Planes, Trains & Autos

Hey Guys!

This post continues our cruise through Alaska on the Carnival Luminosa.

Read Days 1-3 here & Read Day 4 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Our cruise dates were May 8 – 15, 2025.

This morning our ship would be docking in Skagway.

Click here & here for top things to do in Skagway

We woke up to beautiful snow capped mountains.

We had not yet arrived to Skagway, but were very close as we would start disembarking the ship at 7 am.

Since, we wanted to have breakfast before getting off the ship, we headed to Deck 9 around 6:30 am.

Our views from our table at breakfast.

Tip: Click here to check how many ships will be docking at the same port the day you are there. This can determine if you will be be tendered into port or if you will be able to dock and walk off the boat.

After breakfast, we headed to deck 2 to disembark the ship.

Tip: You can not take any drinks off the ship unless they are in a container in your backpack. I tried taking a coffee with me and it was confiscated.

For this stop, we had decided to rent a vehicle and drive the Klondike Hwy.

My husband and I did this the first time we had cruised to Alaska and we really enjoyed it!

A few months prior to our cruise, I rented an SUV through Avis. The cost was $480 for the day and that included full insurance.

Tip: You definitely want to rent your vehicle months in advance as there aren’t many car rental places in Skagway and they often sell out!!

We had thought about doing the train excursion but I personally like to stop when I want and not be stuck on someone else’s schedule with a bunch of other tourists!

Tip: If you book an excursion through the ship, you are guaranteed to not be left if the excursion runs late but if you book something on your own, they will not hold the ship for you.

Skagway would be our longest stop during our cruise so we wanted to take advantage of our time here.

A few shots of the port area

After walking for approx. 15 mins, we arrived to the Avis car rental counter and picked up our vehicle.

We ended up with a lime green Toyota 4-Runner!

After getting loaded up, we headed out!

As soon as our drive began, the views were incredible!

The Klondike Hwy is a 445 mile road that connects Skagway, Whitehorse and Dawson City, Yukon. The route parallels the path taken by gold prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898.

Our plan was to drive as far as Emerald Lake and then turn around and head back to Skagway. The drive to Emerald Lake will take approx. 1 hr 45 mins without stops.

However, this is not a drive that you do without stopping! You will want to stop hundreds of times! Ok, well maybe not hundreds but a lot!!

The views on this drive are simply breathtaking!

We stopped multiple times and I took over 1,000 pictures during this one stop!

Tip: Since there were 4 of us in the vehicle, there weren’t enough charging outlets so I highly recommend you have a portable charger with you. I also recommend you have snacks and plenty of water.

I couldn’t stop taking pictures through the windshield! I don’t recommend doing this while you’re driving! 😉

These poles were placed here so snow plows would know where the guardrails were when they have to plow the roads!

Our first stop was the Captain William Moore Memorial Bridge.

It’s located approx. 20 mins from the Avis Car rental.

The bridge is a 300 ft long bridge that spans the Moore Creek Gorge.

Before the bridge was built in 1976, Whitehorse, Yukon, was only accessible from Skagway by the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad.

Over time, the bridge was weakened by heavy ore trucks so a replacement was built in 2019. The bridge is now a historic site and a viewpoint for tourists.

Unfortunately, I failed to take a picture of the bridge. I was too busy taking pictures of the views near the bridge!

Click here to see pictures of the old bridge and the new bridge being built and to read about a waterfall you can hike to that is near the bridge

After this stop, we continued our drive and I continued my non stop photography through the windshield!

Just look at these views!

Actually, that’s what we were all saying to one another!

I had forgotten just how beautiful this drive was!

There was so much snow still on the mountains and that really added to the incredible views!

Not to mention, we had gorgeous weather too!

We passed a sign that showed the elevation was 3,292 ft.

We were surrounded by snow covered mountains…it was a breathtaking panorama of nature’s raw and serene beauty!

Around every curve, the view seemed even more beautiful…..it was so peaceful as hardly any other cars were on the road!

Approximately 15 mins after leaving the historic William Moore Bridge, we crossed into Canada!

Tip: Do not forget your passport…you will need it in order to drive much further on this road!

Of course, we had to stop to take our pictures in front of the US Canadian Border sign!

There is a huge pullover located near the sign and the views from here were gorgeous!

After getting our pictures, we continued our drive.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather! Clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds!

A few mins later, we made another quick stop when we spotted a small parking lot.

More incredible views!

We saw a sign that warned you of potential avalanches. Apparently, there were hiking trails at this stop and it was a warning to hikers.

After this stop, we continued our drive.

Tip: Click here for stops along this drive

The sun was lighting up the snow capped mountains!

About 15 mins after our last stop, we arrived to the Canadian Customs Checkpoint.

The checkpoint is located approx. 22 miles from the Avis Car Rental in Skagway.

Have your passports ready for the “not so friendly” border agent!

Once we got through customs, we continued our drive where we spotted a sign for Moon Lake Outfitters.

Moon Lake Outfitters are big game hunters who take customers to hunt moose, caribou, mountain goats, bears and wolves.

Shortly after going through customs, we arrived to our first official stop of the day, the Yukon Suspension Bridge. 

After getting parked, we headed inside the gift shop to purchase our tickets.

Tip: Ticket prices are $22 for adults ages 18-54 and $18 for ages 55 and older…you will need to ask for your discount because they didn’t tell me the prices were discounted so, I paid a higher price for my ticket!

We then headed back outside to find the swinging bridge.

The site also includes a cafe, restaurant and interpretive exhibits.

There’s also a series of winding boardwalks that give you views of the bridge and the surrounding scenery.

The many interpretive signs talk about the history of the gold mining days, geology of the area and the wildlife that call this area their home.

A shot of the bridge from the boardwalk.

After reading some of the informational signs and checking out some of the exhibits, we made our way to the bridge.

The bridge spans the Tutshi River and offers panoramic vistas of the river and surrounding mountains.

It was a bit terrifying walking across it! I don’t like heights at all!

During the seasonal months, you can watch whitewater rafters maneuver the Class V rapids 65 ft below!

The views from the bridge were spectacular!

It looked like a painting!

After crossing to the other side, there were more exhibits, interpretive signs an a traditional trappers cabin.

You also had great views of the bridge and the beautiful views!

After checking out the exhibits, we headed back across the bridge.

My mom wanted a picture of a bear so this was as good as it would probably get!

Once we made it back across, we headed back to the gift shop to purchase a t-shirt.

After making our purchases, we continued our drive along the Klondike Hwy.

Read reviews for the bridge here

About 10 mins. after leaving the swinging bridge, we spotted a bear on the side of the road!

The Yukon is home to approximately 10,000 black bears and 7,000 grizzlies!

After getting our pictures, we continued our drive.

The views were indescribable!

This drive is a must if you ever find yourself in Skagway!

A few minutes later, we started driving alongside the incredible Tutshi Lake.

Tip: Near here, you will find the Tutshi Sled Dog Tours.

Of course we had to pull over a hundred times for pictures!

The reflections of the snow capped mountains in the lake were incredible!

We drove alongside the river for approx. 6 miles.

We pulled over again for more pictures!

This view was even more spectacular than the last!

Continuing our drive

We spotted a dirt road and decided to drive down it to see where it would take us.

Well, we hit the jackpot! The road ended right at the banks of the gorgeous Tutshi Lake!

The views were breathtaking!

As usual, I took way too many pictures at this one stop!

I took pictures of the lake from every angle!

Of course, we had to do a selfie before leaving the lake!

Continuing our drive

A little later, we pulled over again for more pictures of the views!

I’m surprised I didn’t wreck with all the pictures I took from the windshield!

But I couldn’t miss taking pictures of these views!

More shots from the windshield!

As we continued our drive, we passed a section of the lake that was still frozen.

It made for some beautiful pictures!

More incredible shots!

As we were driving, we noticed a Yukon sign so, of course, we had to pull over to take our pictures in front of the sign.

Tip: Beyond the Yukon sign, you’ll pass the Venus Silver Mine on the highway’s right. There is no pullout, but seeing a historic mine shaft hanging off a steep rocky cliff is interesting. We saw it but didn’t take a picture.

It was at this stop that we saw several mountain goats perched on the side of the mountain!

They looked like little white specks but I had my zoom lens camera so I was able to take a little better pictures than my iPhone.

After our pictures, we continued our drive alongside another beautiful lake called Tagish Lake.

Tagish Lake is 74 miles long and averages 2 miles wide. The average depth is 203 ft and the maximum depth being a little over 1,000 ft!

Fun Fact: In Jan. 2000, a meteorite fell into this lake! A number of fragments were recovered and studied by researchers.

The views alongside the lake were so beautiful!

We pulled over again once we spotted more incredible reflections of the mountains in the lake!

Tip: At this stop, we spotted footprints that looked like a moose. Yukon has a significant moose population, with estimates between 65,000 and 70,000 moose in the territory!

Continuing our drive

We passed a sign that said Carcross was 6 km (3.75 miles) ahead.

That would be our next stop.

Tip: 8 mins from Carcross is where you will find the lookout for Bove Island…we missed this stop.

Arriving to Carcross

Carcross was originally known as Caribou Crossing. It was named that due to the migration of huge numbers of caribou across the natural land bridge between Lake Bennett and Nares Lake.

However, the caribou herd was decimated during the Klondike Gold Rush, but a recovery program raised the number of animals to about 450.

Caribou Crossing was also a station for the Royal Mail and the Dominion Telegraph Line, and it served as a communications point on the Yukon River.

In 1904, Caribou Crossing was renamed Carcross as a result of some mail mix-ups with the Cariboo Regional District in nearby British Columbia.

In 2021, the population of Carcross was 317 people.

The town is very small and depends on tourism for its survival.

Our first stop was the Matthew Watson General Store. It’s the oldest operating store in the Yukon — a fixture during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush.

The store has only changed hands twice in its 122-year history!

Inside you will find all kinds of goods….clothing, shoes, toys, and lots more!

On one side of the store, there is an ice cream and fudge shop.

Read reviews here

After checking out the store, we headed over to the Bistro for lunch.

This was the only restaurant that we saw in Carcross…however, there is also a bakery located here called the Chilkoot Trail Sourdough Bakery….besides baked goods, they also offer soups and sandwiches.

Read reviews here

The Bistro offered hamburgers, wraps, fish n chips, salads, chicken and more.

I opted for the Smokey Arctic Char sandwich….it was so good!!

A picture of one of the meals my sister had.

Read reviews here

After lunch, we headed back to our car to continue our drive.

A few shots of the town of Carcross

Tip: Approx. 45 mins from Carcross, you will find Jakes Corner where you will find a restaurant, campground, RV park and gas.

A few minutes after leaving Carcross, we arrived to the Carcross Desert.

Known as the world’s smallest desert, the desert measures just a single square mile.

The “desert” was formed during the last glacial period, when large glacial lakes formed and deposited silt. When the lakes dried, the dunes were left behind.

There were a few informational signs nearby that told how the desert was formed and the local fauna in the area.

After this stop, we continued our drive to our last stop of the day, Emerald Lake. The lake is located approx. 7 mins from the Carcross Desert.

Before arriving to the actual pullover for the lake, we saw a small dirt road to the left and pulled down that road.

The road ended at the banks of the lake but the views were not that great but it was still beautiful.

Emerald Lake is known for its intense green color.

The color derives from light reflecting off white deposits of marl, a mixture of clay and calcium carbonate, at the bottom of the shallow waters.

The high concentration of calcium carbonate in the water here comes from limestonegravels eroded from the nearby mountains and deposited here thousands of years ago by the glaciers of the last ice age.

After taking a few pictures at this location, we drove a little further down the Klondike Hwy until we reached the pullover for the lake.

Wow! This lake is incredible! It will leave you with your mouth wide open in awe!

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time on the Carnival Luminosa.

Read Days 1-3 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Our cruise dates were May 8-15th, 2025.

Today was another day at sea but it was also our “first stop” on our cruise.

We woke up to beautiful views of  snow capped mountains.

My sister and I headed to Deck 10 to listen to a naturalist speak about what kind of wildlife we may be seeing today and about the fjord we would be cruising into.

After he was finished, we all headed to Deck 9 to have breakfast.

There are many options for breakfast such as omelettes, pancakes, bacon, fruits, pastries, bagels, yogurt, potatoes, burritos, and much more. So, you shouldn’t have a problem finding something you like!

The views from our table at breakfast

After breakfast, we all headed to the top deck to check out the views.

The captain had made an announcement that we would be arriving to the Tracy Arm Fjord around 3 pm.

As we got closer to our arrival time, the views were becoming even more dramatic.

Tip: A fjord is a long, narrow sea inlet surrounded by steep cliffs, typically formed by glaciers that carve out U-shaped valleys which are then flooded by the sea.

Tracy Arm Fjord is known for its dramatic scenery, including towering mountains, steep waterfalls, and the beautiful Sawyer Glaciers. The fjord is 30 miles long.

Read reviews for the fjord here

As we were checking out the views, the captain began making an announcement ….sadly, he announced that we were not going to be able to visit the fjord due to excessive ice.

Apparently this is a common occurence when you cruise earlier in the year.

Tip: If you have time and are stopping in Juneau, you can book a tour to Tracy Arm Fjord on a much smaller boat. You get much closer to the glacier and waterfalls. It’s 7 hrs long so you would need a long stop in Juneau.

So, they changed our destination to the Endicott Arm Fjord.

Endicott is a 30 mile long fjord and just like Tracy Arm, is known for its stunning scenery, including the Dawes Glacier, which sits at the head of the fjord.

We were disappointed that we would not be seeing Tracy Arm…however, we were hopeful that the views at Endicott would be comparable.

That is one downside to cruising, the itinerary can change at any time!

Unfortunately, it was a very cloudy day and was sleeting snow so some of our views were obscured by the clouds.

As we neared the fjord, the color of the water began to change to a beautiful blue-green.

Water tends to look this color due to the presence of glacial flour, which is fine-grained rock sediment ground up by glaciers. This sediment remains suspended in the water, scattering sunlight and causing the water to reflect blue-green wavelengths.

The views were spectacular!

Pictures could never do this place justice!

As we were cruising along the fjord, we began to see ice floating in the water.

The ice comes from the glaciers….they are constantly calving ice. 

Glacier calving is the natural process where chunks of ice break off from the edge of a glacier forming icebergs.

This occurs due to the forward motion of the glacier, which can destabilize the end of the glacier.

We also started seeing multiple waterfalls!

They were everywhere!

The water color continued to change as we got closer to the glacier!

We spotted a smaller tour boat taking passengers through the fjord.

As I mentioned earlier, these are a great way to get up close and personal to the glaciers.

The cruise ships can’t get as close as the smaller boats.

The views just kept getting better and better!

Tip: We had purchased mini binoculars to take with us on our trip so we could spot wildlife. I highly recommend you do this or bring full size binoculars if you have the space for them.

Click here & here for things to pack for your Alaskan cruise

More gorgeous views

As we were admiring the views, I pulled out my binoculars and started looking at some of the icebergs floating in the water.

I thought I had spotted an eagle perched on top of one of the huge icebergs!

Sure enough, as the iceberg got closer, it was in fact an eagle!

It was so cool!

Besides eagles, you will also have a chance of seeing whales, mountain goats, bears, a variety of sea birds, and seals.

The small tour boat cruised alongside of us for most of the time we were in the fjord.

The clouds actually added to the dramatic views.

The closer we got to the glacier, the more ice we saw.

Once we arrived, we made our way to the very top deck on the ship so we would have 360 degree views.

Sadly, we only got to view the glacier from a distance.

The Dawes Glacier is approx. 15-20 miles long and a 1/2 mile wide. It’s 600 ft tall and extends from the Alaska-Canada boundary, flowing northwest into Endicott Arm.

The ship made a 360 degree turn in the water so everyone could see the views from every direction.

The color of the water was surreal!

The ship remained stationary for approximately 3 hours.

So many waterfalls!

After seeing the views from the top, we headed back to our room and headed to our balcony.

This is why you will want to have a balcony on your cruise!

I was going to combine days 4 and 5 in this one post but decided that these views deserved one post!

All of us on our balcony

I couldn’t stop taking pictures!

I think I took over 1500 pictures of this one area!

Later, we decided to head back to the top deck for more unobstructed views.

The sun was trying to make its appearance.

We walked from one side of the ship to the other admiring the incredible views!

A bit later, the ship started its departure from the fjord.

So, we headed back to our room to once again take in the views from our balcony.

Tip: The cruise offers Wifi packages but they are expensive. We decided to purchase the chat option through the Carnival Hub app. It was $5 pp for all week but it. definitely needs some work!

Views along the way

After taking way too many pictures, and now being out of the fjord, my sister and I headed to the spa to relax and warm up!

The spa rooms had full length windows so you could enjoy the views while you relaxed!

We were so happy that we had decided to purchase the spa pass….we definitely got our money’s worth!

After spending a while in the relaxation room, we headed to the steam room.

It was so relaxing and the steam was infused with peppermint.

Peppermint-infused steam can be beneficial for respiratory health. It offers relief from congestion and promotes relaxation. The menthol in peppermint acts as a decongestant, helping to open nasal passages and can also be used to cleanse the skin, open pores and remove impurities.

Next we headed to the sauna.

It was so hot! You could only spend a very short amount of time here or you could easily get dehydrated!

It’s crucial to stay hydrated when you use these rooms because most of them are hot.

Tip: They keep water infused with fruit in the relaxation room.

After the sauna, we headed to the hydrotherapy pool.

The temperature in the pool was different each time we visited. The first time it was scalding hot and the next time, it was lukewarm.

However, it was still relaxing with all of the jets!

After spending about 1.5 hrs in the spa area, we headed back to our rooms.

We then headed to deck 9 to have dinner.

After dinner, I headed to the fitness center to work off all those calories I had just eaten. 😉

It wasn’t always easy walking on a treadmill while the boat was swaying from one side to the other!

After working out, we headed back to our rooms and called it a night!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 5!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

I recently returned from a 7 day cruise to Alaska on the Carnival Luminosa.

This was my second Alaskan cruise. My first cruise was with Princess cruise lines back in May 2014.

Read reviews for Carnival here and for Princess here

Having sailed on both, I would highly recommend Carnival over Princess!

My first cruise was with my husband, this cruise was with my mom and two of my sisters.

We flew out of Nashville on May 7, 2025. Our flight was a non stop flight to Seattle where most Alaskan cruises originate.

The views from the plane were incredible!

This is why I always choose a window seat!

Approaching Seattle

After landing in Seattle at approximately 10:15 am, we retrieved our luggage and headed outside to find a taxi to take us to our hotel.

Tip: I believe the cost for the taxi to our hotel in downtown cost us approx. $45 plus tip.

We decided to fly in the day before our cruise departed just in case our flight was delayed or cancelled …it would give us time to rebook another flight. I highly recommend you do this if you ever take a cruise!

The taxi driver dropped us off right in front of our hotel, the Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown.

We had chosen this hotel not only because it was close to downtown, but also due to its proximity to the Carnival cruise port. 

After arriving to the hotel, we had the front desk hold our luggage for us since it was too early to check into our room.

We then used the Uber app to have a driver pick us up and drop us off at the Pike Place Market in downtown.

Tip: The cost was approximately $20 for the Uber. You will want to make sure you have plenty of cash for tips.

After being dropped off, we headed inside the Pike Place Market.

This is a huge tourist area and it’s usually very crowded but since our trip was in early May, the crowds weren’t too bad.

At the Pike Place Market, you will find lots of shops and restaurants.

The market was founded in 1907 and spans nine acres! It is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States!

There are more than 200 vendors selling fresh seafood, flowers, fruit, vegetables and much more!

Click here for a directory of the market & Click here to read reviews

At the market, you will find the popular Pike Place Fish Market. This is where you will see the famous flying fish!

However, for this to happen, someone has to buy a fish! If you stick around long enough, you will surely see a fish flying through the air!

We did, but sadly I missed getting a picture!

There were lots of fresh seafood everywhere and you could definitely smell it too! 😷

You will also find Rachel, the piggy bank.

Since 1986, Georgia Gerber’s bronze piggy bank has collected more than $200,000.00 for the Pike Place Market Foundation, which in turn supports the neighborhood’s social service agencies.

After walking through the market, we made our way to Post Alley to see the famous gum wall.

The Gum Wall started in the 1990s when local patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions stuck their used gum on the wall.

Since those days, the wall has grown piece by piece to cover an enormous expanse of brick and continues to expand down Post Alley.

The gum has been cleaned off the wall many times but people keep covering it with gum!

Read reviews here

Near the gum wall, I spotted these cool light fixtures!

We then headed back inside the market to find something for lunch.

We spotted the popular Athenian restaurant but it was closed so we continued our walk through the market.

Read reviews here

The next restaurant we saw was called Lowell’s so we decided to eat here.

The restaurant has been opened since 1957.

We were seated on the second floor with views of the water and the famous ferris wheel!

After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

The restaurant specializes in seafood but they do have other options like sandwiches, burgers and salads.

I decided on their famous fish and chips….I mean, if it’s famous, it has to be good, right?! 😉

My mom ordered the fried shrimp, one sister ordered the fish tacos and one ordered the tuna melt.

The food was very good as well as the service!

Read reviews here

After lunch, we headed to the Pike Place bakery for some sweet treats!

Pike Place Bakery is a family-owned bakery that has been opened since 1983. They sell donuts, bread, pastries, cakes and lots more!

We purchased several different items to have for later.

Read reviews here & Click here for another popular bakery at the market

After making our purchase, we headed outside to walk over to Beecher’s.

Beecher’s has been opened since 2003. They make their own cheese and you can stand and watch through the glass walls.

They also make sandwiches, soups and more. When my husband and I first visited Seattle, we tried a grilled cheese sandwich from here and it was delicious!

Read reviews here

Tip: Don’t miss visiting the first Starbucks that opened…it’s near the Pike Place Market!

After leaving here, we decided to have an Uber pick us up and take us back to the hotel.

Once we were back at the hotel, we checked with the front desk about getting an early check in but unfortunately, there were lots of other people waiting for a room so we had to sit in the lobby and wait.

While we waited, we decided to have our pastries from the Pike Place Bakery.

Sadly, we were not impressed with any of the pastries. 🙁

After waiting at least two hours, we finally were able to check into our room!

The room was approximately 500 square feet and had two queen size beds, a nice size living room, a small kitchenette and a large bathroom!

After getting settled into our room, my mom and I went to the fitness room to workout for a while.

Later, my sister and I walked to a nearby deli called Stella Deli & Market to order sandwiches for dinner.

They offered all kinds of deli sandwiches, snacks, healthcare items, and more…..it’s a great place to shop for those last minute snacks or medications you may need for your cruise!

I ordered the New Yorker which was as a pastrami sandwich on rye bread.

After getting back to our room, we tried out our sandwiches. I was not impressed.

I’m not sure why I chose this sandwich as I am not a fan of pastrami and now I know why I don’t care for it! 😉

Later that evening, we called it a night!

The next morning, we were up early so we could have breakfast at the hotel and get packed up.

I’m not usually a fan of hotel breakfasts but this hotel’s was really good and they had lots to choose from!

After breakfast, we took a short walk outside since we couldn’t be at the cruise port until our check in time which was between 12:00 – 12:30 pm.

Tip: You will choose a check in time when you check in for your cruise two weeks prior to departure.

We spotted the Space Needle on our walk..

My hubby and I visited the Space Needle on our first visit to Seattle and I highly recommend it!

Read reviews here

After our walk, we headed back to the hotel to get packed up.

We then took the hotel’s shuttle to the cruise port. The cost was $10 per person plus tip.

Read reviews for the hotel here

Once we arrived to the port, we headed to the Carnival cruise line to drop off our luggage with a porter.

Tip: You will need to download the Carnival Hub app so you can check in for your cruise approx. 2 weeks prior to your trip. One week prior to your trip, you will receive a boarding pass and luggage tags. The luggage tags will need to be placed on your luggage before you drop them off with the porter. Do not drop off anything valuable…keep those in a backpack with you to take on the ship. Tip the porters when dropping your luggage off. 🙂

After dropping our luggage off, we were told which line to get in. At this point, you will need to have your passport and your boarding pass ready to show to about 10 different people before you are allowed to enter the ship!

Seriously though, it was about 5 or 6 people but it was very organized! I was impressed with how organized it was!

Making our way to the ship!

Of course we had to have our matching cruise shirts! 😉

They had the cruise mascot onboard so you could take pictures with him.

Tip: The Carnival Spirit was named the best Alaska cruise by USA Today.

Since we couldn’t get into our room until 1:30, we headed to the lido deck to have lunch.

There are many food options on this cruise ….some are free and some you have to pay extra for.

We opted for a hamburger and fries..

It was very good!

After lunch, we decided to take one of the tours of the spa area.

On the tour, a carnival staff member will take you through each of the rooms that you will have access to if you purchase the 7 day spa pass.

Tip: We had read online that they sold day passes too but were told during the tour, that they don’t sale day passes!

The rooms you will have access to are: the hydrotherapy pool, 2-3 dry heat rooms, steam room, lockers with showers, a relaxation room, and a sauna.

The ship also had a salon where you could get haircuts, manicures, pedicures and more.

We visited the fitness center too. The fitness center also had a sauna you could use.

During the tour, you are told about spa specials that are only good for that day so, of course, I booked spa services and my sister and I went in and purchased the 7 day spa pass!

Tip: If you are interested in the spa pass or spa services, I highly recommend that you purchase them prior to leaving for your cruise because they are cheaper! The 7 day spa pass was $149 if you pre purchased it before the cruise but since we didn’t, it was $218 pp or $387 for a couple! You can pre purchase on your Carnival Hub app.

After purchasing our spa treatments and passes, we waked around and took a few pictures of the ship.

We then headed to our room!

Our luggage was already sitting outside our cabins when we arrived!

We booked two cabins with balconies. ….our rooms were side by side. Our room numbers were 5261 & 5263.

Do not go on an Alaskan cruise without having a balcony…..it’s a must!

Click here & here for rooms to avoid on this ship

Since my mom had treated us girls to this cruise, I surprised her with having our room decorated  as a thank you!

The decoration package also came with a small cake.

I also ordered chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, a snack box and three 12 packs of bottled water.

Tip: You can purchase lots of different items for your room on the Carnival Hub app. Since you are not allowed to bring any sodas or water onto the ship, I purchased the 12 packs of water for our room which cost approx. $17 each. We also brought collapsible water bottles to keep them refilled with water but we never used them. You can also bring a stainless steel cup to keep it filled with coffee or hot chocolate. You are also allowed to bring on snacks but they must be prepackaged items.

After getting settled into our room, we headed back to the top deck to check out the Seattle skyline and to relax in the many lounge chairs.

Later we headed to the pool area where they were having singing and dancing.

My sister decided to join in on the dancing!

We then headed back to our cabin to get ready for our spa treatments at 6 pm.

When we got back to our room, we checked out our balconies.

Since we had rooms beside one another, we had the option of having the divider wall opened up so we would all have one big balcony instead of two.

As we were on the balcony, we spotted two orcas in the water!

You have to zoom in on this picture to see them!

Tip: Our ship left port at 3:30 pm.

After changing our clothes, we headed to the spa where we waited in the relaxation room until our therapist was ready for us.

It was definitely relaxing!

Later we were taken back to a room with a view for our spa treatments!

After our treatments, we headed back to one of the heated rooms for more relaxation.

And then later, headed to the hydrotherapy pool.

It was so awesome and I highly recommend the spa pass if you ever find yourself on one of the Carnival ships that offers a spa!

Tip: You can also book Cloud 9 Spa rooms that give you access to the spa area but weigh out the cost of the room versus the cost of the pass itself.

Later we called it a night!

Tip: The rooms do come with black out curtains and really nice bedding….there’s also an extra comforter stored under the bed. We had plenty of room for our clothes and stored our suitcases under the beds.

After a restful night’s sleep, we were up bright and early.

Our first two days on the ship, were sea days.

Tip: Whatever you do, make sure you take something for motion sickness….whether you are prone to motion sickness or not! We took bonine before and all during our cruise!

After getting up and dressed, we headed to deck 9 to have breakfast.

A map of the ship

We passed the dining room on the way.

You can eat in the dining room for breakfast and dinner. When you book your cruise, you will need to choose what time you want to arrive for dinner.

We chose the anytime dining so that meant, we had to go on the Carnival Hub app and check in for dinner when we were ready to eat. We never had to wait for a table when we did this!

For breakfast, I opted for an omelet ….they only had one person making omelets so it took a good 30+ mins to get through the line!

The omelet was really good but some of the potatoes were hard.

The free coffee on the ship was horrible! Thankfully, they had 3 different places that you could purchase speciality coffees.

One of those was on deck three and called the Java Blue Cafe.

They also had yummy looking desserts! Like the coffee, you had to pay extra for those as well.

I ordered the large vanilla latte made with almond milk and the cost was $6.50. It was very good!

Tip: Besides automatically being charged $112 in tips for the 7 day cruise, you will also be charged an 18% gratuity on anything you purchase on the ship! You can check your account at any time on the Carnival Hub app.

After purchasing coffee, we walked around the ship checking out all the different floors….there’s 11 of them!

We passed through the smoky casino! I was surprised they allowed smoking!

We saw one of the specialty restaurants where you have to pay to eat.

On the very top deck is where you will have 360 degrees of the views so don’t miss it!

There is also a walking track, basketball court, pool table, foosball and a miniature golf course.

There are two pools and 4 hot tubs. One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are for adults only.

The ship offered many different shows, classes, naturalists, and more to keep you entertained during your days at sea.

After spending time checking out the ship and relaxing, we headed back to deck 9 for lunch.

This time I went to the deli for a southwest chicken wrap and chips.

The food was pretty good. I never had anything I just hated.

After lunch, we headed to deck 10 to watch an ice carving event.

After watching for about 30 mins, we finally figured out that he was carving some kind of fish.

We spent a lot of time relaxing on our second day as we were exhausted from the early flight the day before and the time change! I think the medicine we were taking for motion sickness was also making us tired!

Tonight was the first formal night on the ship. I wasn’t feeling well so my mom and two sisters decided to go.

There are two formal nights on a 7 day cruise. Some people go all out while others keep it simple and just wear dress pants and a nice blouse or a simple dress. Men can wear a tux or keep it simple and wear khakis and a dress shirt.

After dinner, we all decided to go to a show called Flick.

We sat in the upper level of the theater…

If you sit in the lower level, where the tables are, you can order drinks.

The show pays homage to the music from movies like Dirty Dancing, Titanic, Star Wars, James Bond and more.

There were lots of costume changes as well as special effects and other high tech elements.

It was pretty good….I’m not a big music person but my sisters loved it!

I did think the performers who sang did a really good job!

After the show, we called it a night!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 4! UPDATE: Read Day 4 here, Day 5 here, Day 6 here, Day 7 here, & Days 8 & 9 here

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time in Winston County, Alabama.

Read Days 1 & 2 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

After having our coffee & breakfast, we headed to our first stop of the day.

We would be spending the day in the nearby town of Cullman.

The drive to Cullman from our rental house was approx. 45 mins.

We had planned on spending the first part of our day at Dismals Canyon which was also 45 mins from our rental house.

However, it was closed due to repairs.

The place looks otherworldly! They also offer glow worm tours, offer cabins for rent and have an old fashioned soda fountain!

I was so disappointed that it was closed, that we booked another stay at our rental house for later this year so we can go!

Read reviews here & Click here for more things to see in that area

Click here for 89 cool & unusual things to see in Alabama

Our first stop in Cullman was Smith Farms.

Smith Farms was founded in 1955 by Ed Smith. It began as a small road-side stand selling seasonal produce and a few cured hams and bacon.

Since 1955, Smith Farms has been the source for traditional Southern foods such as smoked ham, bacon & sausage.

When my hubby found out they had smoked sausage, we brought our cooler to stock up!

We walked in and couldn’t believe how many different types of food, cheeses, candy, meats, etc that they offered!

They even sold pork chops and hand cut steaks.

This store had everything from homemade pies, soups, syrups, jellies, and so much more!

We ended up purchasing some smoked bacon, sausage and, of course, some of their yummy looking chocolates.

Read reviews here

After leaving here, we headed to our next stop, the Ave Maria Grotto.

The grotto is located on the grounds of the St Bernard Abbey, the only Benedictine monastery of men in the state of Alabama.  The abbey was founded in 1891.

After getting parked, we headed inside to purchase our tickets.

There is a gift shop located in the building where you purchase your tickets.

After purchasing our tickets, we headed outside to began our self guided tour of the grotto.

The grotto sits on 4 acres of what used to be a quarry & is home to the fruitful labor of Brother Joseph Zoettl, who was a monk at the abbey.

The grounds were beautifully landscaped!

There were so many different types of flowers scattered around the grounds!

Beginning our walk

Brother Joseph came to Alabama from Germany in 1892 at the age of 14.

When he wasn’t busy, he began constructing miniature recreations of well known buildings. He used stone, concrete, unwanted donated materials, broken plates, costume jewelry, ceramic tile, beads, marbles, seashells, and more.

This exhibit was called Bethlehem

Bro Joseph had only visited 6 of the places that he recreated. He used his imagination and pictures that he had seen to recreate these miniature buildings.

The grotto consists of 125 miniature stone and cement structures.

Brother Joseph built his first replica in 1912 and his last one in 1958 when he was 80 yrs old.

They were so amazing!

This place was definitely worth the $10 admission fee.

Near the grotto is the Abbey Cemetery.

Brother Joseph, who died in 1961, is buried here.

We walked inside the chapel to check it out while visiting the cemetery.

The cornerstone on the church showed that it was built in 1946.

The inside was very simple and included a few benches and statues.

After leaving the grotto, we drove over to the Abbey Church to take a few pictures of the outside.

Read reviews for the grotto here

After leaving the church, we headed to find something for lunch.

We settled on a place called Urban Cookhouse.

We ended up eating a late lunch which turned out good for us…no wait!

Once inside, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

I ordered the lime marinated steak and rice and the hubby ordered the grilled chicken wraps with a side of Mac and cheese.

The food was very good!

Read reviews here

After lunch, we headed to our next stop, the Weiss Cottage.

The Weiss cottage is the town’s oldest house. It was built by the L&N Railroad in 1873.

The small wood framed cottage is typical of early Cullman homes. The property and the house were purchased from L&N Railroad on February 24, 1875 by Dr. Aldo Weiss.

He, his wife and children lived in the house and it also doubled as Dr. Weiss’s office.

The family’s goats were housed in the cellar, and their home was often called ‘The Goat House’.

I had read that it had been turned into a museum but the inside looked trashed!

Near the house was the Hubert Richter Chapel.

The chapel was built in 1989 in memory of two of the Richter family members, Hubert and his son Mike.

Mike was on leave from the Army in 1971 when he slipped and fell into Larkwood Falls and then Hubert was killed in a car wreck in 1988.

The small chapel is never locked so you can visit at any time.

After leaving here, we headed to another church called Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The church was built in 1913 and dedicated in 1916.

We had wanted to go inside to check it out but services were being held at the time.

We then headed to our next stop, the historic Clarkson Covered Bridge.

The bridge was originally constructed over Crooked Creek in 1904 on property owned by local mail carrier James W. Legg at the cost of $1,500.

A flood destroyed half of the bridge in 1921. Most of the pieces were recovered downstream, and the bridge was able to be rebuilt the following year.

The bridge remained in service to motor traffic until 1962, when it was bypassed by a nearby concrete bridge.

At 270 ft long, It is currently the second longest existing historic covered bridge in Alabama.

The bridge is now owned by the county and was restored by the Cullman County Commission in 1975, along with a gristmill and log cabin also located at Clarkson Covered Bridge Park.

There are hiking trails and picnic tables located in the park.

Read reviews here

After leaving the bridge, we decided to head back to our rental house.

On the way, we saw a sign pointing to a historic jail so decided to check it out.

The jail was located in Houston, AL and was called the Jail at Houston.

The building is the only known surviving log jail in the state and the only public building surviving from the time that the county seat was located in Houston.

It is believed to have been built in 1868, when the now destroyed courthouse is known to have been constructed.

The jail was converted into a residence for the poor in 1933.

The interior is divided into two rooms with an interlocking log wall.

The walls were covered from floor to ceiling in wide boards that had a 2 ½ inch handmade iron nail securing it about every inch to prevent prisoners from escaping.

The jail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Near the jail were statues of prominent figures from that time period.

Read reviews here

Across the road from the jail, was a restaurant called Chef Troy’s.

Read reviews here

The jail and restaurant were approx. 10-15 mins from our rental house.

After arriving back to the house, we decided to build a fire in the outdoor fire pit.

For dinner, we enjoyed a small charcuterie board out by the fire. It was so quiet and peaceful!

Later, we called it a night.

The next morning, we had to check out.

The owner was kind enough to allow us to stay until 1 pm instead of checking out at 11 am.

After packing, we took a few pictures on the deck.

We then enjoyed an early lunch out on the deck before heading home.

This ends our time in Alabama!

Thanks for reading!

Here are a few restaurants, grocery stores and other things to see/do in this area:

Lakeshore Inn Restaurant & Marina – 3.5 miles from the house – here you will not only find a restaurant but accommodations that are right on the lake and boat rentals – 10 mins from our rental house

Sapore Grill – 5 miles – Closed Mon, Tues & Sun.

Smokin’ Pig BBQ – 5 miles – Closed on Mon & Sun

Buena Vista – 5 miles – 1 mile from Sapore Grill – closed on Tues

Southern Bliss Bistro – 16 miles – Closed on Sun

Arley Coffee Shop – 15 miles – Closed Sun – opens at 5 am

Jack’s Family Restaurant – 36 miles

Subway – 5 miles

Gabby’s Restaurant – 25 miles – Closed on Sun

Bayou Fresh Seafood & Deli – 25 miles – 1.7 miles from Gabby’s – Closed on Mon & Sun

Taco Bell – 18 miles

Hyatt’s Market – 15 miles

Gateway Foodland – 5 miles in Double Springs

Dollar General Market – 16 miles away in Addison

Walmart – 16 miles in Haleyville & Walmart Supercenter in Jasper – 25 miles

The Butterstick Bakery & Bistro – 30 miles – Closed on Sun

The Local Grind Coffee – 30 miles – 2 miles from The Butterstick Bakery – open every day

Linda’s Coffee Shack – 15 miles – Closed Sun & Mon

The Food Shack – 1/2 mil from Linda’s Coffee – Closed Sat & Sun

McDonald’s – 20 miles in Haleyville

Crooked Creek Coffee & Tea Co – 30 miles min Crane Hill – only open on Tues & Sun

The Groovy Brew Coffee Shop & Boutique – 5 miles – Closed Sat & Sun

Dollar General – 5 miles

Vincent’s Downtown Deli & Bakery – 5 miles – not sure of the hours

Sipsey Winery – 5 miles in Double Springs and one in Cullman 45 mins away

Jack’s Family Restaurant – 5 miles 

Piggly Wiggly – 18 miles in  Haleyville

Goar’s Supermarket – 18 miles in Hayleyville

Click here & here for the nearest hospitals

The closest ER would be Cullman Regional Medical Center – about 1 hr away

Other nearby towns and places to visit:

If you are looking for waterfalls just put waterfalls in your google maps and it will pull up all the nearest waterfalls.

Same thing for restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.

Haleyville – 20 mins – home of the first 911 call

Jasper – 35 mins – Click here for top attractions in Jasper

Arley – 20 mins – Click  here for things to do in Arley

Addison – 20 mins  – Click here for things to do

Guin – 50 mins – Click here for things to do

Phil Campbell – 40 mins – Click here for for things to do

Moulton – 35 mins – Click here for things to do

Russellville –  40 mins – Click here for things to do

Cullman – 45 mins – this is probably the biggest town near the rental house – there are lots of restaurants here & lots of things to do 

If you’re looking for a spa day, check out these spas in Cullman – we passed this one and it looked super nice!

I would click here for the most unique and unusual sites to see in/around this area

We want to add the Rattlesnake Saloon to our next visit! – It’s 1 hr 15 mins from the house but only 45 mins from Dismals Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

Like every year in April, I booked a weekend getaway for my birthday.

My sister had sent me a link to a unique property in Alabama several months ago and as soon as I saw it, I booked it!

The house was located in Winston County.

Tip: Click here for 89 cool and unusual things to see/do in Alabama

My hubby and I left out on a Friday morning and arrived to the house around 1:15 pm.

The house was very private and tucked away amongst rock bluffs and trees.

After getting parked, we headed inside.

The inside of the house was beautiful!

Every area of the house was utilized in the most perfect way!

The house had a king size bed, a small kitchen, a seating area, a beautiful garden tub and a huge shower!

The owner provided games, books, lots of coffee, and so much more!

I’ve stayed in many AirBnb properties, and this owner provided a lot more than most.

Tip: There is a washer & dryer hidden behind a huge full length mirror

There was a huge deck that overlooked the beautiful Sipsey River!

On the deck was a very nice grill, TV, an outdoor shower, chairs and a table.

After checking out the inside, we headed back outside.

The property provided an outdoor fire pit that was tucked up against a rock bluff where a small, natural waterfall flowed. It was so peaceful and serene!

We then walked down to the water’s edge.

Tip: If you like to canoe, the owner provides a canoe/kayak launch from the top of the parking area…so, bring your own canoe or kayak and enjoy this beautiful river!

Unfortunately the dock had been damaged in a recent storm so we were unable to use it.

Tip: There are other houses in the area but you can’t see any of them and we never heard anyone around.

Later that evening, my hubby grilled burgers on the outdoor grill.

So good!

After dinner, I took advantage of the beautiful, garden tub!

We then spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watching TV.

The next morning, my hubby cooked up a scrumptious breakfast!

After breakfast, we got ready and headed out for the day.

The driveway to the house was very steep! We had to put our car in low gear to make it to the top!

Our first stop of the day, the Natural Bridge Park, was only about 15-20 minutes from the house.

Driving into the park

The Natural Bridge Park opened to the public in 1954.

Tip: The park is open daily from 8 am to sunset

After getting parked, we headed inside the gift shop to purchase our tickets.

The grounds surrounding the gift shop were beautifully landscaped with all kinds of flowers!

The gift shop had all kinds of neat gifts from locally made goods to t-shirts, snacks and more.

We headed to the t-shirt racks to find a shirt! 😉

A shot of the pamphlets they offered for other nearby sites that you can visit.

After purchasing our tickets and t-shirts, we headed back outside to began the very short trail to the sandstone arch. It’s only about 1/10th of a mile from the gift shop!

The trail had lots of exposed roots so be sure to wear good shoes!

Arriving to the arch

The arch is a 148-foot sandstone bridge that towers 60 feet!

It is  the longest natural bridge east of the Rockies!

It was formed when the sea washed sandstone away leaving iron ore veins holding the bridge.

It was the most unique arch that we have seen….and, if you keep up with my blog, you will know that we have seen many!

There is a one mile loop path that leads you under the arch.

The arch is surrounded by unique rock formations.

As you walked the path, you got to see the arch from a different perspective.

It was similar to a double arch and had two openings in the top of the arch.

It’s hard to tell in pictures just how big this arch is!

After the arch, we continued our walk.

There were huge rock boulders along the trail!

We then came to another area where the path led us under a rock bluff.

The rocks had cool looking formations on them!

Continuing our walk

Along the trail, we spotted these dwarf crested iris’s growing everywhere!

You will cross a couple of wooden bridges along the trail.

Read reviews for the park here 

After getting back to our car, we headed to our next stop, the Sipsey River Picnic Area located in the Sipsey Wilderness. The picnic area was located 35 mins from the Natural Bridge Park.

When we arrived, the parking lot was full but we were able to squeeze into a small parking area.

I had read that this area offered picnic tables, hiking trails and more but when we arrived, there was really no trail markers or any signage and we so no picnic tables.

We found what looked to be a trail and followed it for a very short distance. The trail ran parallel to the river.

Tip: Read a blog post about this area here

Tip: Mize Mills Falls is located near the Sipsey River Picnic area

We decided not to go any further so, we left and headed to our next stop, Parker Falls but once we arrived, there was a sign stating that it wasn’t the trail to Parker Falls!

There are many great reviews about this falls…if you click on the link above, you will see clear directions to the falls.

Whatever you do, when you visit this area, make sure you download offline maps as there is very little cell service in this area!

We then headed to our next stop, Caney Creek Falls. However, once we arrived to the unmarked road, there was a gate blocking access to the road.

This waterfall is located on private property but I had read that the owners allowed access. It did appear to be closed due to the recent flooding in this area.

Tip: Read here how to access this beautiful waterfall!

After leaving here, we headed to the next waterfall on our list called Kinlock Falls.

The falls was located down a very bumpy, pot hole filled road and felt very remote!

However, once we arrived, there were a few other cars at the parking area….which by the way, is very limited!

Once parked, we walked down to the falls.

It was a very short walk from the parking lot.

Finally, we were able to see our first waterfall!

Kinlock Falls is a beautiful, cascading waterfall that drops 15 feet over a span of 20 feet.

We took a few minutes to relax and enjoy the views.

This area, the Bankhead National Forest, is known as the place of a 1000 waterfalls.

For a comprehensive list of waterfalls in this area, click here & here.

During the summer, this is a popular area for swimming and I can see why…the water is so clear!

After leaving here, we headed back to an area that was close to Parker Falls called the Randolph Trailhead. 

There was one small parking space available when we arrived.

After getting parked, we met another gentlemen that was about to start his hike and he shared his map with us so we could see which trail to take.

We were looking for an old, historic cemetery that I had read about called Johnson’s cemetery.

After looking at the map, we discovered the cemetery was located on trailhead #202.

The trail leads you through a heavily forested area.

After walking for about 25 mins, we finally arrived to the cemetery.

There are two sections of the cemetery….one was right before the white cross and one section was right after the white cross.

Both areas of the cemetery held graves that dated back to the mid to late 1800’s!

It was so weird finding a cemetery out in the middle of the woods!

Most of the dates on the headstones could not be made out as they were so old.

After leaving the cemetery, we headed back to our rental house.

Once again, we had burgers for dinner and then relaxed the rest of the evening!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 3! Update: Read Day 3 here

On my next post, I will add lots of other nearby places you can visit while you’re in this area.

Here’s the best route for the stops we did:

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post will conclude our time in Charleston and Savannah.

Tip: Charleston & Savannah are two hours from one another. Other nearby places to Savannah include Hilton Head (50 mins), Tybee Island (45 mins), Isle of Hope (20 mins) & Fort McAllister State Park (40 mins). Click here for more Forts & Museums in Savannah

Read Days 1 & 2 here, Day 3 here, Day 4 here, Day 5 here, Day 6 here & Day 7 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Once again, we started our morning with coffee in our hotel room.

We absolutely loved this hotel and I would highly recommend it!

Read reviews here

After our coffee, we headed to a nearby cafe called Collins Quarter.

I had read about their spiced lavender mocha that was supposed to be really good so I wanted to try it.

After arriving to the restaurant and being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

Their food options looked really good but we decided just to order a muffin and the spiced lavender mocha.

Both were delicious!

Read reviews here

After breakfast, we walked over to the nearby Juliette Gordon Low historic home.

The house was built in 1821 by a lawyer and Supreme Court justice.

It was sold in 1831 to William and Sarah Gordon who were the grandparents of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts of America.

On October 31, 1860, Juliette was born in this house and remained here together with her mother, sisters, grandmother, and enslaved servants during the Civil War until Savannah was occupied by Union forces in December 1864.

The house is now owned and managed by the Girl Scouts of America.

Click here to purchase tickets to tour this home & Read reviews here

After leaving here, we drove to another historic home called the gingerbread house.

This house was built in 1899 and is said to be the most photographed house in Savannah!

It has been featured in many films and publications as well as being visited by celebrities and US Presidents including Woodruff and Roosevelt.

President Woodrow Wilson, who married a woman from Savannah, tried to buy the home from the Asendorf family.

The house was used for the 1975 movie, “Bingo Long and the Traveling All Stars,” that starred Sidney Poitier, Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams and the movie, “Pals,” a 1988 movie starring George C. Scott and Don Ameche.

Today, the house is used for events and you can rent out the second and third floor rooms to stay here.

Read reviews here

After leaving here, we continued our drive and came up on the beautiful Sacred Heart Catholic Church. 

The church is located in Savannah’s Victorian disctrict.

The construction of this church began in 1902 and was finished in 1905.

The church was funded by the help of the first black nun of Georgia, Mathilda Taylor Beasley.

We then continued our drive where we passed another church.

Not sure the name of this church as I just snapped a picture as we were driving by.

Our next stop was the historic Mercer Williams House.

Construction of this house began in 1860 and was later delayed by the Civil War. It was eventually completed in 1868.

The house was built for General Hugh W. Mercer who was the great grandfather of songwriter, Johnny Mercer.

However, General Mercer sold the unfinished house to John R Wilder so, no Mercer ever actually lived in the house.

n 1969, James A. Williams, one of Savannah’s earliest and most dedicated private preservationists, bought the vacant property and began a two-year restoration of the house that would become his permanent residence. He restored more than 50 buildings during his 30-year career in historic preservation in Savannah.

The historic mansion was featured in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” featuring five centuries of artwork and antiques collected by notable historic preservationist Jim Williams.

The house gained fame due to a murder involving Jim Williams and his lover, Danny Hansford, which inspired John Berendt’s book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

See ticket prices to tour the home here and read reviews here

After leaving here, we made our way to another beautiful, historic church called the Congregation Mickve Israel.

The gothic style church was completed in 1878.

This church is the third oldest Jewish congregation in America and the first synagogue built in Georgia.

Congregation Mickve Israel was named one of the “15 Most Beautiful Synagogues in the World” by Condé Nast Traveler and rated among the “15 Best Things to Do in Savannah” by Trip Advisor.

Read reviews here

Next we spotted the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church. 

The construction for this church began in 1875 but wasn’t completed until 1890 due to the outbreak of yellow fever.

The church was built in memory of John & Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist Church.

The church, like so many in Savannah, was beautiful!

Read reviews here

It was finally time for our lunch reservation at the very popular, Olde Pink House restaurant! 

During my research, I had read that this restaurant was a must when visiting Savannah!

I had also read that you will definitely want to make reservations to guarantee that you can get in without a long wait!

So, I made our reservations before we left for our trip.

After arriving to the restaurant, we were seated right away.

As we were being taken to our table, I was taking pictures of the inside of the restaurant….it is gorgeous!!

Tip: If you want to reserve private dining for two, click here

The Olde Pink House, originally known as the Habersham House, was built in 1771. Construction was interrupted by the American Revolutionary War in the mid-1770s, but the Habersham Family eventually moved into the mansion by 1779.

Before it became a restaurant, the Olde Pink House served other purposes after the descendants of James Habersham sold it. In 1812, the building became the first bank in Georgia, called Planters Bank, and remained in service until after the Civil War.

The mansion was also used as a bookstore and an attorney’s office before it was sold to Alida Harper-Fowlkes in the 1930s.

She turned the mansion into a tea house. In the 1940s, Jim Williams — the owner of the famous Mercer-Williams House, purchased and restored the Olde Pink House.

He sold the mansion to Herschel McCallar and Jeffrey Keith in the 1970s, who added modern electricity and plumbing.

The Olde Pink House opened as a restaurant in 1971. Keith sold the property to William and Elizabeth Balish in 1992, two years after McCallar’s death. The Balish family kept the mansion running as a restaurant, and their daughter, Donna Moeckel, is the current owner of the Olde Pink House.

After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

I went with the special of the day, which was a steak, mashed potatoes and collard greens and the hubby decided on the shrimp and grits with baked macaroni and cheese.

The food and the service were impeccable!!

Read reviews here…..there’s only 16k of them! 😉

After finishing our lunch, we walked around the house to check out all of the different rooms.

We were encouraged by the staff to check out the upstairs too.

We couldn’t believe how big this place was!

The rooms were all decorated so beautifully!

We spotted a light fixture in the shape of a ship.

The upstairs also has many antiques on display.

A few more pictures of the inside.

After taking way too many pictures, we headed to our next stop.

Near the restaurant was the historic Lucas Theater.

Savannah-native and theater developer Arthur Lucas opened the Lucas Theatre Dec. 26, 1921, as part of Savannah’s grand theater district.

We passed the Davenport House Museum.

The Davenport House was built in 1820 by master builder Isaiah Davenport with the work of his enslaved laborers Ned and Davey.

He lived here with his wife and their 10 children.

The Davenport house is one of the oldest brick structures in the city and contains a total of 6,800 sq ft!

Click here to purchase tickets to tour the home & Read reviews here

Near the Davenport House was the beautiful, historic Kehoe House. 

The bed and breakfast is housed in an old, historic home that was built in 1892 by William Kehoe, a successful iron foundry owner.

The house features 13 guest rooms and multiple private and semi-private balconies.

Read reviews here

Our walk took us through Emmet Park as we headed back to our hotel to relax for a while.

Once we were back at our hotel. we headed for the balcony to watch the ships float by.

Of course, with this being our last night, we couldn’t leave without taking our pictures out on the balcony. 😉

After spending a few minutes at the hotel, we headed back out to continue our tour of Savannah. 

Our first stop was the Unitarian Universalist Church. The church was a 5 minute drive from our hotel.

The church was built in 1851. It was physically moved from Oglethorpe Square to the western side of Troup Square, a distance of a third of a mile, in 1860.

The church is known as the Jingle Bells church because, the Christmas carol “Jingle Bells” was written by the church’s music director James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893).

He copyrighted the song, with the name “The One Horse Open Sleigh”, on September 16, 1857, while he was living in Savannah.

Troup Square is small but beautiful.

This Armillary Sphere statue that is located in Troup Square, was designed in 1968 with zodiac signs around the sphere and functions as a sundial.

As we continued our walk, we passed the Andrew Low House.

The historic mansion was built in 1849 for Andrew Low, a wealthy cotton merchant from Scotland.  

It’s known for being the home of a prominent family, including Andrew’s daughter-in-law, Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts.

Read reviews here & Purchase tour tickets here 

We then passed the incredible Hamilton-Turner Inn.

The Inn was originally built in 1873 as a private residence for naval officer and prominent businessman, Samuel Pugh Hamilton.

John Berendt’s novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” made note of the raucous parties thrown by Joe Odom, who at one time managed the property.

Years later, the Inn made a cameo appearance in the Clint Eastwood-directed film of the same name starring Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.

Read reviews here

Next, was the Flannery O’Connor Childhood home.

Flannery was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries.

The home was built in 1856 and now serves as a museum.

Read reviews here 

Continuing our walk through the South Historic District.

Next, we came up on the Armstrong Kessler Mansion.

This house was incredible!

The structure was built between 1917 and 1919 for the home of Savannah magnate George Ferguson Armstrong.

The  Historic Savannah Foundation sold the Mansion to preservationist and antique dealer Jim Williams who restored it as his home.

Eventually, it was sold to a major Savannah law firm as offices. The mansion was featured in The American Architect in 1919, and listed in A Field Guide to American Houses in 1984.

The historic mansion now serves as a luxurious wedding venue.

We passed the former home of Ralston College.

The college was housed in the historic Noble Hardee mansion that was built in 1860 however, they just recently sold the historic building to an American investor who has a passion for conserving historic properties.

After this house, we walked back to our car and headed to the historic Laurel Grove Cemetery.

The cemetery first opened for burials in 1853.

It includes the original cemetery for white people (now known as Laurel Grove North) and a companion burial ground (called Laurel Grove South) that was reserved for slaves and free people of color.

The south section of the cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and the north section was added in 1983.

The cemetery has countless graves of many of Savannah’s Confederate veterans of the American Civil War. Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts is also buried here.

The cemetery is beautiful…..huge, moss covered trees were scattered throughout the cemetery!

You can either drive through or park and walk around.

We decided to park and check out some of the gravesites.

There was only one other couple here when we visited.

There were so many old and unique headstones.

Read reviews here

After spending several minutes here, we headed to the Victorian District to check out Savannah’s own Rainbow Row. 

Following the Civil War, crowded living conditions downtown and technological advances such as paved streets, a streetcar system, and electricity promoted the development of suburban residences.

When a streetcar system was installed in 1869, real estate developers followed its tracks, building inexpensive wood frame houses in the southern edges of the city.

Now called the Victorian District, this area was designated a National Register District in 1974.

The houses in this area were colorful and beautiful!

As we continued our walk, we saw so many gorgeous, historic homes!

We took tons of pictures!

We spotted the historic Bynes-Royall Funeral home.

Maj. William Royall established his coffin and cooling board company in the year of 1878 in response to the yellow fever epidemic of 1876 because blacks were dying in large numbers without a business in tact to dispose of the remains.

Bynes-Royall relocated here in 1963 and remains the oldest Black-owned business in Savannah.

Walking through the Victorian Disctrict

More beautiful homes!

After taking 987 pictures of the houses, we headed back to 0ur hotel to walk to a nearby area that looked like it had shops and restaurants.

Passing the back of our hotel

A shot of our balcony.

This area had once been the home to many old manufacturing warehouses.

They have now been converted into shops and restaurants.

It was really cool!

We spotted the old Cotton Exchange building.

The Savannah Cotton Exchange building was completed in 1887 during the era when Savannah ranked first as a cotton seaport on the Atlantic and second in the world.

In its heyday as a cotton port over two million bales a year moved through Savannah.

The cotton exchange went out of business in 1951.

The building has been home to Solomon’s Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons, since 1976. It was established by founder of the Province of Georgia, General James Oglethorpe, in 1734.

The fountain that sits in front of the building is just as beautiful!

After leaving here, we headed to dinner at the Pirate’s House. 

You will definitely want to go online and make a reservation if you want to eat here!

The Pirate’s House was first opened in 1753 as an inn for seafarers, and fast became a meeting point for pirates and sailors from the Seven Seas.

It is said to be the oldest standing structure in the state of Georgia!

The restaurant has fifteen dining rooms and can hold up to 120 guests!

Since we had reservations, we were seated as soon as we arrived.

We took a few minutes to look over the menu.

I ordered the grilled snapper with mashed potatoes and collard greens and the hubby ordered the honey pecan fried chicken with the same sides.

The food and service were both great!

Read reviews here

After dinner we headed to Leopold’s for some more of that delicious ice cream!

I had to have some more of their Lemon Custard ice cream before leaving Savannah!

It was so good!

Read reviews here

After our ice cream, we headed back to our hotel and headed to the balcony!

We loved watching all the cargo ships pass by!

The Georgia Queen Riverboat passed by….it was all light up!

This concludes our time in Charleston and Savannah!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for our next adventure in Alabama!

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time in Savannah, GA.

Read Days 1 & 2 here, Day 3 here, Day 4 here, Day 5 here & Day 6 here – Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

We started the morning with coffee in our room as we admired the beautiful views from our hotel window!

After our coffee, we headed out for the day.

We walked down to the waterfront beside our hotel.

As I had mentioned in my last post, our hotel was located right along the iconic River Street.

We spotted the Olympic Torch Sculpture.

The sculpture is a monument to Savannah’s role as host of the Yachting events of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

The cauldron that now exists with a copper “flame” as part of the monument, was lit with the original flame from Olympia, Greece, burning brightly along the bank of the Savannah River to kick off Savannah’s Opening Ceremony.

Next, we spotted the Waving Girl Statue.

The statue is a tribute to Florence Martus, who greeted ships entering Savannah by waving a cloth at approaching ships from the lighthouse on Cockspur Island, in search of her long lost lover.

Her fame spread and ships would return her greetings with a blast from the ship’s horn. Many still sound a salute to her statue.

Near the statue, we saw the Old Harbor Light.

The light was erected by the United States Lighthouse Board in 1858 to guide ships into the Savannah Harbor and avoid the six British ships, which were scuttled in 1779 to impede French and American ships during the Revolutionary War.

After walking around for a while, we left the hotel and headed to the historic district to see some of the beautiful homes located in this area.

The Historic District is the heart of Savannah and features cobblestone streets, manicured gardens, and oak-shaded parks drizzling with silvery Spanish Moss.

The largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States, Savannah contains more than twenty city squares filled with museums, churches, mansions, monuments and famous forts of the Revolutionary & Civil War eras.

The homes in this area are simply breathtaking!

Read reviews for this area here

After driving around for a while, we stopped and parked near the popular Forsyth Park. 

Spanning more than 30 acres, Forsyth Park is Savannah’s largest and oldest public park.

One of the park’s first uses was serving as a parade ground for Confederate troops drilling before mustering out to battle, which is why this spot was selected for Savannah’s memorial to Confederate soldiers.

There are several monuments scattered throughout the park.

This park is beautiful and I highly recommend that you don’t miss it when visiting Savannah!

Read reviews here

Also, located here is the park’s iconic fountain that was installed in 1858 and is today one of the most-photographed places in Savannah.

Although the fountain has become a symbol of Savannah, it isn’t unique: similar fountains can be found in Paris and Cusco, Pero (it was actually ordered from a catalog!).

The fountain was originally built to provide clean drinking water to the citizens of Savannah. During that time, yellow fever was a major epidemic in the city and access to clean water was crucial for preventing the spread of disease.

The fountain was built in 1858 and named after Governor John Forsyth. It stands at a towering height of 30 feet and features a large marble basin with four spouting decorative statues.

Click here for parks in Savannah

After taking our pictures of the fountain, we walked 2o mins to the Owens-Thomas House to purchase tickets to tour the house.

We passed gorgeous homes along the way!

Once we arrived, there was already a line to purchase tickets.

Once we made it  to the ticket booth, we were told the earliest time to tour the house wasn’t until 11:15 am ….so, we had about 45 mins to kill.

Tip: The tours start every 15 mins and are guided tours that last approx. 45 – 60 mins. The house is closed on Mon & Tues. Adult ticket prices are $30 pp.

So, we headed to a nearby cemetery called Colonial Park. It was a 2 minute walk from the Owen’s Thomas House.

Colonial Park Cemetery served as Savannah’s cemetery for more than a century and contains over nine thousand graves.

Established in 1750, by 1789 it had been expanded three times to reach its current size. Colonial Park Cemetery is approximately 6 acres in size and is located in the heart of Savannah’s Historic District.

The cemetery is the final resting place for notable figures like Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Archibald Bullock, Georgia’s first governor, and Joseph Habersham, postmaster general that served under three US Presidents, along with many others. 

The cemetery had beautiful moss covered trees scattered throughout the grounds!

Read reviews here

All of the notable gravesites are marked with a sign.

There are so many cool, old headstones located here!

The gravesite of Button Gwinnett….he died in 1777 after a duel with the governor of Georgia.

It was hard to make out most of the names on the tombstones because they were so old.

I had also read that the cemetery had become a temporary home for Union troops in 1864 and that they had damaged and defaced some of the headstones….including, altering some dates and ages!

There are nearly 700 victims (666 to be exact) of the 1820 yellow fever epidemic that were buried in a mass grave.

After spending about 30 mins walking through the cemetery, we headed back to the Owens-Thomas house to get ready for our tour.

Our tour started shortly after arriving back to the house.

We were first taken to a small room and given a brief history lesson about the house.

The Owens-Thomas House was a modern masterpiece in its day and was the first home in the United States to have running water when it was completed in 1819.

The house was built in 1816 by a wealthy shipping merchant and enslaver named Richard Richardson.The Richardsons only lived in the home for a few years after losing a lot of their wealth.

In 1830, lawyer, landholder, and enslaver George Welshman Owens purchased the property at auction for $10,000. He lived here with his wife, Sarah, their six children, and up to fourteen enslaved laborers.

Over the next 121 years, the home would continue to be owned by the Owens family until the last descendent, Margaret Gray Thomas, George Owens’s granddaughter, bequeathed the property upon her death in 1951 to the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences to be run as a house museum in honor of her grandfather, George Owens, and her father, Dr. James Gray Thomas.

The site opened to the public in 1954.

There was a “wall of names” that listed the names of the enslaved people that were owned by the Owens and Richardson families. The Owens family enslaved almost 400 people.

After a brief overview of the house and the history, we began our tour of the slave quarters.

The building contained the original slave quarters for the site.

This two-story structure was composed of three rooms on each level. About five to fourteen enslaved people, most of which were female and children or teenagers, lived and worked on the site at any given time.

These individuals worked in domestic labor duties like cooking, cleaning, washing laundry, and raising children.

The ceiling of the slave quarters is painted haint blue, which was used in Gullah culture to deter ghosts or other evil spirits.

After leaving the slave quarters, we headed outside to the gardens.

The garden occupies the space between the main house and the carriage house. This area originally functioned as a work yard, which likely included a small kitchen garden, areas to dry laundry and clean rugs, and perhaps pens and coops for small livestock and chickens.

Next, we finally entered the house.

You will first see the public spaces of the house such as the drawing room, front hall, and dining room.

These rooms were used for impressing guests and had elaborate furniture and decorations.

The furniture and decorative objects  that are displayed in the house date largely from the early to mid-19th century.

Most were produced in England or America. About one third of the objects descended in the Owens family, and many others were owned by wealthy Savannahians of the same period.

Next was the butler’s pantry.

It was huge!

This is where enslaved butlers managed not just the daily operations of upper-class homes, but also the enslaved staff that serviced them.

In addition, enslaved butlers maintained the fine silver, china, and glassware used in entertaining.

More shots of the downstair rooms

We then headed upstairs

The main foyer of the house was beautiful!

The  best part of this stairway is this elegantly arched bridgeway that connected the front and back halves of the upstairs…..so unique for this time period!

Pictures of some of the rooms upstairs

We then headed to the basement.

The basement, which retains many original components, contains the kitchen, scullery, a large cistern, and other workspaces.

These preserved spaces offer more interpretive text and material to help visitors understand the day-to-day lives of the enslaved people who lived and worked here.

Items that had been found in/around the property.

After this room, the tour ended and we headed back outside to take a few more pictures of the outside of the house.

Read reviews for the house here

From here, we headed to find something to eat.

We ended up at the TapHouse.…it was a 5 min walk from the house.

The restaurant is located in the former Avon Theater that opened in 1944 and closed in 1970.

The building still retains many historical artifacts from the theater.

After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu. 

We both ordered a burger and they were delicious!

Read reviews here 

After lunch, we continued our walk through the historic town.

We spotted a beautiful building that housed the Marshall House Hotel.

The Marshall house opened in 1851 and is one of Savannah’s oldest hotels.

It also served as a hospital during the Yellow Fever Epidemics in the mid-1800s, and as a Union hospital during the final months of the Civil War.

The Marshall House was also home to Joel Chandler Harris, author of the famous Uncle Remus Stories during the Reconstruction Period.

For economic and structural reasons, The Marshall House was closed in 1957.

However, in 1999, the hotel was extensively restored with great efforts taken to ensure the historic hotel was preserved.

The hotel has the original staircases, original wood floors, fireplaces, brick walls, the doors to each guest room, and several claw foot tubs dating back to 1880.

If you stay here, be sure to go up to the 2nd and 3rd floors to see artifacts that were found during the renovation and are on display in glass cabinets.

Read reviews here

Continuing our walk

We spotted the historic Lucas Theater. 

The theater was opened in 1921 by Savannah-native and theater developer Arthur Lucas.

The theater closed in 1976 and was restored and reopened in 2000.

We then headed inside the Aleksandra’s Gift shop to purchase a t-shirt. Y’all know we have to purchase a t-shirt and coffee cup at every place we visit! 😉

After our purchase, we headed for ice cream at the famous Leopold’s!

You can not go to Savannah without getting ice cream at Leopold’s!

Leopold’s Ice Cream was founded in 1919 by three brothers from Greece.

They had learned the art of candy and dessert making from an uncle who had already settled in America. George, Peter and Basil Leopold perfected their secret formulas and created the now world famous Leopold’s Ice Cream.

Famed lyricist Johnny Mercer grew up a block away from Leopold’s and worked at the shop as a boy.  He was a faithful customer when he was home from Hollywood.

The ice cream shop offered so many flavors that it was difficult making a decision!

I wanted to try them all!

The line for this place is usually out the door and down the sidewalk but thankfully, for us, it wasn’t too long when we arrived.

As we made our way inside the store, we noticed lots of props and photos from movies.

We later learned that after the death of one of the three brothers, Peter, his youngest son Stratton, took over the business but he later left Savannah to pursue his dream of working in Hollywood.

Stratton served as Producer on films such as Mission Impossible 3, the Sum of All Fears, The General’s Daughter, Paycheck, and Parker.

He has also worked on many other blockbuster hits during his nearly 50 years in the film industry including The Big Chill and John Carpenter’s They Live.

When Stratton is not on location with his latest film project, he can be found behind the soda fountain scooping ice cream, and washing dishes, just like when he was a kid!

Once we made it to the counter to order, I knew what I wanted….the lemon custard!

This flavor is one of the original recipes from 1919 so, I just had to try it….and I’m so glad I did because it was delicious!!

Tip: You can order their ice cream online and have it shipped to you too…however, there is a 5 pint minimum.

The hubby ordered the coffee flavor and he said it was very good!

Read the reviews here.…there are over 12k!

After eating our ice cream, we continued our walk through town.

The line at Leopold’s was now out the door and down the sidewalk!

We passed the Lutheran Church of the Ascension.

Sadly, the doors were locked so we couldn’t go in.

This church was built in 1844.

It was renovated in 1870 after decades of antebellum hostility, war and reconstruction.

Included in the remodel was a stained glass window over the altar. The window depicted the Risen Lord ascending into heaven with the disciples at his feet. It was in 1879 that the church took on the name “Ascension,” as it had become known for the beautifully crafted window.

Right next to the this church is the old Chatham County Courthouse.

The courthouse was built in 1889. It is now home to the Administrative Legislative Center.

Next, we spotted the gravesite of Tomo-Chi-Chi,

Tomo-Chi-Chi was the Chief of the Lower Creek and Yamasee Indians. He helped establish the Colony of Georgia. When he died in 1739, it was his desire to be buried in Savannah. He was buried with military honors.

Next, we headed to the incredible Cathedral of the St. John the Baptist.

If you only have time for one church in Savannah, make it this one…it’s amazing!

I was disappointed when we arrived and saw where they were doing renovations on the church….all the scaffolding definitely took away from the beauty of the church! 🙁

Construction of this church began in 1873. The structure was nearly destroyed by fire in 1898 but was rebuilt by 1899.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist was the first building in Georgia constructed of brick.

The steeples tower 207 feet in the air and the crosses add another 7 feet making a total of 214 feet!

The church is painted white and outlined with beautiful gold.accents!

The doors were open so we headed inside.

The inside features 81 stained glass windows & 16 gargoyles.

There were gorgeous murals painted all over the walls!

The altar area was so elaborate!

A few more shots of the inside

After leaving the church, we continued our walk where we stumbled upon the historic Green-Meldrim House.

The house was designed and built in 1853 at a cost of $93,000. The property’s first owner was Charles Green, a wealthy cotton merchant and grandfather of the writer Julien Green.

After the Union troops captured Savannah in 1864, Gen. Sherman occupied the house and used it as a headquarters until the end of the Civil War.

It was in this house in December 1864 that Sherman composed his famous telegram to President Lincoln, in which he communicated his desire to present to the President “as a Christmas Gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton”; the cotton belonged to Charles Green, the owner of the House.

The house was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Tip: You can tour this house – Read reviews here & Click here for more historic homes in Savannah

We then spotted the Congregation Mickve Israel. 

The church was built in 1876 and is the third oldest Jewish church in America.

It was named one of the “15 Most Beautiful Synagogues in the World” by Condé Nast Traveler and rated among the “15 BEST Things to Do in Savannah” by Trip Advisor.

Next, we came up on the old Sorrel-Weed House.

The home was built in the 1830’s for wealthy French Hatian merchant Francis Sorrel, who hosted well known guests like Robert E. Lee.

The Sorrel Weed House quickly became known as one of the most significant homes in the United States and was the first home in the State of Georgia to be designated a State landmark.

If you’re into ghost tours, this is the one to see as it’s been featured on Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, HGTV, the Travel Channel, the History Channel and more!

Read reviews here

We then decided to go find something for dinner.

On our way, we passed many other historical buildings such as the Savannah Theater.

This theater is the oldest in active use in the US.  The theater opened in Dec, 1818!

We passed the Independent Presbyterian Church.

The church was first built in 1755 but was destroyed by the great fire of 1796. It was rebuilt in 1800 but outgrew itself so a third location was built in 1817. The third church burnt down in 1889. This 4th and final church was built in 1891.

In 1885 the manse of the church served as the setting for the wedding of Ellen Louise Axson and Woodrow Wilson.

We then passed the First Baptist Church.

The construction of the church began in 1831 and was completed in 1833. This Greek Revival structure is Savannah’s oldest standing house of worship.

The church is open for tours most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.

We walked through Chippewa Square on our way to the City Market.

Chippewa Square is one of the most known squares in all of Savannah…it is right in the center of everything! It is one of 22 squares in Savannah.

Forrest Gump made Chippewa Square famous with its bench scenes, where Forrest waited for the bus. They actually used at least four fiberglass benches while filming these scenes on the square. One of which was donated to the city and moved into the Savannah History Museum.

Finally making it to the City Market (we drove here not walked….we parked at Chippewa Square. It’s a 10 min walk from the square).

Tip: You can catch a trolley tour or a carriage tour from the city market

The City Market is one of Savannah’s most popular spots for restaurants, art galleries, shopping and entertainment.

Click here for 5 things not to miss in the market & read reviews here

After arriving, we walked around for a while before deciding on where we would eat.

We spotted these huge Christmas ornaments so of course, we had to have our picture taken in front of them! 😉

We then spotted this statue of  Johnny Mercer.

Johnny was a Savannah native and a famous lyricist, composer, performer, and businessman.

He penned nearly 1,400 songs, with the most famous being Moon River. He was the co founder of Capitol Records.

He died in 1976 and is buried in the Bonaventure Cemetery.

As we continued our walk, we ran into Paula Deen’s restaurant.

Paula Deen’s flagship restaurant, The Lady and Sons, had its humble beginnings back in June 1989 when Paula started The Bag Lady out of her home.

In December 1999, The Lady and Sons was named “International Meal of the Year” by USA Today.

Johnson Square was located near the restaurant.

This square is the city’s first and largest square. It was laid out in 1733 and named after South Carolina’s colonial governor, Robert Johnson.

The square has two fountains and a 50-foot marble monument to honor General Nathanael Greene, a hero during the American Revolution. Greene died near Savannah on June 19, 1786 and was originally buried at what is now known as the Colonial Cemetery.

Some of the most magnificent buildings downtown, including City Hall, the Christ Episcopal Church and several banks surround Johnson square.

Several significant events occurred at this square including a reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and a ball for President James Monroe in 1819.

We then made it to Broughton Street where the street was lined with old, historic buildings!

So beautiful!

Click here for a great guide for things to see & do in Savannah

We then headed back to the City Market to find something to eat.

We decided on the Cafe at City Market because we had eaten enough seafood and wanted something different!

After being seated at a table outside, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

We both decided on the hot ham and Swiss sandwich with a side of potato salad.

It was so good! The potato salad was some of the best I had ever eaten!

Read reviews here

After dinner, we headed back towards our car and passed the Franklin Square.

The Franklin Square is located on the West side of the City Market.

The square was designed in 1790 in honor of Benjamin Franklin, who was an agent for Georgia in London. It was once known as “Water Tower Square,” because it was home to the city’s water supply in the mid to late 19^th century.

In the middle of the square is the Haitian Monument. The monument pays tribute to the Haitian soldiers who fought for American Independence during the Siege of Savannah in 1779.

Also while visiting Franklin Square you’ll see First African Baptist Church — which is the oldest black church in North America.

Established in 1777, this important congregation has a fascinating history . The original baptismal pool, light fixtures and pipe organ are original to the church building.

Walking back through the City Market.

It was really pretty at night with the Christmas decorations and lights!

After leaving here, we headed to a place called, Mate Factor to have coffee.

The cafe serves organic coffee, pastries and sandwiches.

After looking over the menu, I decided to order a coffee that my sister had raved about called, the Old St Joe’s.

It was a special blend of mate, coffees, and spices with agave and steamed milk.

I went and grabbed us a table while the hubby ordered his coffee.

I loved the atmosphere of this place…it was really quiet and cozy!

My hubby showed with two Old St Joe’s coffee and a dessert!

We love our sweet rolls! 😉

Read reviews here

After leaving here, we headed back to our hotel and spent some time on our balcony watching the ships float by.

Later we called it a night!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 8!

Click here for links to all of my blog posts

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time in Charleston & Savannah.

This morning, we checked out of our hotel and headed to Savannah where we would be spending the next 3 nights.

On our way to Savannah, we had a couple of places on our list to stop at along the way.

Tip: From Charleston to Savannah is a 2 hour drive

One of those places was the Angel Oak Tree.

Tip: Before heading to Angel Oak Tree, make the Old Sheldon Church Ruins your first stop…sadly, we missed this stop and I’m still upset about it! 🙁 Read reviews here

Unfortunately, the site was closed when we arrived because it was New Years Day and they are closed on holidays.

As many as 400,000 people visit this old oak tree every year. The tree is free to visitors but donations are accepted.

The Angel Oak tree is considered to be the largest Live Oak Tree east of the Mississippi estimating to be 300 to 400 years old!

The tree is 65 feet high with a circumference of 25.5 feet, shading an area of 17,000 square feet.

Pictures can never do this tree any justice….it’s enormous!

Read reviews here

Tip: The tree is located down a very bumpy, pot hole filled road!

After leaving the tree, we continued our drive to our next stop called Wormhole State Historic Site.

This is a very popular site because of its tree covered path.

Once we arrived, we made a quick stop at the original entrance to this historic site.

From here. you can take pictures of the tree covered avenue if you don’t want to pay to go inside.

After taking a few pictures, we headed to the main entrance to purchase our tickets.

Tip: Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for seniors, $5.75 for youth ages 6-17 and $3.25 for children under 6. The site is open Mon – Sun from 9 am – 4:45 pm.

Inside the visitor’s center you will find a few gift items as well.

A map of the small park

They had a small model of what the plantation used to look like.

After purchasing our tickets, we headed outside and began our walk to the tree covered avenue.

The breathtaking avenue sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss leads to the tabby ruins of Wormsloe, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702–1775).

Tip: It’s a long walk to the ruins so if you don’t want to walk, they have small trams that you can ride.

Jones was a carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the first group of settlers from England. Wormsloe’s tabby ruin is the oldest standing structure in Savannah.

Jones went on to serve the colony as a doctor, constable, Indian agent, Royal Councilor and surveyor, laying out the towns of Augusta and New Ebenezer.

He also commanded a company of marines charged with defending the Georgia coast from the Spanish.

Jones died at the beginning of the American Revolution, but his descendants sustained Wormsloe until the state of Georgia acquired most of the property in 1973.

We decided not to walk to the ruins but the $12 was definitely worth seeing these beautiful, moss covered trees!

I think I took 786 pictures of the trees! 😉

Read reviews here 

After leaving here, we continued our drive.

Our next stop was the very popular, Bonaventure Cemetery. 

The cemetery is located in Savannah.

Tip: For $36 pp, you can do a tour of the cemetery 

Arriving to the entrance gate

The cemetery is located on the former site of Bonaventure Plantation, originally owned by Colonel John Mullryne.

In 1846, Commodore Josiah Tattnall III sold the 600-acre plantation and its private cemetery to Peter Wiltberger. The first burials took place in 1850, and three years later, Peter Wiltberger himself was entombed in a family vault

In 1867, John Muir began his Thousand Mile Walk to Florida and the Gulf. In October, he stayed in this cemetery for six days and nights, sleeping upon graves.

He found the cemetery breathtakingly beautiful and inspiring and wrote a lengthy chapter upon it, “Camping in the Tombs”.

The cover photograph for the best-selling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, taken by Jack Leigh, featured a sculpture of a young girl, the so-called Bird Girl, that had been in this cemetery. It has since been moved to a museum.

The cemetery is 160 acres so it is huge!

You can either park and walk around or you can drive through the cemetery.

We parked and walked around for about an hour! We didn’t plan on staying this long but there were so many unique headstones and statues ….some dating back to the early 1800’s!

The cemetery is adorned with centuries old Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss and hundreds of Azaleas!

Tip: Click here & here to see notable figures that are buried in this cemetery

The cemetery’s prominence grew when it was featured in the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and in the subsequent movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the book.

Some of the headstones we saw

As we were leaving, we saw this grave that was enclosed in a wrought iron fence.

After researching it, I’ve discovered that it’s the grave of Noble Jones who was the owner of the Wormssloe Plantation. He died in 1775 at the age of 73.

There are three burial sites associated with Wormsloe Plantation founder Noble Jones(1702-1775). Bonaventure Cemetery is his third—and final—resting place.

Jones was originally buried at Wormsloe Plantation in 1775 with his wife, Sarah. At some point, their graves were moved into Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery.

With rumors that Colonial Park was going to close, Jones’ was moved a third time to Bonaventure Cemetery.

Read reviews for the cemetery here

After leaving here, we headed to Fort Pulaski National Monument but sadly, it too was closed due to the holiday.

Read reviews here 

So, we headed to our next stop, the Tybee Island Lighthouse. 

Well, guess what? It was closed too!

However, we were still able to take pictures and walk around and read the informational plaques.

The lighthouse on Tybee was one of the first public structures in Georgia. It was completed in 1736.

However, the first and second lighthouses were destroyed by storms. This lighthouse was rebuilt in 1773.

The lighthouse stands 145 ft tall and is the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. In fact, it’s one of the most intact historic lighthouses remaining in America to this day.

You can visit the lighthouse and museum for $14 pp for adults and includes admission to the complete Tybee Island Light Station and the Tybee Museum in Battery Garland.

Tip: The lighthouse and museum is closed on Tuesdays

Click here for 10 reasons you should visit this beautiful lighthouse & read reviews here

Next to the lighthouse is Battery Garland and Museum.

Fort Screven’s Battery Garland served as the gun battery and magazine for a 12-inch long-range gun.

The room that formally stored over six hundred-pound projectiles and two hundred-pound bags of gun powder, now serves as the Tybee Island Museum.

In 1950, the Tybee Island Museum opened its doors and now exhibits more than 400 years of Tybee Island history.

Fort Screven played an important part in the history of our country, including the Spanish American War of 1898, World War I and World War II.

There were lots of informative plaques scattered around the outside of the fort.

Read reviews here & Click here for things to do in Tybee Island

After leaving here, we drove down a very narrow road to take a picture of another lighthouse called Cockspur Lighthouse. 

The lighthouse was built in 1855 after the first lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane.

It is no longer open to visitors but you can kayak out to it.

After getting our pictures, we headed into the town of Tybee Island but stopped for a quick picture in front of the town’s sign!

After our picture, we headed to the Tybee Pier & Pavilion. 

The pier is huge and had lots of picnic tables, snack bars, vendors & restrooms.

Click here for a great restaurant near the pier

We walked to the end of the pier …

We saw lots of people fishing off the pier. It is free to fish from the pier but you must first purchase a fishing license. 

After walking the pier, we decided to head down to the beach.

Read reviews here 

The water here looked more like lake water and there were no waves!

I would not swim here either lol…the water and sand were nasty looking!

After walking the beach for a while, we headed into Savannah to have dinner.

Read reviews here 

My hubby had a place on the list called the Dockside Seafood Bar & Grill.

The restaurant is located on the iconic River Street. 

After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

I settled on the shrimp po boy and the hubby ordered his usual burger.

The food was delish!

Read reviews here

After dinner, we walked down River Street. 

Along this historic street you will find lots of neat shops and an old cobblestone road that dates back 200 years!

River Street was created in 1834 as trade increased, and it was cobbled with ballast stones discarded by ships.

There’s a lot of history that surrounds this waterfront.

From here, you can also see the beautiful Talmadge Memorial Bridge ..

The bridge was built in 1991 and replaced the original bridge that was built in 1953.

This is also where you would board the beautiful Georgia Queen Riverboat.

Click here for a riverboat & trolley tour package & here for a 1.5 hr sightseeing cruise

Read reviews for the riverboat here

As we were walking along the river front, we spotted the Savannah Candy Kitchen and decided to go check it out.

I was in chocolate heaven!

They had everything you could imagine and I wanted one of each! 😉

They even had free tastings of their famous pralines…so good!

After spending several mins trying to decide what to order, we finally made our picks!

I always get anything with chocolate and caramel!

Read reviews here

Next, we walked in the Coastal Christmas Store.

They had all kinds of beautiful Christmas trees and cool Christmas ornaments!

After this store, we continued our walk.

I spotted a map of Savannah along with the stops that the trolleys make.

We stopped inside a souvenir shop to find a tshirt…

My hubby found the perfect shirt 😉

After walking the full length of the riverwalk, we headed to our hotel.

Unbeknownst to us, it was connected to these stores on River Street so we just had to drive around to the front of the building!

We decided to stay at the Olde Harbour Inn because it was one of the few hotels in Savannah that offered free parking!

The hotel is housed in a converted 1892 warehouse that still has many of its original architectural features intact, such as exposed brick and beam ceilings.

After getting checked in, we checked out the gathering room.

Here you will find complimentary coffee, water, sodas and nightly wine and hors d’oeuvres.

We then headed to our room.

I had booked room 408….it was a 2 bedroom suite with a balcony.

It was huge and beautiful!

It had 970 sq ft with a wet bar that included a microwave, mini fridge and coffee pot along with complimentary coffee and water, a king size bedroom, living room and an upstairs that had a queen bed with another television.

They even stocked your refrigerator with free ice cream!

We had a huge closet that included extra pillows and two bath robes!

The bathroom was also huge and included tons of towels, tissues, bath amenities and more!

We then headed to the balcony where we had incredible views of the river!

Our balcony was right above River Street.

As we were sitting on our balcony, a huge cargo ship came floating by…it was so cool!

A little while later, we tried out some of our chocolate from Savannah’s Candy Kitchen.

It was so good!

Later, we called it a night!

Read reviews for the hotel here

Thanks for reading!

Read Days 1 & 2 here, Day 3 here, Day 4 here & Day 5 here

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time in Charleston, SC.

Read Days 1 & 2 here, Day 3 here, Day 4 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

We started our morning at the historic city market.

In 1788, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney gave this land to the City of Charleston for the express use as a public market, and he stipulated that the land must remain in use as a market for perpetuity.

The market and its sheds were built between 1804 and the 1830s. These sheds originally housed meat, vegetable, and fish vendors; each booth rented for $1.00 per day, or $2.00 if the booth had a slab of marble used to keep the meat or fish cold.

The Charleston City Market, recognized as one of the oldest in the country, is part of a permanent exhibit entitled “Life in Coastal South Carolina c. 1840” at the American History Museum of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

You can’t visit Charleston without making a stop at the City Market!

The building is so beautiful!

Heading inside

Part of the market is enclosed

Inside you will find the nicer gift shops.

Our first stop was a place I had read about during my research called, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit.

My hubby loves biscuits so we had to try them out!

All of their biscuits are homemade and made on site.

They offered several kinds of flavored biscuits as well as biscuit sandwiches.

I ordered 3 different flavored biscuits for $6 and the hubby opted for a sausage, egg & pimento cheese biscuit for $9.95.

After getting our food, we found a nearby table inside the market.

The biscuits were so good!

Read reviews here

After breakfast, we headed outside to the open air section of the market.

You will find some pretty unique gifts in the market….like these painted bricks!

And these beautiful hand woven baskets!

Walking through the market

Near the market is the historic US Customs building.

Construction for this building began in 1852, but was interrupted in 1859 due to costs and the possibility of South Carolina’s secession from the Union.

After the Civil War, construction was restarted in 1870 and completed in 1879. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1974.

You will also find horse carriage rides offered from this location.

We had looked into a private ride but it was going to cost over $300 so we passed!

We decided to head back inside the market to look for a t-shirt since today would be our last day in Charleston before moving on to Savannah, GA.

I purchased a t-shirt for me and my daughter but the hubby didn’t find anything that he liked so we headed to another nearby store at the French Quarter Inn & Shops.

After looking for a few minutes, he finally found something he liked…..he’s so picky! 😉

After purchasing our shirts, we headed to a very popular restaurant to have lunch.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived to Hyman’s Seafood restaurant.

The Hyman family has been at this same location for over 134 years. The Hymans first started out as a wholesale dry goods store and then in 1987, changed to Hyman’s Seafood.

The restaurant is now ran by the 5th generation of Hyman brothers.

Since we arrived around 11:15, we were seated right away.

Usually, the line is out the door and down the sidewalk!

We took a few minutes to look over the menu.

We decided to order the crab cake as a stater and it was delicious!

Since we had eaten breakfast, we weren’t overly hungry so we decided to order the Fisherman’s Feast and share it.

And we are so glad we made this decision….it was so much food!

The food and service were top notch!!

Read reviews here 

After lunch, we headed back towards the city market.

On the way, we passed Crabby Jack’s General Store so decided to check it out.

After looking around the store, we continued our walk.

We passed the Andrew Pinckney Inn along the way.

After getting back to our car, we headed to our next stop, Folly Beach. 

Click here for the best things to do in Folly Beach

After arriving to Folly Beach, our first stop was the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve.

The Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve played a significant role in the Civil War and was also used throughout the twentieth century by the US Coast Guard.

It is the perfect spot for viewing the Morris Island Lighthouse, surf fishing, beachside strolls, wildlife observation, and photography.

After finding parking, which was not easy, we made the short walk to the beach.

The walkway is covered in graffiti and it’s encouraged!

Arriving to the beach

Although you will be able to see the Morris Island Lighthouse, you can only access it by tour.

The lighthouse was completed in 1876 and stands 161 feet in height and cost $149,993.50 to build.

The water here is a murky brown and had no waves…..it looked more like lake water than sea water!

As we walked along the beach, we noticed lots of dead trees and driftwood scattered all over the beach.

Some of the trees were still standing!

It made for some really cool pictures!

After checking out the trees, we headed to a nearby rock jetty and relaxed for a while.

Later, we headed back to our car and headed to the Folly Beach Pier. 

The pier stretches 1,049 feet into the sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and is 25 feet wide and 22 feet above sea level.

At the pier, you will find rod rentals, a gift & tackle shop, restaurant, ice cream, snacks, and more!

As we were walking the pier, we spotted dolphins swimming near the pier!

The water and the sand at this beach are both brown and not very appealing to the eyes!

I would not swim here!

After walking to the end of the pier, we decided to walk down to the beach.

As we were waking on the beach, we noticed lots of starfish along the water’s edge.

We also spotted some kind of slimy pink blob that looked kind of like a snail …not sure what it was!

There were thousands of them!

After spending a few minutes walking the beach, we decided to head to the small town of Folly Beach to walk around.

After getting parked, we spotted the Pineapple Hut that sold pineapple whip so we just had to try some!

They offered several different options and I really wanted the Paradise Whip because it was served in a pineapple but sadly, they had just ran out of pineapples so I opted for the chunky whip….this as a cup of pineapple whip that was layered with pineapple chunks.

The hubby settled on just a cup of the pineapple whip instead.

It was so good!

Read reviews here.….they also have a location in downtown Charleston.

After finishing our pineapple whip, we decided to head back to Charleston.

Tip: It was New Years Eve and Folly Beach was having a parade but we decided not to stick around for it

Once we arrived back to Charleston, we headed back over towards Battery Park to walk along the  promenade to watch the sunset.

As we were walking along the seawall, we spotted the USS Hobson Memorial. 

The memorial commemorates one of the worst naval disasters in US history — the collision of the USS Hobson (a destroyer) with the much larger USS Wasp (an aircraft carrier).

The Hobson was essential cut in two  — killing 176 sailors. The Hobson, was built in the North Charleston Naval Yard and had also been based in Charleston. The stones around the monument were brought in from the 38 home states of the men who died.

We spotted the Two Meeting Street Inn.

The inn is housed in a refurbished 1890’s Queen Anne Victorian mansion.

We also saw the Williams Mansion.

The mansion is Charleston’s largest private residence. You can tour this house but it was temporarily closed when we were there

After walking around for a while, we decided to head back to Sullivan’s Island to have dinner at the Wreck restaurant. 

We had enjoyed it so much the first time we ate here, we decided to eat here again.

After being seated, we looked over the menu.

However, we decided to order what we had eaten the first time, the seafood platter, because it was so good!

Read reviews here

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and called it a night!

It was New Year’s Eve but we couldn’t find anything going on except at restaurants and bars and that was nothing we were interested in.

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 6!

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Tips:

For the best shopping in Charleston, don’t miss King Street

For best tours click here

Click here and here for the best bachelorette party itineraries

For the best bachelorette photographer click here

For the best bachelorette party guide click here & here

Click here for a picnic on the beach

Click here for boat tours at Folly Beach

Click here to rent a canoe ride at Cypress Gardens – this is where that iconic scene in “The Notebook” where Noah and Allie are surrounded by swans was filmed

Click here for 31 unique things to do in Charleston

Click here for food tours in Charleston

Click here for ghost tours in Charleston

Click here for best restaurants in Charleston

Click here for the best hotels in Charleston

Click here for the best spas in Charleston

To have your hotel or AirBnb decorated for your special occasion, Click here & here

For a chocolate and wine tour, click here & here

Click here for 56 fun & unusual things to do in Charleston

Click here for best places for ice cream

Click here for tickets to the Aquarium

Click here for tickets to the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Click here for tickets to the Center for Birds of Prey

Click here for a Charleston Harbor tour

Click here for tickets for a sightseeing dolphin cruise on a Schooner boat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time in Charleston, SC.

Read Days 1 & 2 here and Day 3 here, Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Today, we would be touring a plantation home.

This is a very popular thing to do when visiting Charleston and there are several to choose from!

Click here for the most popular tours in Charleston

We had initially planned on visiting the Boone Hall Plantation but after finding out that the home was a reproduction, we decided to visit Middleton Place instead.

Boone Hall is very popular however and you will hear and see a lot about it on blog posts and even walking around downtown Charleston. I visited years ago with my daughter and we enjoyed it but I wanted something more authentic.

Boone Hall does have the tree covered canopy that seems to be a big draw and the original slave homes. The property is also really pretty. So, do your own research when trying to decide.

Read reviews for Boone Hall here & click here for Magnolia Plantation, another popular one

On the way to Middleton, we crossed over the incredible Ravenel bridge .

The bridge opened in 2005 and has a main span of 1,546 feet. It is the third longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.

The drive took us along beautiful tree covered roads.

There are two other plantations located on this road that are very close to Middleton….they are, Drayton Hall & Magnolia Plantation. Some people will visit all three in one day.

Drayton Hall has the original plantation home from the 1700’s. You can tour the house but it is empty.  You can purchase tickets here and read reviews here.

Arriving to Middleton Place Plantation

After getting parked, we headed to the ticket booth to purchase our tickets. 

Tickets are $32 for ages 14 yrs old and up. If you purchase them online, they are $29 pp.

Admission to the plantation includes access to 65 acres of formal landscaped Gardens, a look at 18th and 19th century plantation life with exhibits, displays, artisans and historic animal breeds in the Stableyards, and parking. It also includes 3 different tours that are given throughout the day.

After purchasing our tickets, we were given a map with a description of the property.

Also, near the ticket booths are informative signs about the plantation.

Middleton Place was the home of Henry Middleton who was the governor of SC and Minister to Russia.

For 125 years, the property was the family seat of four successive generations of Middletons who played important roles in American History.

His son, Arthur Middleton, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Making our way towards the plantation home.

The first thing you will see on your walk from the ticket booth, is the beautiful pond.

The pond was surrounded by gorgeous, moss covered oak trees.

We spotted two swans near the pond.

This wall, like many of the gardens and buildings on this plantation were built by enslaved people.

We passed this informational plaque that showed what the plantation looked like before the main residence and one of the other buildings, were burned down by Federal forces in 1865.

The only building left on the property…..it became the residence after the main residence was burned down.

Walking the garden

Middleton Place is America’s Oldest Landscaped Gardens.

The original gardens contained walkways or allées, which were planted with trees and shrubs, trimmed to appear as green walls that partitioned off small galleries, green arbors and bowling greens.

The Gardens, which Henry Middleton envisioned and began to create in 1741, reflect the grand classic style that remained in vogue in Europe and England into the early part of the 18th century.

The azaleas were in full bloom

Governor Henry Middleton, Arthur’s son, planted camellias and introduced additional plant material, including tea olives and crepe myrtles.

Williams Middleton expanded the Gardens, incorporating romantic garden influences, and brought azaleas to the plantation – now over 100,000 in number.

In the early 20th century, Heningham Lyons Ellett Smith, wife of Middleton, restored the landscape that had been largely neglected for nearly six decades following the Civil War.

Her efforts led the Garden Club of America to describe Middleton Place in 1940 as the “most important and interesting garden in America.” It remains so to this day.

At the end of one of the walkways, we discovered the grave of Arthur Middleton and his wife, Mary.

Arthur died from an unknown fever in 1787.

Shots of the beautiful grounds

Middleton Place is located along the Ashley River…..it was just one of 20 plantations owned by the Middleton family.

Tip: A scene from the movie, The Patriot, that starred Mel Gibson was filmed at the plantation. Scarlett, the 1994 TV mini series, was also filmed at Middleton Place. Scarlett is a sequel to Gone With the Wind.

The views along the river were so beautiful!

The walkway was lined with gorgeous, moss covered oak trees!

We passed the old rice fields where enslaved people would grow rice.

At its peak, the rice plantation was 7,000 acres in size.

Near the banks of the river is the old Mill.

The mill was built in 1851 by Williams Middleton and later used as a storage building for crops.

It now houses a few historical items and watercolors painted by Alice Raven Huger Smith which depicts the stages of rice cultivation in the South Carolina Low Country during the 1850’s.

As we continued our walk, we spotted a sign that pointed to the Inn at Middleton Place. If you stay at the inn, you get free admission to the planation.

Continuing our walk

The grounds were just breathtakingly beautiful!

We came up on a small wooden bridge along the path.

From the bridge, we spotted another historic building.

Look at these trees!

The views from the bridge were picture perfect!

My hubby found the perfect seat to take it all in 😉

There’s no telling how old some of these trees were!

As we continued our walk, we spotted a sign for the burial grounds of some of the enslaved people that worked on the planation.

The burial sites were those of John Johnston who died in 1859 and was a house servant and Edward Brown who died in 1851.

After leaving the burial site, we made our way to the stable yards. 

Here you will get a glimpse of 18th and 19th century working plantation life where skilled enslaved artisans made tools, pottery, clothing and tended an array of livestock.

Nearby was this old gas pump….how cool!

The stable yards have volunteers that recreate the work that used to be done by slaves…one of the buildings showcased textiles.

In this room, wool from sheep and cotton and linen were spun by a spinner into yarn to make cloth, while walnut hulls, indigo, Spanish moss, ragweed, and wild berries provided dye for the yarn.

There was a barn full of old horse buggies that dated back to the 1800’s!

There was the old stable that was used to house horses and other animals.

They still have horses and sheep on the property.

There was the blacksmith building where nails, hinges, hoes, rakes, picks, and other tools were made.

A shot of some of the buildings in the stable yards.

We then headed to Eliza’s House.

The house was named for its last resident, Eliza Leach. The building opened as a house museum for visitors in 1991.

The house is a Reconstruction-era African American freedman’s dwelling containing a permanent exhibit on slavery entitled Beyond the Fields.

Based on extensive research over the course of a decade, the exhibit documents the story of slavery, in South Carolina and at Middleton Place itself. Named for its last resident.

Shots of the inside

We then headed to take pictures of the main house.

This was not the original home…..like I had mentioned earlier, the original home was looted and burnt down in 1865.

The original home was built in 1705 and was three stories ….this building, along with another building, was later added in 1755.

This building was originally used as a business office and guest quarters for gentlemen but later turned into the primary residence after their home was burned down.

The house is now a museum and you can tour the house for an additional $15 pp.

Nearby, are the remnants of the main house and the other building that was used for a library.

Both were completely destroyed by the fires but their remaining walls were leveled in 1886 by an earthquake.

Williams Middleton restored the remaining building in 1870 and it remained a family residence for over a century. The house was opened as a museum in 1975.

From here, we headed to the historic building that we had spotted earlier from the wooden bridge.

We soon discovered that it was the plantation chapel.

During the 1830’s, many plantation owners used slave carpenters to build chapels on their property. The chapels ranged from elaborate to simple, plastered wood framed buildings.

Slaves worshipped in these chapels

Beneath the chapel was the old spring house where slaves would collect water.

Near the chapel was a massive, old live oak tree!

A shot of the back of the house

At this point, it was 11:00 am and we were getting hungry…so, we decided to eat at the restaurant located at the plantation.

After getting seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

Tip: If you would like to have a picnic lunch on the grounds, you can call the restaurant 24 hrs in advance and place your order. It’s $60 for two people.

We were seated in a room that was surrounded by glass windows so we had really nice views of the grounds.

I decided on the crab roll with fries and the hubby had the pulled pork with Mac and cheese and collard greens.

The food was incredible! We were definitely pleasantly surprised as we weren’t expecting much!

Read reviews here

After lunch, we decided to purchase tickets to tour the house but the earliest ticket was 1:15 so we had to kill some time before our tour so, we continued our walk around the grounds.

Tip: I highly recommend you purchase your tickets of the house when you arrive so you can pick your own time …the tickets also sell out quickly.

We made our way to the butterfly lakes.

These lakes are the most elaborate garden feature at Middleton Place…the lakes are shaped like a butterfly.

With the help of an English gardener and a sizable crew, Middleton created a formal lawn bisected with a gravel carriageway leading to six shaped turf terraces with bowed centers.

We then spotted another huge, live oak tree.

The oak tree is estimated to be between 900 and 1000 years old!!

At the beginning of the 21st century, the tree lost three of its huge limbs.

As we continued along the pathways in the garden, we happened upon a statue that had been placed in the garden many years ago.

There were actually many statues scattered throughout the gardens.

We then spotted another huge tree!

The tree was literally growing sideways over the walking path!

Continuing our walk through the gardens

We came up on the cypress gardens.

Cypress trees were growing all along the banks of this pond.

After a few minutes of walking, we made our way back towards the house for our tour.

After listening to a brief history lesson about the house, we were handed a pamphlet and led inside the house.

As I mentioned earlier, the house was built in 1755 and is not the original plantation home.

Tip: One of the bricks on the house has the initials of Middleton and the year 1755…sadly, we didn’t know this until after we got home and I started writing this blog post

The roof was added in 1868, after the original roof was destroyed when Union soldiers burned the property.

The house is a two-story structure with a gabled roof. An 18-foot service wing was added to the south side of the house in the 1930s.

The first floor of the house originally contained a parlor, living room, and dining room, while the second floor contained three bedrooms.

The interior of the house has been outfitted with original furniture.

Tip: This is a self guided tour

The house included a collection of original portraits, furniture, silver, china, documents and other objects that belonged to and were used by family members.

We started in the breakfast room area.

This area included lots of original paintings, London made silver and a pre-revolutionary breakfast table made by Thomas Elfe.

In 1941, Elanor Roosevelt toured the gardens at Middleton Place.

Next was the formal dining area

We spotted this old gun in a glass case…how cool!

Next, we headed upstairs and saw the children’s bedroom.

The bedroom included original clothing and toys from the Middleton family.

Next was the bedroom of Mrs. Middleton.

In this room was a framed 1823 engraving of John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence that was originally painted in 1817. The painting depicts the moment on June 28, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress.

Next was the room of Mr Middleton

The next room was set up as a small museum that displayed original paintings and items that belonged to the Middleton family.

As we headed back downstairs to exit the house, there was a small display case that displayed more items that belonged to the family.

After spending about 30 mins touring the house, we headed to our next stop, the Battery. 

After getting parked, we took a few pictures of the incredible houses in this area.

The Battery is a landmark defensive seawall and promenade that is famous for its stately antebellum homes.

In 1838, this area of the Battery, known as High Battery, became a promenade. First used as a public park in 1837, the area now known as White Point Garden became a place for artillery during the American Civil War.

The battery was built to defend the city from enemies so you will find several memorials placed in the park.

Tip: Near here, you can take a boat to tour Ft Sumter & Ft Moultrie 

This area is also covered with tons of beautiful old oak trees!

After checking out the war memorials, we walked along the promenade and admired all of the gorgeous old mansions!

In this area is where you will find the Charles Drayton house.

The houses in this are not to be missed!

They are so incredible…It’s hard to believe that houses like this were built so many years ago.

As we were walking, a horse carriage tour passed by….these are very popular in Charleston.

The cost is $50 pp or you can book a private tour from $375-500. They also offer combo tours that include a harbor tour. 

As we continued our walk through the beautiful, historic town, we spotted this gorgeous old building.

This building was first opened in 1866 as State Bank of South Carolina. 

It has survived bombardment, hurricanes and a major earthquake. The building has almost been continuously occupied since the city’s founding over 300 years ago.

We walked along the old cobblestone roads and spotted the old Slave Mart Museum.

In Charleston, enslaved African Americans were customarily sold in the open area north of the Old Exchange building at Broad and East Bay Streets.

This is the only known building used as a slave auction site in South Carolina still in existence.

Auctions of the enslaved ended in November 1863.

Read reviews for the museum here

Next, we spotted the Pink House.

Built between 1694 and 1712, it’s said to be the oldest standing tavern building in the South.

The tile roof dates to the eighteenth century and the house was constructed of ‘Bermuda stone which is naturally pink.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without taking our pictures in front of this historic house!

Continuing our walk

We stumbled upon Washington Square Park along our walk.

Located in the historic district, it was one of the first public parks in the city.

The park was known as City Hall Park until 1881 when it was renamed in honor of George Washington. 

There are a number of historical monuments and statues in the park.

Continuing our walk

We passed the Berlin’s Clothing store that has been in business since 1883!!

We then spotted the John Rutledge House.

The house was built in 1763 by John Rutledge for he and his wife.

Rutledge had many political positions in his career …he was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

He holds the record for the shortest tenure of any chief justice. His was the first Supreme Court nomination to be rejected by the Senate, and he remains the only “recess appointed” justice not to be subsequently confirmed by the Senate.

The home is now a bed and breakfast.

Next we came up on the incredible Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.

The church was built in 1890 after the first church that was built here in 1854, burned down.

The doors were opened so we decided to head inside and check it out.

The church, like most catholic churches, was very elaborate.

It had lots of stained glass windows.

The pews are Flemish oak, and the three original altars are of white Vermont marble.

The lower church includes a crypt where Bishop England (with his sister, Joanna) and four other Charleston bishops are buried.

After checking out the inside, we headed back outside to take more pictures of the outside.

The church was built from tool-chiseled brownstone.

I walked around the back of the church to take pictures.

It just amazes me how something this elaborate was built so many years ago!

After leaving the church, we continued our walk.

On our walk, we passed many historic homes and buildings.

We passed the Miles Brewton House.

This house was built in 1765 and owned by Miles Brewton who was a revolutionary patriot.

We passed one of the earliest wooden houses in Charleston.

It was built of black cypress and was standing in 1755 but could possibly have been constructed as early as 1721.

As we continued our walk, we passed more incredible homes!

After spending a couple of hours checking out the beautiful historic homes, we headed to Sullivan’s Island to have dinner at Poe’s Tavern.

The restaurant had been recommended to us by the employee at our hotel. He said they had great burgers so, of course, that’s all my hubby needed to hear! He loves a good burger.

After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

I ordered the fish tacos and the hubby ordered his usual, a burger.

The food and service were great!

Read reviews here 

After dinner, we walked a nearby path to the beach to watch the sunset.

The sunset was absolutely gorgeous!

After spending a few minutes on the beach, we headed back to our room and called it a night!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 5.

Read Days 1 & 2 here & Day 3 here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

This morning we woke up to a rainy day but we didn’t let that stop us from sticking to our itinerary!

We started our morning with breakfast at a nearby restaurant called, the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Mt Pleasant, SC.

After getting seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

We both decided on the flying biscuit breakfast that came with eggs, bacon or sausage, grits or potatoes and a biscuit.

The food and the service were great!

Read reviews here

After breakfast, we headed to our next stop of the day which took us through downtown Charleston.

Our first stop of the day would be the Nathaniel Russell House.

Tip: The house is open for tours on Mon from 1-4 and Tues-Sun from 10-4 and tickets are $16 for adults and $7 for children….6 and under are free.  Click here to download an app that will give you an audio tour of the house and other historic places in Charleston.

The Nathaniel Russell House was built in 1808 and is a National Historic Landmark.

Entering the house

Nathaniel Russell was a merchant and slave trader who lived in this house with his wife and two daughters.

One of the most unique features of this house is the free floating staircase.

The house has been restored to as much as possible to its 1808 appearance through the application of forensic analysis and cutting-edge conservation technology.

Today, this house is one of the most important Neoclassical houses in the United States – the magnificent mansion cost Nathaniel over $60,000 to complete.

The dining room

This room is the first of three oval rooms in the house.

The dining room hosted elaborate dinners served by enslaved butlers.

The next room was the back parlor…this room was designed for private family use.

The grandest rooms in the house are located on the second floor beginning with the oval withdrawing room.

The room had lots of decorative elements such as the faux painted walls and orange cornices.

The next room, the bed chamber, served as the bedroom of Mrs Russell.

The bedroom was so beautiful!

The next room was the decorative arts gallery where it housed a rotating gallery.

Walking through the house

We spotted this chair which was a reproduction of a “toilet”.

Shots of the beautiful staircase

More shots of the house

The next room we entered was the kitchen house where enslaved cooks would prepare meals.

This part of the house had not been restored.

Nearby was the laundry room

There were display cases in this room that showcased some of the items that were discovered in this room.

And the quarters of the enslaved people

Next, we headed outside to check out the gardens.

This garden is now a 20th century garden however, when the Russells lived here it would have been laid out a bit differently.

The front portion of this large double lot was laid out in formal gardens while the back of the lot was used as a work yard, kitchen garden and stable yard.

The house was amazing and we really enjoyed our visit!

Read reviews here

After touring the house, we walked around the nearby area checking out some of the buildings and old cemeteries.

We spotted the First Scots Presbyterian Church that was founded in 1731.

The church is the fifth oldest church in Charleston and was constructed in 1814. The massive brick Presbyterian Church has walls that are three feet thick and covered with stucco.

The church is one of more than 1400 historically significant buildings within the Charleston Old and Historic District.

Next to the church is the graveyard that contains more than 50 stones that date earlier than 1800.

Walking through the many old cemeteries in Charleston, is a very popular thing to do as there are many historic people buried here.

And, not to mention, the headstones are so ornate and beautiful!

This graveyard wasn’t very big so we were able to walk through pretty quickly.

We spotted this headstone that was headless.

Across from the church and graveyard was a gorgeous old home that was adorned with a Santa’s hat!

As we continued our walk through Charleston, we made our way to another nearby church called St. Michaels. 

We passed a few historic homes along the way.

Arriving to the church

St Michaels church is the oldest church building in Charleston.

The cornerstone for the existing building was laid in 1752 and the building opened in 1761. It has remained largely unchanged for its 260-plus years.

Next to the church is the graveyard where two signers of the US Constitution and other notable people are buried.

Thankfully, the gates were open when we arrived, so we headed inside the cemetery to check it out.

Tip: The church and cemetery are open to the public: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday; and Sunday for services only at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Shots of the cemetery

The gravesite of John Rutledge who died in 1800.

The gravesite of Charles C Pinckney who died in 1825.

After checking out the cemetery, we headed inside the church.

The church was beautiful on the inside…it wasn’t as elaborate as some of the other churches we have visited.

The original pew boxes still remain in the church including number 43 known as “The Governor’s Pew” where George Washington and Robert E Lee sat during services about 70 years apart!

A scar remains at the foot of the pulpit from a shell that landed near the chancel during the Civil War. However, I didn’t know this until I started researching this church for my blog post! 🙁

The large, ornate pulpit is the centerpiece of the sanctuary.

Items have been added to the sanctuary over the years, including the Victorian altar presented in 1892 and the chancel decoration by Tiffany in 1905.

Two stained-glass windows depicting Easter morning and the Annunciation were presented to the church in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The stained-glass door in the south side of the church dates from 1915.

The original organ was made by John Snetzler in London and was installed in 1768.

Read reviews here

After leaving the church, we continued our walk.

We passed the historic courthouse and post office that opened in 1896.

The first suit to challenge public school segregation in the US was heard here before three judges in 1951.

Other historic buildings we passedWe passed the historic James Simmons House that was built in 1760.

The house served as “Executive Headquarters” and home to Confederate General Pierre G.T. Beauregard who led the capture of Fort Sumter in 1861.

Most every house along this route is a historic home.

I loved how the owner of this house had these plants growing outside their house!

More historic homes along the way.

This was the Thomas Heyward house ..

Built in 1772, this house was the town home of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of four South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Tip: You can tour this house. Purchase your tickets here

We passed the Williams Mansion.

It was called the “handsomest and most complete private residence in the South” when it was built in 1878.

The Williams Mansion, built by George Walton Williams, was widely acclaimed as one of the great post-Civil War homes on the Eastern Seaboard.

Featured on A&E’s “American Castles,” the remarkable 24,000 square feet structure includes 35 rooms with 14-foot ceilings, ornate plaster and wood moulding, elaborate chandeliers and has 23 period fireplaces, a stairwell that reaches to a 75-foot domed ceiling, and a Music Room with a 45-foot glass skylight.

It has been named one of the top attractions in Charleston by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Read reviews here

Tip: This house was used to film the interior scenes of Allie’s summer house in the movie, The Notebook

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived to the next house we would be touring called, the Aiken-Rhett House.

Tip: We purchased the combo ticket to tour both the Nathaniel Russell house & the Aiken-Rhett house that saved us $6 pp.  If you downloaded the Historic Charleston app, you can use it as your tour guide for this house as well.

Built in 1820, this house is unlike anything else you will see in Charleston as it’s not been restored. It has been “preserved as found”.

You will visit around 20 different rooms on this tour.

The tour starts in the storeroom and gift shop which were once part of an extensive network of cellars underneath the house.

You will then head to the Servant’s hall.

This area was a conduit between the kitchen and the formal dining room.

Next, we headed outside to what was known as the workyard.

This area was the main work area for the enslaved people.

The quarters for the enslaved people were also located in this area of the property.

Their quarters were located above the kitchen so you can imagine how hot it would get in the summer months.

The laundry room was also located in the workyard.

An archaeological exploration of this room uncovered artifacts from centuries of occupation.

The artifacts included things like buttons, coins, bottles, broken pieces of porcelain and more.

The next area was the stable and carriage house.

Shots of the outside of the house.

We then headed back inside the house where we were greeted by the grand marble staircase!

There were marble statues that dated back to the 1800’s!

The first room that you will enter after reaching the top of the stairs, is the double parlor.

This room was used to entertain guests.

The furnishings in this house are original unlike most other houses that only use pieces that date back to the time period of the house.

I loved all of the beautiful light fixtures in the house!

The next room was the double parlor 2 which was closed off to the first double parlor room by sliding doors.

All of the walls in the house had peeling plaster and wallpaper!

There were pictures of how the house used to look.

Next we headed outside to the piazza.

Outdoor living spaces were important architecture features of homes in Charleston since there was no air conditioning at the time, they would open the doors to allow the air to circulate throughout the house.

A picture of some of the drapery hardware that was in the house.

It was so cool being able to see the house preserved instead of restored!

It was also cool to see the actual belongings of the Aiken family still in the house.

The next room was the dining room.

Lavish, multiple course meals were served in the dining room.

This room was used to entertain the many guests that the Aikens hosted over the years.

The next room was the library.

I loved this light fixture….so cool!

At the bottom of the beautiful staircase, was another very cool light fixture.

The next rooms were the bedchambers.

Look at this mirror!

The was the bathtub and sink

This area of the house really showed just how the house was kept as found!

This room is the drawing room

The widowed Harriet Aiken later converted this room into a bedroom and it was used as such until her death in 1892.

It displayed many items that were left here in the house.

The last room that you will see is the art gallery.

This room was added by the Aikens in 1857.

It was  added to accommodate their many art pieces they had purchased during their many trips to Europe.

A shot of the outside of the house.

Tip: This house was used for wedding scenes in the movie The Notebook and Wes Craven’s movie, The Swamp Thing.

Read reviews here

After leaving this house, we headed to our next stop of the day, the popular “rainbow row”.

We passed lots of beautiful old churches and buildings along the way.

Charleston’s nickname is ‘The Holy City’ because it’s home to more than 400 churches — many of which were established before the 1800s.

The second picture is the St Matthews Lutheran Church that was built in 1868.

After getting parked, we discovered that we had parked near one of the old cobblestone roads.

Tip: For parking in Charleston, click here

These stones were actually used by ships from the 17th & 18th centuries in order to weigh them down to make them less susceptible to rough waters.

However, once arriving to Charleston, they would throw the stones overboard to make room for the goods they purchased.

The rocks would wash ashore and were eventually used to make roads throughout Charleston.

Today, there are only 5 of these roads left.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived to the famous rainbow row.

These homes were originally built in the late 1700s as a series of 13 townhouses. Over time, the homes were used for various purposes, including commercial and residential spaces.

However, by the early 1900s, many of the homes had fallen into disrepair and were in danger of being demolished.

The homes were later purchased by a local preservationist who restored the homes and painted them back to their original pastel colors….this is when the street became known as rainbow row.

In 1931, Rainbow Row was officially designated a historic landmark by the National Park Service.

It really is a beautiful and not to be missed area when visiting Charleston!

We then walked to the waterfront to take pictures of another popular tourist attraction, the Pineapple Fountain.

The walk to the fountain was so beautiful! We loved all of the old oak trees that formed these canopies over the sidewalks!

Tip: Click here to see 8 spectacular spots to see these amazing oak trees

The pineapple fountain has been the focal point of the Waterfront Park since 1990.

The park’s eight acres face the harbor and the amazing Ravenel Bridge.

Near the fountain, is a large splash fountain that is popular during the summer months.

It’s definitely a challenge to get a picture in front of the fountain without having a lot of other people in the picture!

After getting our pictures, we continued our walk through town.

A few minutes later, we spotted a place that I had put down on my itinerary called, Carmellas’s Cafe & Dessert Bar.

So, we decided to head inside for some coffee.

However, after spotting their amazing looking desserts, we just had to purchase one!

They all looked so good but we finally decided on the chocolate peanut butter cake.

We saved the cake for later but the coffee we ordered was delicious!

Read reviews here 

After our purchase, we headed back to our car.

We passed a cool looking restaurant called the Griffon.

The inside of the restaurant was covered with thousands of one dollar bills!

After arriving back to our car, we headed to our next stop.

On our drive, we passed the historic city market. 

We visited the market on a different day so, I’ll write about it in a later post.

A few minutes later, we arrived to our next stop, the American Theater.

The theater opened in 1942 and was named in honor of military men and women who served in WW2.  The Theater operated successfully until 1977 when it closed following economic decline in the city.

The only reason I wanted a picture of the theater is that it was featured in the movie, The Notebook as the setting for Noah and Allie’s first date.

Tip: There are several scenes from the movie filmed in/around Charleston…click here for locations.

After our pictures, we continued our drive.

We ended up making a wrong turn and discovered a gem of a church called, St John’s Reformed Episcopal Church. 

The church was originally known as the Anson Street Chapel in 1850 by a group of free and slave black Presbyterians. It was the site of an 1857 revival in Charleston.

The house next door was used as a manse. The church was heavily damaged by shelling during the siege of Charleston, and the church was rebuilt and restored in the 1880s.

Next door, a board-and-batten school building was completed by 1887.

We then headed to another nearby church called, The Unitarian Church.

We passed the historic Bethel Methodist Church along the way. It was built in 1852.

The Unitarian Church was built in 1774 but wasn’t used as a church until 1787 due to the Revolutionary War.

It was first used as barracks by the Americans, then by the English, and then again by the Americans after the British were driven out.

The church is the second oldest in the city. Its churchyard is supposedly haunted and legend has it that Edgar Allan Poe’s beloved Annabel Lee is buried in a secret grave here.

It has survived two wars, six major hurricanes, two devastating fires, and an earthquake.

Next to the church is the cemetery.

The doors were locked so we couldn’t go inside so we took pictures through the gate.

As you can see, it’s very overgrown but, from what I’ve read, that’s how they want it to look.

The ghost of the first female serial killer, Lavinia Fisher, is sometimes seen at the cemetery. 😉

Ok, ok you all know that I don’t believe in all that stuff but hey, if you do, go on a ghost tour! 😉

In 1922,, the Yorkville Enquirer published the headline,  “Skeleton on Display.” The article goes on to explain how Lavinia Fisher’s skeleton was exhibited at the Charleston museum “some time ago” and was “removed because it was out of order, the museum has decided again to install them, and it is now being put in order.”   How strange!!

After leaving here, we headed to Sullivan’s Island to find something to eat.

We had wanted to eat at Poe’s Tavern but when we arrived, it was so crowded, we decided to head to another nearby restaurant called, Sullivan’s Seafood & Bar.

After getting seated, we looked over the menu.

We both decided on the fish and chips.

The food and service were really good but we felt it was overpriced for what you got!

Read review here

After dinner, we walked around the area and checked out some of the Christmas lights.

We then headed back to our hotel where we had our delicious cake that we had purchased from Carmella’s!

Later, we called it a night.

Thanks for reading!

Read Days 1 & 2 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

My husband and I decided to take a trip to Charleston & Savannah the week after Christmas.

I had been to both places several years ago with my daughter, but my hubby had never been…..so, since we were both off the week after Christmas, we decided to plan a trip to see both places.

Since we were driving, we decided to leave after work on Fri, Dec. 27th and drive a few hours so we could get a head start on the long drive to our first destination, which would be Charleston.

We headed out around 4 pm on Fri.

I had found a hotel online the same day.

When I had googled maps the route to Charleston, I saw that we would be driving near the small town of Dandridge, TN so I decided to look for a hotel in that area.

I didn’t find much using Booking or Travelocity, so I googled hotels in Dandridge and found a place called, Mountain Harbor Inn.

Once I saw that it was on the lake, I immediately booked a room!

Unfortunately, we arrived to the hotel around 9:15 pm so we didn’t get to enjoy the lake views.

The front office had also closed at 8 pm so, the staff had to leave our room key taped to the front door of the hotel.

After retrieving our key, we headed to our room on the 2nd floor.

Tip: This hotel has no elevator

They had our names taped to our room door.

The rooms here are all named & themed rooms.  I booked the “Love me Tender” suite.

The suite had a beautiful king-size sleigh bed, a kitchenette, a small kitchen table and a living room that included a sofa and a TV.

It also had a picture of Elvis hanging on the wall….hence, the name Love me Tender.

When you book a stay here, the room rate also includes a sunset cruise, a hot breakfast buffet and a candlelight dessert!

Unfortunately, since we arrived so late, we didn’t get to experience the cruise or the candlelight dessert but the staff had told us that they would leave our dessert in our room refrigerator but they never left it. 🙁

After getting settled into our room, we watched TV for a while before calling it a night!

The next morning, I was up bright and early. I was hoping we would get to see a beautiful sunrise over the lake.

However, it was so foggy, we couldn’t see anything! ;(

The lake’s water level was also really low as it’s controlled by the TVA.

At 8:00 am, we headed to the dining room to have breakfast.

The dining room was really nice and had views of the lake!

The hotel offered a delicious breakfast that included eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, and more!

They also offered coffee, milk and juices.

It was so good!

After breakfast, we walked around the hotel and took a few pictures of the inside…

And the outside…

Read reviews for the hotel here

Next to the hotel is the Douglas Lake marina where you can rent boats, kayaks, canoes and paddle boards.

Tip: When you rent their boats, you get free pizza and ice cream!

After checking out the hotel, we packed up and started our drive to Charleston.

Driving through the small town of Dandridge

The town had an abundance of historic buildings, the majority of which date back to the early to mid 1800’s.

In all there are over 20 significantly historic structures in the Downtown District alone.

Tip: Bush Beans factory is located 20 mins from the hotel where they have a visitor’s center that includes a museum and a cafe. You can tour the Bush family home that sits across from the visitor’s center. Read reviews here

As we continued our drive, we started seeing damage from the devastating hurricane Helene.

The location of my pictures showed that we were in Del Rio, TN which is located approximately one hour from Asheville, NC.

There were tons of downed trees that indicated how far the water had risen during the storm.

We then passed through the small town of Hot Springs, NC. 

Hot Springs is the home to the only natural hot springs in North Carolina.

The town had a lot of damage from the hurricane. There were signs asking for donations so the town could recover.

We then drove through parts of Asheville where we saw the most damage.

It was very sad!

Tip: If you would like to donate to the victims of this devastating storm, please click here. It’s one of the few charitable organizations that we will donate to.

After making a quick stop at a Chick fil A for lunch, we continued our drive to Charleston.

We drove over this cool bridge along the way.

After several hours of driving, we finally arrived to our hotel in Mt Pleasant, SC.

We chose to stay in Mt Pleasant because we didn’t want to deal with all the traffic in downtown Charleston. We also didn’t want to have to pay for parking as most hotels in downtown, charge a parking fee.

I booked our stay at the Cambria Hotel. We had never stayed in a Cambria before but it had really good reviews and it was only 15 mins from downtown Charleston. 

After getting checked in, we headed to our room.

The room was really nice and clean!

We had two beds, a large bathroom, a small refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, coffee, and a sitting area.

We were very happy with our hotel choice and it was only $150 a night!

After getting settled into our room, we headed out for dinner.

The employee at the hotel had given us some restaurant recommendations so we decided to give one of them a try.

It was called The Wreck. We were told by the employee that the restaurant opened at 5 pm and that we should arrive early as it stays really busy….so, that’s what we did.

And he was right, when we arrived, there was already a line of people waiting to. get in!

The restaurant didn’t look like much on the outside and wasn’t anything special on the inside.

They opened the doors promptly at 5 and we were seated right away.

The restaurant sits right on the water.

Tip: The restaurant was used in the filming of the Netflix show, Outer Banks.

After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

The restaurant only serves fresh seafood that they caught that day….once they run out, they close the doors.

Read reviews here

Our waitress brought out boiled peanuts instead of the typical bread.

I decided on the gilled mahi mahi ….the meal came with rice, butter beans, coleslaw and a hushpuppy.

My hubby ordered the fried seafood platter that came with fish, oysters, shrimp and scallops.

The food was delicious!

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and watched TV for a while before calling it a night!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for Day 3!

UPDATE: Read Day 3 here, Day 4 here, Day 5 here

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts