley Co)
TG 2051 - Charleston County FD/EMS Dispatch
TG 1575 - Charleston County FD Rescue Dispatch
TG 2066 - Charleston County FDs Ops A
TG 2030 - Charleston FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 1566 - Awendaw FD Talk (Charleston Co)
TG 1567 - Awendaw FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 2049 - James Island/St Johns FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 1851 - Isle of Palms FD Ops (Charleston County)
TG 1765 - Lincolnville Fire/Rescue (Charleston Co)
TG 1721 - Mt Pleasant FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 1805 - North Charleston FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 1771 - St Paul FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 1871 - Sullivans Island FD Ops (Charleston Co)
TG 2056 - Charleston County FD Incident 3
TG 2057 - Charleston County FD Incident 4
TG 1628 - Charleston County FD Incident 7
TG 1630 - Charleston County FD Incident 9
TG 1631 - Charleston County FD Incident 10
TG 1634 - Charleston County FD Incident 13
TG 1660 - Charleston County FD Incident 31
TG 1645 - Charleston County FDs Common
TG 2053 - Charleston County EMS Dispatch
TG 2050 - Charleston County EMS Ops
TG 1553 - Charleston County EMS Common
TG 1558 - Charleston County EMS Meeting 1
TG 1584 - Charleston County EMS Centre Point ER
TG 1586 - Charleston County EMS East Cooper ER
TG 1588 - Charleston County EMS MUSC ER
TG 1590 - Charleston County EMS Roper ER
TG 1591 - Charleston County EMS Roper Northwoods ER
TG 1592 - Charleston County EMS St Francis ER
TG 1594 - Charleston County EMS Trident ER
TG 1595 - Charleston County EMS James Island ER
TG 1597 - Charleston County EMS East Roper ER
TG 1598 - Charleston County EMS ER 1
TG 2084 - Charleston County Special Event 1
TG 1583 - Roper Hospital Lifelink EMS
TG 11025 - Family Medical Transport Charleston
TG 2931 - Colleton County Fire & EMS Dispatch (encrypted)
TG 2954 - Colleton County Fire & EMS Ops 4 (encrypted)
TG 2972 - Edisto FD Dispatch (Colleton Co)
TG 4165 - Dorchester County FD Dispatch
TG 4141 - Dorchester County FD Ops
TG 4140 - Dorchester County FD Incident 3
TG 4365 - Summerville FD Dispatch (Dorchester Co)
TG 4360 - Summerville FD Ops 1 (Dorchester Co)
TG 32065 - Hampton County FD
TG 6541 - Jasper County FD Dispatch
TG 6542 - Jasper County FD Tac 1
TG 6543 - Jasper County FD Tac 2
TG 11 - SC Regional Government 6
TG 20021 - SC State Air-to-Ground
TG 40005 - SC Air 3
TG 10392 - Meducare (Medevac Helicopter Service)
TG 10394 - Meducare Helicopter Flight Control
TG 10395 - Meducare (Medevac Helicopter Service)
TG 51781 - MeduCare Shawn Jenkins Childrens Hospital (Charleston)
TG 28609 - SC LifeNet (Medevac Helicopter Service)
TG 51704 - MedTrans SC (Medevac Helicopter dispatch)
TG 1763 - Charleston County Airport Authority Admin
TG 1764 - Charleston County Airport Authority Taxi
Port/Railroad
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| Charleston Harbor and the Columbus Street Terminal as seen from Fort Johnson on James Island |
Charleston is a major east coast port, so there is no lack of Marine VHF traffic from ships coming and going from the port, from Charleston Pilots, and from tugboats working the harbor and port. Charleston Harbor Pilots also utilize a VHF DMR repeater to help coordinate their activity. A busy port also means busy railroads transporting cargo to and from the port. I heard four different railroads active on VHF railroad frequencies: CSX, Norfolk Southern, the Charleston Port Utility Commission Railroad, and the East Cooper and Berkeley Railroad.
156.6500 - Marine VHF Ch 13; Charleston Harbor Navigation Safety
156.7000 - Marine VHF Ch 14; Charleston Pilots
159.8550 (DMR SL1, CC1, TG 200) - Charleston Pilots
156.3500 - Marine VHF Ch 7; Tugboats
156.5000 - Marine VHF Ch 10; Tugboats
156.6000 - Marine VHF Ch 12; Tugboats?
156.9500 - Marine VHF Ch 1019/19A; Tugboats?
156.4500 - Marine VHF Ch 9; Drawbridges
CSX
160.2300 - AAR 08, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
161.3700 - AAR 84, CSX Dispatch (Some PL 250.3)
160.5900 - AAR 32, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
161.1000 - AAR 66, CSX Road (Some PL 250.3)
160.2900 - AAR 12, CSX Intermodal Yard
Norfolk Southern
160.6500 - AAR 36, Norfolk Southern Dispatch/Road
161.2500 - AAR 76, Norfolk Southern Seven Mile Yard
Charleston Port Utility Commission RR
160.3200 (DCS 205) - AAR 14; Charleston PUC RR (Dispatch?)
East Cooper & Berkeley RR
160.9800 - AAR 58, East Cooper & Berkeley RR Road/Yard
The International African American Museum
Located on Gadsden's Wharf in downtown Charleston, where slaves were imported into the colonies and the United States during the Atlantic Slave Trade, the International African American Museum confronts the uncomfortable truth of the Slave Trade and the history of African Americans from their first arrival in North America as slaves, through becoming free after the Civil War, to the present day. Given that it's located in Lowcountry South Carolina, the museum has a particular focus on the Gullah Geechee Culture. It makes terrific use of videos, artifacts, interpretive panels, and artwork throughout the exhibits and also features a memorial garden under and around the museum. Even though I've grown up in New Orleans and Savannah and my educational background is in US History, visiting this museum was a sobering and thought provoking experience. I could post more photos, but I'd rather you visit and see for yourself...
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| The front of the International African American Museum along Wharfside St in downtown Charleston |
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| The back of the International African American Museum along the Cooper River in Charleston |
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| The Memorial Garden under and around the International African American Museum |
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| The Memorial Garden under and around the International African American Museum |
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| A Slave Badge from 1836; badges like these had to be worn by Slaves hired out to others by Slaveholders to bring in additional income |
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| Handmade bateaux; boats like these were used to move around the Sea Islands along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts |
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| 9th and 10th Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers" trunk, revolver, photos, service records from the mid 1800s to early 1900s |
Between visits to the International African American Museum and South Carolina Aquarium on Tuesday, I took refuge from a heavy thunderstorm and had lunch at the East Bay Deli on E. Bay St between the museum and aquarium. I got lucky, if I hadn't ducked in, I would have ended up being drenched from head to toe! Instead I got to visit the museum and enjoy it dry instead of soaked and miserable. Just another reason to love one of my favorite places for lunch in Charleston and Columbia...
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| East Bay Deli's Chef Salad |
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| It absolutely poured down (in addition to heavy wind and lightning) between my visits to the International African American Museum and the South Carolina Aquarium; I was lucky to be right by East Bay Deli at the time! |
The Old Slave Mart Museum
Another downtown Charleston museum confronting uncomfortable truths is the Old Slave Mart Museum on Chalmers St. It is in what was a Slave Auction Gallery and it is the last one standing in South Carolina. It may be a small museum, but it has plenty of informative interpretive panels and artifacts that tell the story of slavery in South Carolina, particularly as it relates to the rice industry. It's not all that far of a walk from the International African American Museum, so I'd recommend visiting both while you're in area.
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| On the left is the German Fire Steam Engine Company firehouse from the 1850s (now a lawyer's office) and on the right is the Old Slave Mart Museum, which was Ryan's Slave Mart, a Slave Auction Gallery. |
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| Examples of shackles used on Slaves being transported for sale |
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| Tools used by slaves to cultivate Carolina Gold rice; one of the major cash crops in colonial and pre-Civil War South Carolina; cultivation of Carolina Gold rice was slave labor intensive |
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| A model of what Ryan's Slave Mart would have looked like when it was in use as a Slave Auction Gallery |
McLeod Plantation
Another historic site in Charleston that emphasizes the African American experience in South Carolina's history is McLeod Plantation on James Island. Operated by the City of Charleston's parks department, the site features a main house, but the interpretation and tour primarily focuses on the experience of the Slaves and Tenant Farmers who lived and worked on the property through its history. In McLeod Plantation's case, the cash crop was not Carolina Gold rice, but Sea Island cotton. Again, there is emphasis on the Gullah Geechee Culture that is prevalent in the area. It's an excellent complement to the International African American Museum and the Old Slave Mart Museum.
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| The main house at McLeod Plantation; unlike most Plantation historic sites, it is not the focus of this site's interpretation |
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| The slave/tenant farmer cabins at McLeod Plantation; the slaves and tenant farmers who worked and lived on the Plantation are the focus of the site's interpretation |
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| The Gin House, where Sea Island Cotton was processed |
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| The McLeod, or "Witness" Oak at McLeod Plantation |
Patriot's Point
I've visited Patriot's Point many times, but this trip was the first time I've ever taken a nighttime tour of the USS Yorktown (CV-10). This time, I signed up with Bulldog Tours for the "Captain's Tour" for Monday morning and for the Ghost Tour on Monday night. Both tours take you to parts of the ship you don't get to see on the regular self guided tour and the Ghost Tour has the bonus of getting you on board at night. Getting the tour the ship without all the noise of the crowd and getting to walk around the flight deck at night was quite the experience. While there on Monday morning, I also toured the USS Laffey (DD-724) and the Vietnam Experience. The USS Yorktown was the tenth aircraft carrier built for the US Navy and saw service in World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. She also participated in the recovery of Apollo 8 in 1968. The USS Laffey is a World War II destroyer that during the Battle of Okinawa was struck by four bombs and six kamikazes, but was saved by her crew, rebuilt, and returned to service. The Vietnam Experience depicts a US Navy patrol boat base and US Marine Corps fire base from the Vietnam War.
While waiting for the gates to open at Patriot's Point I met a group of New Zealanders who were touring East Coast military history sites and talked with them for awhile. They had come to Charleston to visit Fort Sumter, but unfortunately for them the dock at the Fort was damaged and the tours were running. They ended up doing a river tour around the Fort then touring Patriot's Point.
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| The USS Laffey (DD-724) on the left and the USS Yorktown (CV-10) on the right |
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| World War II and Korean War aircraft on display in the USS Yorktown's hangar deck |
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| Vietnam, Cold War, and more Modern era aircraft on display on the USS Yorktown's flight deck |
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| Vietnam, Cold War, and more Modern era aircraft on display on the USS Yorktown's flight deck |
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| The USS Yorktown's flight deck at night |
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| The USS Yorktown's flight deck at night |
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| The USS Yorktown's Island illuminated at night |
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| The USS Laffey (DD-724) |
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| The Vietnam Exhibit at Patriot's Point highlights the US Navy's involvement in the Vietnam War, including the UH-1 helicopters of HAL-3, the "Seawolves" |
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| The Vietnam Exhibit at Patriot's Point highlights the US Navy's involvement in the Vietnam War, including PBRs (Patrol Boat, Riverine) |
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| Patriot's Point also has plenty to interest radio geeks; there are radio room exhibits on the USS Yorktown and USS Laffey as well as this Comm Shack at the Vietnam Experience |
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| Patriot's Point also has plenty to interest radio geeks; there are radio room exhibits on the USS Yorktown and USS Laffey as well as this Comm Shack at the Vietnam Experience |
Charles Towne Landing
Charles Towne Landing is a South Carolina State Historic Site in Charleston on the site where English settlers landed and established what would become Charles Towne (renamed Charleston after the American Revoultion) and the colony and then state South Carolina. It features a replica ship, replica fortifications, and a replica house, the ruins of a mansion, and an Animal Forest featuring wildlife that was native to South Carolina when it was founded.
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| Statue along the History Trail at Charles Towne Landing honoring the Cassique (leader) of the Kiawah tribe; his interaction with the English settlers helped make the new colony a success |
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| The Adventure, Charles Towne Landing's replica 1600s sailing ship |
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| Replica fortification |
South Carolina Aquarium
The first stop on Tuesday after catching the hotel shuttle into Downtown Charleston was the South Carolina Aquarium. There's always something very relaxing about visiting the Aquarium and watching the big tank in particular. I managed to get in right when they opened and was able to walk around, take it all in, and even sit for a bit and watch before it got crowded and noisy.
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| The South Carolina Aquarium |
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| River Otter swimming in the Mountain Forest exhibit |
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| Shark swimming in the Ocean exhibit |
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| The Aquarium's Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta, swimming in the Ocean exhibit |
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| A Ray and Shark swimming in the Ocean exhibit |
Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon
After visiting the Aquarium, International African American Museum, and the Old Slave Mart Museum on Tuesdsay, I visited the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon on E Bay St in downtown Charleston. Built in 1771, the building has been used as a commercial center, customs house, post office, city hall, military headquarters, and a jail. The British Army used it as a military headquarters and the basement as a jail after taking Charleston during the Revolutionary War. Perhaps most importantly, it was where South Carolina ratified the US Constitution on 23 May 1788. It's one of only three buildings left standing where states held a convention to ratify the Constitution. It was amazing to stand in the room where something so important in our nation's history took place.
During the afternoon tour of the Provost Dungeon at the Old Exchange, I came across the group of New Zealanders I'd met at Patriot's Point on Tuesday morning - they were on the same Dungeon tour that I was on.
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| The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon in Downtown Charleston |
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| This room on the second floor of the Old Exchange building is where South Carolina ratified the US Constitution in May 1788 |
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| During the American Revolution, whjle they occupied Charleston, the British Army used the basement of the Old Exchange building as a jail |
North Charleston Fire Museum
My first stop on Thursday morning as I wandered around the Charleston area was the North Charleston Fire Museum (near Joint Base Charleston/Charleston IAP in North Charleston). They have over twenty beautifully restored fire apparatus on display along with a collection of antique uniforms, helmets, and gear. They also feature fire safety exhibits geared toward children. The apparatus collection ranges from hand pumped fire engines to steam powered horse drawn fire engines to more modern diesel apparatus, most of it being American LaFrance equipment. If you're anywhere near Charleston, I'd definitely recommend dropping in for a visit!
For radio and/or aviation geeks, the parking lot of the museum is also a great place to listen to and watch aircraft departing from Joint Base Charleston/Charleston IAP.
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| 1857 Button & Blake Hand Pumped Fire Apparatus |
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| 1904 American LaFrance Cosmopolitan Steamer (one of only seven still in existence) |
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| 1911 American LaFrance "Type 5" Double Tank Combo |
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| 1958 GMC/Pittman Manufacturing Snorkel Truck No. 1 - the first Snorkel Truck, designed by Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Quinn |
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| Just some of the antique hats, helmets, and firefighting gear on display at the North Charleston Fire Museum |
Fort Johnson and Fort Lamar
After lunch on Thursday, I wandered around James Island and came across to historic sites worth visiting: Fort Johnson, with a history dating back to 1708 and Fort Lamar, the location of the Civil War battle of Secessionville. The first fortification at Fort Johnson was built in 1708 but by the early 1800s, the fortifications there had essentially been destroyed by storms. In the 1820s/1830s, a brick magazine was built on the site and it still stands today. The site also happens to be the location from which the first round of the Civil War was fired on Fort Sumter on 12 April 1861. Fort Johnson stands today inside of a SC DNR headquarters and Marine Resources Center; it's very small but worth visiting if you're interested in Military History and near the area. Fort Lamar consists of the remains of earthworks built during the Civil War by the Confederates, which was where part of the Battle of Secessionville was fought, in which the Confederates turned back an advance by the Union Army on 16 June 1862. The Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve on James Island features a short (approximately 1/2 mile) trail around the remains of the earthworks, also worth visiting if you're near the area and have an interest in Military History.
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| Marker at Fort Johnson commemorating the first shot fired in the Civil War |
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| Fort Sumter as seen from Fort Johnson on James Island |
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| Marker at Fort Lamar commemorating the Battle of Secessionville |
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| A short trail winds around the remains of the earthworks at the Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve |
Food and Lodging
It turned out that I picked a great hotel to stay at in Charleston on this trip. It was conveniently located for visiting downtown Charleston and its historic district and was well located for scanning and monitoring during downtime. During my last visit to Charleston, I had some delicious BBQ, so I continued that theme on this trip, trying three different BBQ restaurants around the area.
Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview
The Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview is located on the bank of the Ashley River between the northbound and southbound lanes of US-17 just before you cross the river into downtown Charleston by the Medical University of South Carolina. It's well located for visiting downtown and the historic district, they have a shuttle that goes into the historic district and drops off/picks up by the Charleston Market each hour. They have restaurant on the 15th floor that has a beautiful view of the area; it's breakfast buffet is terrific and I had several meals from their dinner menu, including a good steak and a wonderful southwest salad. Both the hotel and restaurant staff were friendly and helpful. I'll definitely be staying there again in the future!
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| The Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview |
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| Sunrise as seen from the 15th floor restaurant in the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview |
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| The breakfast buffet at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview's restaurant; their sausages were delicious! |
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| The Southwest Salad with roasted chicken at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview's restaurant |
Poogan's Smokehouse
On Tuesday, I had dinner at Poogan's Smokehouse on E Bay St in downtown Charleston before catching the shuttle back to the Holiday Inn. I tried their pulled pork and smoked sausage combo with black beans and a salad and thoroughly enjoyed it. The pulled pork had plenty of burnt end in it and went well with either their sweet or hot (not that hot) sauce, the sausage had just a hint of heat and went well with their mustard based sauce, and the Austin-Style black beans were zesty and delicious.
Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ
I promise I'm not exaggerating when I say this - the pulled pork at Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ on King St in Charleston is the best that I've ever had. And it isn't even close. I stopped in on Wednesday before visiting McLeod Plantation. They smoke the whole hog and mop it with a vinegar based sauce throughout the process; the result is the most tender, moist, and flavorful pulled pork I've ever had. Their two vinegar based sauces - "Rodney's Sauce" and "Other Sauce" are simply magnificent (and just so happen to be low carb and diabetic friendly). The baked beans and salad were quite good, too. The staff was friendly and the service was quick. If you're in Charleston, Rodney Scott's is a must-stop for BBQ.
Home Team BBQ
On Thursday, I stopped by Home Team BBQ on Ashley River Rd in the West Ashley part of Charleston. It was the second best BBQ of the trip and near the top of the list of the best I've had. The pulled pork was moist and tender, pairing well with either their red or red hot (not that hot) sauce and the jalapeno cheddar smoke sausage went well with their mustard based sauce. The baked beans and cucumber-tomato salad were delicious. Their pickles deserve special mention - they're homemade and absolutely delicious! By the way, you know you're in the right place when the walls are covered with concert posters and murals of Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.
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