Relaxing Vacation in South Carolina

My wife & I visited the Ft. Sumpter National Monument during our trip to Charleston, South Carolina in the summer of 2008. I've been an avid lover of all things pertaining to the Civil War since I was little and the opportunity to go to the place where the war began was too good to pass up.

As one of the other reviewers noted, it is a surprisingly long trip from the dock to Ft. Sumpter itself. Be aware if you are going to budget a good three hours out of your day. There are only a few boats that go there each day. That said, the trip out is fantastic: a pleasant jaunt through the harbor past Patriot's Point and the Battery. Take your camera because you'll get to see many lovely homes from the water.

At Ft. Sumpter we quickly broke from the tour and spent a lot of time exploring oursevles. Union cannons destroyed much of the fort during the brutal campaign to capture it in 1863. Once three stories tall, Ft. Sumpter was reduced to one story in the war. The entire site has been terrifically restored and walking around you can see why this was much a strategic location for both sides. The entrance to Charleston's Harbor is surprisingly narrow.

The fort has a terrific view of James Island and Sullivan Island as well as the lower portion of downtown Charleston. Bring your camera and make sure you have lots of space on the card. Many wonderful opportunities to take pictures and feel the cool sea breeze in the hot South Carolina humidity.

After the trip we returned to the dock and explored Charleston further. Ft. Sumpter is a terrific place and you ought to put it on your Must See list for when you visit.

I almost hesitate to write anything out of fear that I will bring additional people to Kiawah Island, but this place is too terrific not to share with people: my wife & I took a trip in July of 2008 to Kiawah Island and spent nearly all of our time swimming on the beautiful beaches. I was astonished by how flat and level the beaches were and how warm and shallow the water was. It felt like bathing in bath water and was a terrific antidote to cooler Jersey Shore beaches I have been used to for most of my life. I never wanted to get out. Some of the best swimming I have ever had...