Our sojourn through South Carolina took us to Charleston, another beautiful and historic southern city. With a protected harbor, the city has been a trading port since pre-Revolutionary times. The Civil War began here, when Union troops fired the first shots from Fort Sumpter. Considering wars, fires, earthquakes and hurricanes, it is fortunate that so many historic buildings remain. Many have been beautifully restored and are now museums, tour destinations, bed and breakfasts, as well as single-family homes. Tourism is an important business here and restaurants abound. Diane ate her first plate of shrimp and grits—which she proclaimed delicious. One afternoon, we drove to Magnolia Gardens, a plantation owned by the Drayton family for hundreds of years, briefly occupied by the British during the Revolutionary War. The gardens were abloom with azaleas and camellias. We tour
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