I’m now in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a beautiful city with a lot of historical attractions. Generally pre-civil war era buildings are rare in the Southern United States. I assume it was because of the punitive march by the winning Union Army – Atlanta was burned to the ground by Gen. Sherman; but somehow Charleston and Savannah were spared.

The climate is a bit hot and humid this time of the year because of the proximity to the ocean. The old architecture, outdoor cafés and the cobblestoned streets give Charleston the look and feel of a European city. Strongly recommended especially if you’re in the southern U.S.

 

 

Francis Marion Hotel - Downtown Charleston - I stayed here

Francis Marion Hotel – Downtown Charleston (I stayed there.)

A horse-drawn carriage along Meeting Street

Historic Homes

Historic homes in Charleston – the above one looks very similar to the houses you usually see in San Francisco.

Earthquake survivor

The last building is interesting – it was damaged in the earthquake of 1886 and was salvaged using long iron rods for reinforcement. The iron rods were run through walls and anchored with an iron plate which is the black colored circular disks you see just above the window.