First Day Adventures!

Happy New Year! Its become my tradition to start the new year with an adventure! Luckily, living in the midlands of South Carolina means I'm 2 hours away from either the mountains or the beach. This makes day trips achievable and affordable. So in honor of the New Year, Mark and I decided to head down to Charleston to explore a few favorite places as well as a new historical site.

Yesterday was cloudy and a little dreary, but it was nothing a rain jacket, some boots, and a few towels couldn't fix. Our first stop was Folly Beach. I LOVE going to Folly in the off-season because it's very peaceful and we can take the dogs to the beach anytime! Finn loves the beach! Well at least the sand, shells, rocks, and jetties! While we walked the dogs on the beach and collected shells, brave souls took part in a Polar Plunge!

Finn is hoping I don't drop him in the water!

Taking in the sights and sounds of Folly!

From Folly, we headed over to Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve located in James Island. A self-guided tour, you need to be prepared to let your imagination take over! Construction of the fort began in January 1862 as part of a strategy adopted by Robert E. Lee to defend the inland of Charleston from the Union Army. Charleston was the Confederacy's largest seaport and a major base for ships involved in the Federal blockade. As a result, it was a key target for the Union and the Confederacy had to protect it, hence the need for Fort Lamar.

Initially, Fort Lamar was called Tower Battery because of its 75 foot observation tower. It was later renamed Fort Lamar in honor of Col. Thomas G. Lamar who bravely fought against and fended off an Union army outnumbering the Confederates 3-1 (3500-1400).  This battle was known as the Battle of Secessionville. Within 3 hours, it is estimated that 683 Union soldiers and 204 Confederate soldiers became casualties that day. Interestingly, the much more famous and better known firing on Fort Sumter had 0 causalities. For more information about the battle, check out The Battle of Secessionville or Fort Lamar Heritage Preserve.

At the very bottom, it reminds visitors to "walk softly on these hollow grounds". A simple message to honor the men, who, fighting for different reasons equally important to them and their families, gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Remember how I mentioned you would need to use your imagination? Well, this is where you'll need it, and I hope I didn't misinterpret what information was shared in the pamphlet I picked up at the gate with you! 

What might look like an ordinary hill, is actually the remains of an earthwork which was used as an extra layer of defense.

Where this road is now, use to be part of the Fort and housed a 24-pound gun.

This was once the position of an 18-pound gun.

In this location was the New Magazine or Bombproof which housed artillery. 

An image of the marsh.

A few small structures are all that remains of the fort. 

Another interesting thing I learned, is prior to the start of the war, two Scottish brothers emigrated to the United States. Each would later go on to enlist in the war, one fighting for the Union and the other fighting for the Confederacy. Both brothers found themselves at the Battle of Secessionville fighting against each other. Only once the battle was over, did they find out how close they had been to each other. Both brothers would survive the war.

The final place we stopped in James Island was Melton Peter Demetre Park, more appropriately known as Sunset Park by locals for the gorgeous views of the sunset. If you are looking for someplace non-touristy, I highly recommend Sunset Park. Hidden within a neighborhood and beside a yacht club, Sunset Park offers one of the BEST views of old and new Charleston.

From this point, you can sense the greatness and overall historical importance Charleston has played in the development of the United States. On my left, you can see the Battery, Rainbow Row, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Straight ahead is the Cooper River Bridge, Castle Pinckney, and Patriots Point. To my right, you can see Fort Sumter, Fort Johnson, Fort Moultrie, and Pitt Street Bridge. For more information, check out sunset park.

We had so much fun on our first day adventures! I'd love to hear how you spent the first day of 2016!