Charleston, SC

So we are back in Charleston. It was the perfect place to stop for a few days and fly my sister Margaret in for a visit. We are trying to get south as fast as we can, but our insurance requires us to be north of Savannah until November 15th, so this will be a nice little stopover.

Margaret arrived on Friday morning and trooper that she was, stayed awake all day (with the help of some java) and she and I went on a carriage tour of the city while Kevin did boy-stuff like running to West Marine and Home Depot. That evening we had a fabulous BBQ dinner at Sticky Fingers.

The next day we headed off in the rental car to Boone Hall Plantation. Not only did we want to tour the plantation and grounds but also that weekend the plantation just happened to be hosting a real live Civil War re-enactment: "The Battle of Secessionville"! You hear about these things but you have to see it to believe it. First of all, it is sort of like the Renaissance Festival, only with cannons and artillery. Not only are the battle participants and vendors dressed up in period costume, but it seems like many of the locals dust off their hoop skirts and sabres and drape themselves in the confederate flag before heading out to enjoy the show as spectators. You have to admire the soldiers because they take this stuff

SERIOUSLY. They put up authentic style tents and actually spend the weekend encamped with their fellow soldiers. They march around in formation to get to and from the battlefield to the camp, and there was no laughter or goofing off among the ranks at all (although I did hear one soldier ask another about the point spread on some football game). We watched a cannon fire demonstration and even though they were firing blanks (ie no projectiles), they treated those guns with respect and had the drill down to a science, so you know that while other guys are sitting around on the weekend watching ESPN these guys are out there drilling and practicing their firing technique. I don't really do justice to this whole re-enactment thing, but if you want to read an account of the same re-enactment from a few years ago, check out this link: http://www.awod.com/cwchas/sfight.html Anyway, although there were lots of women dressed up, I think re-enactments are essentially a guy thing, what with all the guns and fighting. Also it would seem they are a Southern thing -- the old adage that the South is still fighting the Civil War is in some way true -- note that they choose to stage a battle that was won by the Confederacy. But for those of you reading this in Arizona, don't despair! Every March, Picacho Peak State Park hosts a re-enactment of the Battle of Picacho Pass. Although that was a smaller skirmish involving some Union soldiers attacking a rebel scouting party, I guess every year they have so many people wanting to be involved in the re-enactment that they end up with more soldiers than there were at the original battle. So next year, skip the nancy-boy Rennaissance Fair and head down towards Tucson for some fun with guns, horses, and American History.

Click on the third picture to see a video of the artillery demonstration.

We said goodbye to Margaret on Sunday morning and were so glad to have her for a visit, even though it was brief. We are really looking forward to spending some more quality time with our families and friends when we come home next month for the holidays.

Where we are:
Location=Charleston, SC
Lat=32 46.510 N
Lon=79 56.942 W