Southeast USA – Charleston

The last leg of our Southeast USA trip was in eclectic and colorful Charleston, South Carolina, with a couple of interesting stops along the way.

From Savannah (where we spent the previous two nights), we crossed the Woods Memorial Bridge into charming Beaufort, South Carolina. Chartered in 1711, Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, one of the largest Sea Islands along the southeast coast.

We took a horse-drawn carriage ride passed beautifully restored mansions built by wealthy plantation owners before the Civil War.

Beaufort is the only Southern town chosen to be occupied rather than destroyed by Union troops during the war. The entire downtown has been designated a historic district by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Beaufort, with its rich history, pristine coastline, stunning views of rivers and marshes… and yes, more moss-draped trees… impressed us with its relaxed and friendly way of life.

Another stop on the way to Charleston was at Angel Oak, a Southern Live Oak tree located in a park on Johns Island. This majestic tree has a circumference of 28 feet, is over 66 feet tall, and shades an area over 17,000 square feet.

There is much debate about the age of Angel Oak. Some suggest it is 1500 years old, but most experts agree it is more likely to be 400-500 years old.

Our first stop in Charleston was at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. It is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. The Citadel was originally established in 1842 in what is now downtown Charleston. In 1922, it was moved to its current location on the banks of the Ashley River.

Since its inception, The Citadel has sought to prepare its graduates intellectually, physically, and morally to be principled leaders and productive members of society.

The Citadel has quite a history, including occupation by Union Troops in 1865. During World War II, it had the highest percentage of any American college student body serving in the military.

The last full day of our Southeastern trip began with a city tour of Charleston. We passed multi-colored homes representing a wide range of architectural styles, from the Revolutionary War period to modern Southern mansions.

We spent our final afternoon at the Boone Hall Plantation. We toured Boone Hall and heard about the evolution of the home through several owners since the 17th century.

Besides the plantation house, the site includes formal gardens, slave cabins, and the famed “Avenue of Oaks.”

The Avenue of Oaks is a row of live oak trees lining both sides of the nearly one-mile drive to the plantation house. The trees were originally planted in evenly spaced rows by the son of Major John Boone in 1743.

On the flight home, we had time to reflect on all that we had seen and done in just 7 days. We found ourselves wondering what took us so long to visit this amazing part of our country. The unexpected beauty and history are something we will always remember.