Charleston, South Carolina is rich with history and is best known for it's role in the Civil War. We were thrilled to spend a weekend soaking in the history and visiting the site where the civil war started as well as viewing the first successful submarine also from the civil war. The first shots of the civil war were fired upon Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 from Fort Johnson. After riding by boat through the harbor we were able to walk through the fort. It was remarkable how small the fort was considering the importance of it's role. The walls originally towered 50 feet above the water and now stand a mere 15-20 feet high.
Depending on who had command of the fort , the union or the confederates, various flags were raised and are flown today. These flags are visible from all parts of the harbor.
Another local landmark is the recently recovered Hunley submarine. After nearly 140 years missing, in 1995 a crew of divers finally located the Hunley, the first successful submarine. The H.L. Hunley sank just outside Charleston Harbor on February 17, 1864 after successfully sinking the USS Housatonic. For reasons still unknown today the Hunley sank and did not return from it's mission. Scientist are working to solve the mystery and preserve the ship and place it on display, fortunately in the mean time you are able to view it in a special tank. The kids also climbed aboard a simulator and experienced the tight quarters of the manually operated ship for themselves.
Following are few more snapshots taken at various places around the city...
