Charleston - Part 5 - Fort Moultri

Fort Moultri is located on Sullivan's Island just a little north of Charleston. It is across the harbor from Fort Sumter. Fort Moultri is a national monument in South Carolina and operated by the National Park Service.

The fort took part in a furious ship-to-shore gun battle during the American Revolution in 1776. The fort is named for William Moultri, a Colonel who led the fort holders to victory in that battle. However, Charleston later fell to the British, and they held it until the end of the war.

Fort Moultri, built and rebuilt several times over, was also used in the American Civil War. Fort Moultri was upgraded again in 1885 and during World War II. It is no longer an active defensive fort for the country.

Fort Moultri is not entirely handicapped accessible, so we did not tour it inside. My husband climbed an observation deck at the visitor's center across the street to take these photos.



Fort Moultri's entrance



The fort shows different eras as it changed throughout the course of history.



It is not far off the ocean (and probably floods frequently).



The upper observation deck of Fort Moultri



Cannons for protection.



More cannons.
 

Thursday Thirteen

During last week's visit to Charleston, SC, we spent a couple of hours in the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center, which is located near the Tanger Outlets should you ever visit.

The museum and visitors' center opened in 2007 and is housed in a $7 million building constructed by the City of North Charleston. The Fire Museum has more than 20 fully restored fire vehicles, including hand pumper engines that pre-date the 20th century.

Hopefully, I have most of these photos captioned properly.



1886 Silsby Steam Pumper



Not sure what this is, but it's old.



Patches from various fire departments all over the world.



My county's patch. A little blurry. It was dark in the museum and I didn't have my good camera.



My husband's place of employment, before
it became Roanoke-Fire EMS



A showcase of early firefighting helmets.



More helmets.



1857 Button & Blake Hand Pumper




Not sure what this one is, but it is a 1912 apparatus.



1911 "Type 5" double tank combination



1914 "Type 12" pumper



1920 "Type 75" Pump & Hose Car



The early system for fire alarms, which used a ticker-tape type of instrument. This was still in use in Roanoke
when my husband went to work with the fire department over 30 years ago.



1935 "400" Series



1940 "500 Series" Pumper

____________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 414th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Charleston - USS Yorktown - Part 3

Having never been to Charleston before, we weren't sure where anything was. We were driving around and saw a sign pointing towards "Patriots Point." Being novices in the tourism department, we went to see what it was.

It was the U.S.S. Yorktown and assorted displays. I had been looking for this in the tourism information and could not find it. Who knew it was called Patriots Point? Not us.

Visiting the ship required much walking, but fortunately the park officials provide folks with canes or disabilities a ride on a golf cart and they have installed an elevator on the ship. Had they not I think I would have fallen overboard from exhaustion and pain, but fortunately that did not happen.

My husband was thrilled with the ship. The Yorktown served in World War II as an aircraft carrier. The ship also served in other wars (Korea, Vietnam) and was the ship that picked up the Apollo 8 astronauts. The ship was decommissioned in 1970 and it became a tourist attraction in 1975.

The deck is full of old aircraft. Inside the aircraft carrier is a museum. A battleship, the U.S.S. Laffey, is also moored near the aircraft carrier.

The U.S.S. Yorktown

It's a very big boat.



Many planes sat on the upper deck.



My husband examining some kind of gun.

 

Husband examining a plane. He said the planes all looked
like they would fall apart if you touched them. He was awed.



A helicopter on deck.



Another plane.



Two more planes. Big ship to hold so many planes.



The observation tower and a plane.



Below, they had a museum.



A wall of honor.



The Apollo 8 capsule. This captivated me more than the
ship did, since I am a big NASA fan. I stood and admired
this while the husband roamed around looking at the
things he wanted to see.



Go NASA! Go NASA!



Yorktown Museum exhibits.



A battleship called the U.S.S. Laffey



More U.S.S. Laffey



A little bit about the battleship.



We did not go down into the submarine. It is just before a dock, as you can tell from all the boats.



Husband admiring the battleship.

Charleston - Charles Pinckney - Part 2

Charles Pinckney was a South Carolina statesman, senator, and former governor who was also instrumental in the writing of the U.S. Constitution. He is one of the signers of that document (I think, actually, many people do not know who actually signed the Constitution, confusing it with the Declaration of Independence, a different document entirely).

They call Pinckney the "forgotten founder."

He is best known for insisting on the clause in the Constitution that says "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States," a phrase we seem to have forgotten as time has passed, at least by the populace at large. Otherwise religion wouldn't play such an important role in politics.

Pinckney's original home place, Snee Farm, is gone, but foundations of some buildings remain. A home constructed in the 19th century stands there now and serves as a museum for the National Historic Site.

We visited the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site as one of our first stops while in Charleston. It is in the Mount Pleasant area and wasn't far from our hotel.

Entrance sign.

Informational stop.

More information about the Founding Father.

Doodads from excavations of old foundations.

A plate found at the old homesite

House built circa 1800s that now houses the museum.

Somebody's tombstone; we didn't get close enough to
read what was on it.

Off to Charleston, Part 1

Last week, my husband and I slipped away and spent five days in Charleston, SC. We'd never been there and it had been three years since our last vacation, thanks to my surgery and his farming accident last summer.

So off we went.

My sweetie at the wheel.

The first thing I noticed about Charleston was that there were lots and lots of bridges.

This was but one bridge.

 

I think this entire roadway - about 26 miles - was actually a bridge.

 
It was also really flat and at sea level. I don't know how the place keeps from flooding at high tide.



More bridge off in the distance.

We stayed at a Wyndham in the Mount Pleasant area. This is apparently a separate city from Charleston but right next door, or something.

 

 

We've actually gone to hotels and demanded our money back
after checking out the rooms. Or as long-time readers may recall, once
we simply turned around and drove back home.

We were happy with our accommodations, which is often an obstacle for us. So whew. That was over with. We were there and could unpack.

Sunday Stealing: Random

From Sunday Stealing

Really Random Meme

Do you believe that Walt Disney is really frozen? A. You mean like in the movie Frozen or the rumor that his head is frozen somewhere? No, I don't believe his head is frozen somewhere. Although I suppose it could be. People with money do some weird things.

Do you believe its easy to forgive and forget? A. It is not easy. Doable, but not easy. It is easier to forgive than to forget. There are some things one should not forget.

When you feel like running away from it all who do you call? A. Ghostbusters.

Is there anyone who knows your entire life story? A. Yes.

Have you had to have stitches at all in the last year?  A. Not in the last year.

Which is coming next: Christmas or your birthday? A. A visit from St. Nicholas is next.

Have you ever been a clown for Halloween? A. Not that I can recall. I was a tramp once. However, I am sure that in a parallel universe, somewhere, at some time, I was a clown. Scientific theories suggest this is so.

What time did you go to bed last night? A. About 9 p.m.

When did you get up this morning? A. About 7 a.m.

When was the last time it rained? A. It is pouring at the moment.

Are your finger nails painted at the moment? A. I never paint my nails.

Do you ever go hunting/fishing? A. I have, but it has been a long time.

Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? A. Yes, several of them.

Which parent do you look most like? A. It depends on my mood.

Do you have any friends who are famous? A. I have met many famous people during my lifetime.

Do you use eBay to buy or sell? A. Occasionally.

Is music a daily part of your life? A. I play the guitar and love music. So yes, it is a part of my life almost daily.

Is your self esteem high or low? A. Lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.
__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.