Raleigh to Charleston - we're here!

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Quick note Allison wanted me to pass on: Last night, Allison made a run to the hotel market ... elevator stopped on the way down and a group of young men entered while talking with each other. One of them said 'Damn' to a companion before realizing Allison was in the elevator. He promptly apologized, obviously embarrassed, saying "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am" - Allison thought that was sweet. I thought it was hilarious knowing that Allison probably could have melted his ears with one of her strings of choice words ...

Stopped at Biscuitville before leaving Raleigh - it did not disappoint. (Almost as good as the ones from Celia's Kitchen).

We realized we must be in pork country as we passed places like Smithfield and the exit in the picture below.

Allison drove this leg of the trip to Charleston. Very hot - in the mid-90's all day.

Got to North Charleston about 2PM - went straight to see the HL Hunley exhibit that is only open on weekends. This was a Confederate civil war submarine, the first ever to sink a ship in war in 1864. It was powered by a captain and seven crew members turning hand cranks in an impossibly small space (48-inch *exterior* diameter). There was a long spar attached to the front, with a barbed end and a 'torpedo' that was a canister of explosives. They rammed the Union ship, to create a hole then backed up and detonated the torpedo remotely by pulling on a long rope. It worked, sinking the huge Union blockade ship USS Housatonic. The Hunley and crew were lost immediately after completing it's first and only mission - nobody knows why ... It was discovered in the Charleston harbor in 1996 and raised in 2000.

We went to the Charleston Visitor Center to book a carriage tour for tomorrow, then headed to the hotel just as a big ol' thunderstorm opened up on us.

Now, time to unpack, iron lots of clothes and get ready to go to the High Cotton Maverick restaurant.

Hope the Weaver's got home safely from their NYC weekend!

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Photos

Hunley replica
built for filming a movie about the Hunley. It is actually 10% larger than the real thing.

Hunley crew member
So, seven more people in there with Allison tuning those cranks ...

On our way to dinner
a bad photo attempt in the elevator mirror.

Comments

[JFC]

Just thinking of what Allison could have said to the kid, is making my ears melt! (Just kidding) Hope you have a ggod time, and be careful. More pictures.

[Chris]

Smithfield
Sorry, Smithfield North Carolina is not the Ham Smithfield, that's in Virginia. As recently as the late 60's there was a huge billboard on I-95 with a hooded klansman on a rampant horse saying "Welcome to Smithfield, Heart of Klan Country." Stef's good friend Jan lives in Smithfield. Keep on trucking

[AandJ in Charleston]

Smithfield
I guess I knew that, but I had ham on the mind after Biscuitville. and you can't deny 'Jones Sausage Road' !

[Jan Strevig]

What a look!
Boy, Allison - you look like you're absolutely thrilled to be in there.