Yesterday was cloudy and rainy all day. We took Rock Chalk from Edisto Beach up the ICW to Charleston in about 4.5 hours. Naturally the hardest rain came just as we rounded the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula, and were looking for our marina, The Charleston Maritime Center. We found it, got tied up, and the skies opened up. It rained really hard for an hour. Great to wash the boat off.
Today (Saturday, April 23) the skies cleared and it was a beautiful day. Perfect for the ferry trip out to Ft. Sumter, and for discovering Charleston by foot. I love the history of these kinds of things, but Shelley can speed walk at world record paces through any museum, fort, tourist attraction, etc. She has no slow speed. Then she has the audacity to complain that I am actually reading these plaques by each photo or artifact. She just doesn't do this stuff, so we agree to meet up at the end. It works.
We are tied up at the Charleston Maritime Center, which is a small marina on the east side of the peninsula and within a few blocks of City Market of Charleston. If you have been to New Orleans, this place has a French Quarter. If you have been to Savannah, this place has some beautiful homes from the early 1800's. What struck me today was reading the philosophy of the orators of South Carolina in 1860. It was all about limited federal government, states rights, individual freedom, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. All this led to South Carolina being the first state to secede.
Although today we all look at the horrible nature of slavery, I have to agree with why they felt it was so important that they were willing to leave the union to follow a path that they felt was critical to their economy and livelihood. When you read the quotes of all the leaders of the south and the strict constitutionalists, you see an amazing parallel for today. Less federal government, more personal freedom, is the true meaning of our constitution. But I pontificate.
One of the reasons I have been dreaming of this trip for years was to see the eastern third of the US by water, where so much of our history as a country was developed. Charleston is a perfect example of what I am learning. Cool. Marc
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