If you follow my blog, you know I moved to the D.C. area mostly because of its location and the potential for road trips to places I had yet to see for myself. In fact, I had intended to take this very trip last year over spring break, but car woes prevented it. But a year and a half after moving here, I finally saw the Carolinas. Here, a travelogue.
Day 1, Saturday
I headed out on the four and a half hour drive to Raleigh, NC. My first stop was their art museum. It was better than I expected with a decent variety of art spanning time and style: everything from ancient Egyptian and Greek pieces to European Renaissance to a large Rodin collection to modern American art. They even had an entire Judaica section, which I especially enjoyed as we were coming up on Purim that week, and they had two Esther scrolls.
Next up was their history museum. (I guess a bit of a heads up for people who don’t know me: I love museums. Whenever I travel, one of the first things I research is what a place has to offer by way of museums.) Now, many state history museums are similar in many ways. For example, they almost all start their history with Native Americans, and regionally, this information is repetitive (the Native American exhibit in South Carolina’s museum was pretty redundant after visiting North Carolina’s). But that doesn’t make them any less interesting. For all their similarities, every state has their own story and, to some extent, culture. What made North Carolina’s museum stand out was 1) their section on pirates, especially the artifacts that were found in the shipwreck of Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge and 2) their exhibit on Billy Graham, “North Carolina’s Favorite Son.” It was interesting to really see how extensive his ministry was both in terms of geography and time. For example, there was a display book of him meeting with every president since Eisenhower. That’s 11 presidents.
After that, I wandered the neighboring blocks for photos of the state capitol building and some other interesting building and statues, then hopped back in my car and drove the additional four hours to my hotel outside of Charleston.
I woke up early. Not by choice, but because that’s how my body works now that I’m a teacher. I guess, technically, 7 am is sleeping in for me now. So, I slept in but got up early enough to catch the very first ferry out to Fort Sumter. The weather was grey and misting and cold, even for a Michigander. It was the same weather I had when I ferried to Mackinaw Island this summer. I fear I have a ferry curse.
Because ours was the first tour that day, the flag had yet to be raised, and those of us who wanted were able to help raise it. There are ruins you can wander around and a small museum that houses interesting artifacts like the original flag that had been raised there and sword that Capt. James was wearing when he ordered the first shot of the Civil War to be fired. On the journey back, I stood at the prow of the ferry and discovered a pair of dolphins swimming ahead of us. They would swim just below us, then shoot forward and jump out of the water. They repeated this for at least ten minutes and I got some good photos and video.
After Fort Sumter, I explored more of the city. I checked out a few historical churches and their graveyards. I love cemeteries. Not that I’m morbid, but they’re so beautiful and serene, and one of the best places for an introvert to go and have reasonable assurance no one’s going to pester you. And the history interests me too. I like imagining what a person’s life was like based only on the information I’m given on their headstone.
Then I went to Calhoun Mansion, which is a strange place. It’s a beautiful building with beautiful gardens and a compelling history. But it’s so full of antiques that the interior is actually pretty overwhelmingly tacky. It’s now owned by a filthy rich lawyer from D.C. who loves to have stuff (and individually, they are beautiful pieces) but clearly doesn’t have the wherewithal to display it well or know the value of moderation. The term ‘nouveau riche’ comes to mind. I can say this because, according to an internet quiz, I have the social class mentality of an aristocrat even if I don’t have the pedigree of one. You can take the quiz here; it's fun.
By then, it was getting to be time for dinner, so I drove to Sullivan’s Island to check out a place called Poe’s Tavern that was recommended to me by a friend. The place is actually a pretty lively one in terms of atmosphere, though the walls are all decked out with Poe art, even the walls of the bathrooms. Then menu is Poe themed, with burgers carrying names like “Gold Bug” and “Pit & Pendulum.” I opted for the “Tell-Tale Heart,” which is topped with fried egg, applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese.