With the eastern weather becoming drastically cooler we made the decision to quickly work our way back to our home in Buffalo, NY. Managing the colder daytime temperatures was enjoyable, however, the further north we traveled the nighttime hours consistently began to drop into the 30’s making it uncomfortable to sleep (and get out of bed in the morning!!) in the Scamp without a heat source. We planned a few quick stops to see Savannah (GA) and Charleston (SC), both full of beautiful architecture and of course painful histories that should not be forgotten.
Overnight stay at Coastal Empire Beer, Co. (Savannah, GA) via Harvest Host! We met a lovely couple parked behind us traveling the country in a van and enjoyed delicious beer with interesting conversations!
Savannah was beautiful with with its cobblestone streets, landscaped parklike squares, notable historic buildings, and numerous ghostly tales!
Moon River Brewing Company is located in one of the oldest, most historic and genuinely haunted buildings in Savannah. A few past hotel guests included War of 1812 hero Winfield Scott, the Marquis de Lafayette, the first three Commodores of the United Statues Navy, and naturalist James Audubon.
A stroll down River Street traversing dangerously steep staircases, cobblestones, bustling water views, and of course sampling some delicious pecan pralines!
Even though our day was short in Savannah we took in the flavor of this historical city and hope to return one day. I even found Mr. Wonderful (sorry Steve)!
After our quick day in Savannah we headed to our final Harvest Host overnight stay - Tideland Brewing, located in Charleston, SC. We plopped ourselves down on one of their comfy couches, made a plan for our next day’s visit to charming Charleston, and had a quiet night sleeping in the parking lot!
Tideland Brewing, Charleston, SC. Harvest Host was an amazing addition to our travel journey and would definitely recommend!
Charleston, the oldest and largest city in South Carolina, was established as Charles Town in honor of King Charles II of England. In addition to abundant southern hospitality, historic homes (including Rainbow Row), and plenty of ghost stories Charleston also has a painful past. The city was a key port responsible for the sale and transport of enslaved African Americans to all other major cities in the U.S. Although we enjoyed exploring the beauty of Charleston, knowing the fateful history of thousands of lives was always on my mind.
The City Market is a historic market complex in downtown Charleston. The market stretches across four city blocks through a continuous series of one-story market sheds. I was glad to hear that humans were never sold in the City Market. Unfortunately you did not need to walk far to what is named the Old Slave Mart which is now a museum.
This church is named for Philip, one of the 12 Apostles, who was born in Galilee and died a martyr in what is now Hierapolis, Turkey.
Rainbow Row, Charleston, SC
Charleston Harbor mansions and The Battery seawall.
A few more parting photos as we prepare to leave Charleston. It was a lovely one day adventure that has been on my list of cities to explore. Our next quick stops will be Durham, NC and then Cincinnati before heading back to Buffalo - hopefully before the next big snow dump. Thanks for following along!
Farewell Charleston!
Coddiwompling “To Travel in a Purposeful Manner Towards a Vague Destination”
“Savannah is amazing with the town squares and the hanging moss and the French Colonial houses. It's brutally romantic.” - David Morrissey
“There is no city on Earth quite like Charleston. From the time I first came there in 1961, it’s held me in its enchanter’s power, the wordless articulation of its singularity, its withheld and magical beauty. Wandering through its streets can be dreamlike and otherworldly, its alleyways and shortcuts both fragrant and mysterious, yet as haunted as time turned in on itself.” - Pat Conroy
Link to Steve’s music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fW5lsWiZG5TcOlhukK4pu?si=2NngXMjoR7mUJLreexbIAw&utm_source=native-share-menu (Let me know if you are interested in purchasing a CD/$10)