Frankly I did not think I could see one more thing. After four days, 280 miles and 11 attractions I was done. It was supposed to be easy taking advantage of the Be a Tourist in Your Own Town pass but like an all-you-can-eat buffet, I had made one visit too many.
Well, there is always room for dessert so on day five I headed for my last attraction, Middleton Place.
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town is a promotion through the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau giving locals the opportunity to visit 37 local attractions using one pass during the month of January.
I received my pass and decided I wanted to see as many things as possible in five days. I sat down with a map, a list of sites and a plan. Sounded easy at the time but five days later I can say my goals may have been a little lofty. This is a journal of my journey to the edge of sanity and back again.
Day 1: The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, Old Slave Mart Museum, Joseph Manigault House, Aiken-Rhett House
Can't take a tour of the Charleston area without visiting downtown Charleston. First of all, I thought this would be easy. Everything is really close and easily accessible. After hitting the old exchange and the slave mart, I was doing good even though I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked at each stop. Speaking of time, the sites are free, parking isn't and I took a souvenir parking ticket away to prove it.
Usually when I’m downtown, I’m standing outside Pottery Barn waiting for the wife, so this was a treat. This was a chance to see architecture other than that on King Street.
I decided that a few homes would be nice to see. One home
I entered was still inhabited by the owner so we were only allowed to view
the living area because the rest of the house was occupied. I did get to hang
out on the porch which I learned is called a piazza.
If only I could find a reason to invite people to my house and charge them to walk through my living room. Sure would help with the rent.
Day 2: Charleston Tea Plantation, Caw Caw Interpretive Center
If you are looking for a free glass of tea and don't mind driving an hour to get it then head on out to the Charleston Tea Plantation. Along the way you might as well stop off at the Caw Caw Interpretive Center and the Angel Oak to make it worth your time. The interpretive center had a lot to offer but one boardwalk through a swamp looks the same as another so if tea is not your thing, try the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.
Now the Angel Oak, not actually on the list, is really cool. It was all I could do not to throw down the camera and just climb the tree. By the way, they don't like that; signs are everywhere stating they don't like it so don't climb the tree.
Day 3: Mepkin Abbey, Old Santee Canal Park, Cypress Gardens
After a long day of driving I wanted to find a couple of attractions closer to home so I headed to Moncks Corner. First, I headed to the monastery and felt a little let down when I realized I was not going to see any monks. The gardens though, made up for the lack of robed men and I could have sat there all day watching the Cooper River but I knew it was time to move on.
So off I headed to the canal park about 20 minutes away but was probably a half mile down the river. The park wasn't bad because after the boardwalk through a swamp, there was a museum and Interpretive Center with a lot of history.
After another half hour trip I found myself at Cypress Gardens. Most places offer boardwalks through the swamp but not the gardens; instead I was given a boat. How cool to cruise the swamp on a boat looking for all manner of creatures such as an alligator.
All of a sudden I was face to face with a gator sunning itself on a log. I thought it was fake at first because it did not move but as I got within 15 feet we locked eyes. Suffice to say it wasn't love at first sight but I felt there was a connection, like I was dinner.
By this time I was too tired to be wrestling alligators so off I went.
Day 4: Fort Moultrie, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
As with any plan, things change. I had wanted to visit Fort Sumter but it is hard to schedule around their daily tour schedule so I had to skip that portion of the day. Same goes with the H.L. Hunley and the International Center for Birds of Prey. If only I had more time.
Fort Moultrie was cool though. They had big cannons and the grounds were fun to explore. And all I had to do was climb to the top of the fort and there was Fort Sumter. Two birds, one fort, how easy was that?
I wanted to fit in more sites but a trip to Patriots Point can take a whole day with the boats and a submarine to explore. Cool planes, an aircraft carrier complete with barber shop and post office and a submarine; what more can I say.
I won't lie, after navigating the inside of that carrier, I was exhausted. Day five was out of the question.
Day 5: Middleton Place
After four days I wanted to call it quits. I am dedicated to my blog but really who would have been the wiser had I limited my tour. The feet were a little tender and I was a little tired but after a good breakfast, I was ready to go.
Last stop, Ashley River Road and a plantation or two would round out my tour. Instead I decided take in one plantation and enjoy my last day.
I never realized how relaxing a day at one of the plantations could be. Watching the large trees along the Ashley River as they swayed in the wind along with a walk through the manicured gardens was just what I needed. Finally I realized the error of my ways. The tour was not about seeing everything I could but taking the time to enjoy what I saw.
After Middleton Place, I wondered how much better my time would have been spent just taking a bike out for the day touring one of the area parks or fishing off the pier at Folly Beach. It was fun taking everything in but I did miss a lot.
The pass is a great opportunity to see the things we don't normally see and it pays for itself quickly.
So, do not attempt a five-day tour! My feet hurt and my brain is overloaded with information. My next blog will be photos of trees shot through my windows so I don't have to leave the house for a couple of days.
Paul Zoeller is a freelance photographer new to the area. Do you have an idea for a new blog or a question about a current blog? If you do contact Zoeller at paul.zoeller@mac.com.
