Added: 07/27/2005 |
Walking Tour - CharlestonChoosing between a guided tour and a tour of your own? Read and make your choice.
Charleston's Waterfront Park. Stroll through the breezy park. Relax on a bench, read a book and watch people around you walking, jogging or playing with kids. Cruise ships and naval vessels often dock nearby and there is plenty of fishing to be done off the small pier. Wanna have a closer look at wildlife and catch a glimpse of Patriot's Point across the harbor, where out of service naval vessels are available for touring, use a telescope. There are a number of fountains in the Park where walkers welcome to soak their feet for relaxation and be ready in a few minutes to continue their walk through the city. In the middle of the park you will find a pineapple-shaped fountain, this fruit is a symbol of hospitality.
Go east out of Waterfront Park and you will come to the Battery at the tip of the peninsula, where ships with tall masts and sails once docked and Civil War cannons proudly stood, facing the harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.. This is one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating spots in the town, where you can take the time to be still in a busy world, breathe deeply and forget about the daily routine.
White Point Gardens are next to the Battery. It is a large grassy area shaded by massive oaks and fringed with cannons, monuments, and historical statues. In the middle of the park there is a large white gazebo, and it isn't uncommon to come across a wedding in progress or a string quartet playing in the gazebo. Horse and buggies roll around the Battery and the park off and on all day, giving visitors a glimpse of the past, as do the grand old mansions lining the Battery.
Meeting Street leads to the City Market. You will see there African-American basket weavers selling their wares on the street. This type of basket-making was originally brought here from Africa and has been taught to each generation and preserved until today. The baskets are woven so tightly that they can easily hold water, and some of the baskets require 10 to 12 hours to create.
Take your time as you meander along the streets and past the homes that transport you back into the past with hidden gardens surrounded by decorative wrought iron gates and ancient Spanish moss-laden oaks. The clip-clop of horses' feet, cemeteries, and some the oldest churches in our country remind you of the beginnings of America.
In Charleston city maps can be obtained at the visitor center and bikes can be rented so you will manage to walk through the city on your own.
Guided walking tours have their own pluses. Being of your own you will never know the details of the city, its history and the history of buildings and houses as well as the way of living there.
Guided walking tours usually include the routes where you come across old buildings of famous architectures where different styles may be observed. You will enjoy the beauty of gardens full of flowers: shady and cool with a multitude of greenery and fragrant blooms, goldfish ponds with flowing fountains, simple walkways and statues.
The Palmer Home, an 1849 mansion located on 5 East Battery, is a sightseeing that is a part of the guided walking tour. It is now operated as a bed and breakfast. This stately home is painted a soft pink with white trim and black shutters. The owners of the pink palace live in what used to be the carriage house and the bottom floor of the home and the other floors are used for the bed and breakfast operations. Each room is colorful, and chandeliers glisten throughout the house.
There is lots more to see! All types of architecture, history, plantations, the Citadel military academy, City Market, museums, succulent seafood, art, the South Carolina Aquarium and IMAX theater and, of course, the beaches, just about 20 minutes outside the city. The only tea plantation in America is located in Charleston. And all kinds of shopping. Clothing stores, chocolate shops, restaurants and the intoxicating aromas of those cozy little coffee and tobacco shops. So the next time you need a getaway to escape the fast pace of the world and uplift your spirits, consider a walking tour of Charleston's historic.
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