Stats for May 11, 2019

Origin: Beaufort Free Dock

Stopover: S. Edisto River Anchorage

Distance: 28.6 miles

Speed: 8.7 mph

Time on the Move: 3 hours and 17 minutes

Stats for May 12, 2019

Destination: Charleston Waterfront Marina

Distance: 41.3 miles

Speed: 7.3 mph

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 37 minutes

We left Beaufort mid-day and made it as far as we could before dark.

Somehow I don’t have any pictures of our anchorage, but it must not have been all that exciting anyway. We woke up BRIGHT AND EARLY on Mother’s Day morning to finish the trip in to Charleston. Colin woke up bright and early with us, but luckily the other two slept in a bit. That must be the advantage of having an actual bedroom.

It was a bit windy docking in Charleston and we had some current to consider as well…not to mention parallel parking in between a looper boat we don’t know and our friends The Blessing. Of course the captain got the boat right in there no problem, though it was a tad intimidating at first.

After getting INNTW all tied up we headed out to explore the town. Of course, our first stop was a playground and a park where the kids played soccer with some new friends for a bit.

We walked through the City Market area (where the kids wanted to buy everything of course!!), down a cute little alley way, past a beautiful church and an old cemetery all in some on and off rain. We didn’t quite know what we were doing or where we were going, but the rain definitely put a damper on our exploring. We turned lemons into lemonade and found a pub for some dinner while the rain passed.

It was the kind of place with dollar bills all over the walls and ceiling. Somehow I gave in and gave the kids each their own dollars to decorate while we were waiting for our food. It was interesting to see what they came up with!!

We wanted to explore more, but thunderstorms were threatening. Mike headed off to the grocery store while I went back to the boat with the kiddos. We had some relaxing tv time while it rained. Mike brought back ice cream from the grocery store, so that was a great ending to Mother’s Day!!

The next day the boys got haircuts on the dock while I got the laundry done. Then we headed off for a full day of exploring. There was a tour boat that left from right in front of INNTW multiple times a day and people would line up right in front of our boat. The morning group got a good show of what boat life is all about between the haircuts and laundry. Between people on the dock and the dockmaster, we had several people speak out in support of our decision to take the kids on such an adventure at this point in our lives.

We set off on scooters to explore the city. Our first stop was the Old Slave Mart Museum. This is a building built for the specific purpose of auctioning off slaves once it started becoming taboo and was no longer allowed to occur out in the open on the streets. There was also a jail for slaves here and a holding area for slaves heading to new homes. It was filled with stories, pictures, and artifacts of slavery in the south and lots of information about the slave trade overall. At one point in history, Charleston processed 40% of slaves coming into the United States. Slave auctions ended here in November 1963. It was very sad and eye opening to learn about some of the details of the slave trade. I am a firm believer that children of all ages will attend to and understand what is age appropriate for them. Our kids each were surprised, interested, and saddened at different things, depending on their maturity level.

Our next stop was at the Old Exchange Building which was built in grand fashion by the British in 1771. It was meant as a place to import and tax goods, but it was built to exude the power and wealth of the area at the time. Later, during the Revolutionary War, the British used the basement as a dungeon and prison for soldiers, citizens, and criminals. Stede Bonnet, a pirate once in alliance with Blackbeard, was held here at one point before he was hung in White Point Park, just down the street. I think the most interesting thing is that the basement floor is the original brick from 318 years ago and there is one area where you can see the original seawall that once surrounded the city.

The building is also famous for many other reasons beyond the basement. It hosted George Washington and was one of 4 buildings still standing where the Constitution was ratified.

Continuing our bike tour, we were hangry and all we could find were expensive restaurants, it seemed. So we wandered, hit another playground, and spent some time getting hangry.

We ended up giving up on the restaurants close by and heading for White Point Park. This is sometimes referred to as Battery Park since it is next to the Battery. We learned that 100 pirates were hanged in this park over the years. One of our tour guides joked how it used to be a place of war and torture and now it is one of the most famous places to get married in Charleston. Seemed kind of ironic to me.

Of course we had to stop to examine a salamander we found in the bushes. How they can find these things while scootering by, I’ll never know…

We wandered the pathways (which aren’t paved, but have small stones on them) and waited for our Domino’s delivery man to arrive. Sometimes pizza just swoops in to save the day. I like to think we are quite resourceful at times, and this is one of them. Problem solvers.

After we ate, we checked out some statues around the park and started our walk back towards the boat. We found some amazing homes!! We also found happy hour. And then a library….the fun just keeps on coming!!

We found a great library where we don’t actually read books. Instead, we browse the used book/dvd sales, play with their toys, and play games on their computers. Ah well…

The next morning Mike took the kids for a bit more soccer at the field while I worked on the blog. They also found the Fort Sumter Museum and learned about the place where the first shot of the Civil War occurred. After they ran off some energy, we readied the boat for traveling to our next stop. We could have stayed in Charleston for another week, but I have a feeling we’ll be back some day!!

Thanks for following along on our adventures!!