I’m not the type of person that jumps in the car and heads north…hoping to run into some wild crazy adventure. For the most part I like to have a plan.
I don’t need an itinerary…but having an idea of what you want to do can be helpful. Knowing when you want to go and where you want to go, can also be helpful.
My knight-in-clunky-armor and I decided to visit the historical coastal breeze of Charleston, South Carolina. We planned to go on MLK day, just because I happened to have that day off…and it seemed as good a day as any.
After weeks of minimal preparation, my knight discovered it was supposed to rain on Monday.
Sunday, I drove over to his house to get breakfast before church. We checked the weather again, and saw that the weather man had not changed his mind on it being wet.
…
I had a crazy idea. And one out of character, I might add.
…Lucky Moment # 1: The Crazy Idea
“Why don’t we go today?”
…I continued with my argument…
“There’s not much going on…it doesn’t take very long to get there…we won’t have a lot of free time for a while, because of school…we should snag the opportunity while we have it…”
We packed up our happy faces and hit the road…
…our travels consisted of the usual bantering, picking, and mind-bottling fellowship.
…Lucky Moment # 2: H.L. Hunley
Before you get to the main attraction in Charleston, you’ll pass a museum that holds a submarine (the H.L. Hunley) and all its cool artifacts. There are so many personal stories involved with this Suc-ailure…
NEW WORD: Suc-ailure is an event that combines both success and failure; similar to the expression ‘bitter sweet’.
…it’s hard not to pass it up.
When they discovered the H.L. Hunley, they had a couple options:
1. Leave the submarine undisturbed in its grave, perhaps protecting the site in perpetuity.
2. Conduct an underwater archaeological survey and other testing, then re-bury the vessel and protect the site. OR
3. Recover the vessel and conduct the necessary archaeological and scientific studies and conserve the submarine for future generations.
Which one would you have chosen?
Leave your vote in the comment box below.
They ended up choosing the third option because with Hunley’s location known, it would be almost physically and economically impossible to maintain constant protection against plunderers, storms and other adversaries. Furthermore, few answers would be found through simply documenting the vessel’s outer hull because the answers to its greatest mysteries are entombed within the submarine.
Even though they decided to preserve the submarine, they still chose to follow Hunley tradition. Each time the Hunley sank with her crew, she was brought up so that the crew could have a proper burial. And each time, the Hunley was refitted for service. As a result, the mission of Hunley Commission is to make sure the Hunley is brought back to the surface so that this crew can have a proper burial and that their vessel be refitted for service. However this time, her service will not only be to educate future generations of her incredible history, but to convey the attributes she symbolizes, including valor, courage, sacrifice, commitment and integrity.
Submarine Fan?
…Lucky Moment # 3: A.W. Shucks
As hungry as we were…we chose a restaurant my knight had been to before. We dug through our devotional while devouring fried green tomatoes, stuffed shrimp, seafood casserole, and hush puppies!
In 1978, before Charleston became known as an international tourist destination, A.W. Shuck’s opened on The Market. It was a place for locals, where one could get a place of fried shrimp, a dozen raw oysters, or an ice cold pitcher of beer. Just about any Charlestonian can tell you stories about the early days of “Shuck’s”. What most locals don’t know, however, is the colorful history behind the address A.W. Shuck’s calls home.
To find out such fascinating stories, visit A.W. Shucks in Charleston and learn what you can. (I’ll give you a hint…it had something to do with Prohibition!)
…Lucky Moment # 4: Big Al
After we ate, we started to walk towards the market. A lot of the vendors weren’t out because of the weather. Well among the usual site seeing…we came across a horse! If you’ve ever been to Charleston, you know about the carriage tours. ‘Shoed’ in around every block stands or marches a horse; trailing behind it, the carriage. I’ve never had the privilege of taking the tour. They are on the expensive side, but it’s something I plan to do!
I love horses.
I love history and tours.
I love Charleston.
If you love at least one of the four things above, then you MUST try this out.
Clippity clop your way back to Colonial times where a horse-drawn carriage tour will reveal over 300 years of history including antebellum mansions, churches, and cobblestone streets!
Big Al was his name…the horse we ran in to, that is. He was eating starbursts. What’s so fantastic about the horses that Old South Carriage Co. uses is that each of them has a unique personality. …Lucky Moment # 5: Rainbow Road
One of the most often photographed and painted scenes in Charleston, this stretch of private homes dates to the mid-1700s. The fourteen homes are painted in every color of the rainbow, and although they’re not open to the public, they’re a not-to-miss sight.
What I love about this placement of houses is the chance for romance. It was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. Across from the houses, there’s a walk way next to the ocean. Hand in hand we walked; I day dreamed about my future. There is a park enclosing the end of a small journey. We sat on one of the many benches facing the water. This is where I found my happiness that day. For just a moment… all of Charleston stood still. The wind continued to blow slightly, and birds continued to chirp, but every other person paused.
Rainbow Road is magical.
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…Lucky Moment # 6: The Battery (Waterfront Park)
Last year for my birthday, we went to Charleston. While indulging ourselves with Italian ice, we saw the Blue Angels perform in the skies above the Waterfront Park. This is one of my favorite places in Charleston. It’s got FAMILY written all over it. The Pineapple Fountain is one of the many water treats!! It is tradition to stop by and walk around the fountain…to walk the pier…before we head back to our car.
It would be a great place to have a picnic! It’s beautiful and there’s always something going on.
…Lucky Moment # 7: Pralines concludes our trip…
We started heading home. The day had turned out to be one of many lucky moments…it was a trip I’ll never forget…and one I’m bound to re-live.
What lucky moments have surprised you? List them here.
– The Happy Book
