| South Carolina is a state that I should have explored every corner of since I lived there for several years during my time in the military. Unfortunately back then I was too closed minded to explore my own country and I suppose even if I wasn't the restrictions and long hours I put in with the Marines gave little opportunity to do much adventures. I have returned twice as a tourist which gave me a whole new appreciation and experience but also some regret I did not do more in the past. To me, South Carolina has always been about historic cities, palm trees, and hot subtropical beaches. I have always stuck along the coast and have yet to visit the western part of SC. |
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| North Carolina and even parts of Virgina have occasional palm trees, but South Carolina is the most northern state that has its coast entirely covered with palms. South Carolina's flag seen in the left photo is of a palm tree and the cresent moon. On the right are some wild palms in the southeastern part of the state, always a good feeling. |
| These pictures above are the only two I took during my time in the military. I was actually conscious a few days before leaving that I hadn't taken a single photograph in the area so at least I left with something. Above are examples of the swampy marshes of the Beaufort area where brackish waters cover most of the land. They don't smell too good when the tide pulls out and the sediment is exposed. |
| A more family oriented beach called Hilton Head Island is located at the south eastern most region of South Carolina. This area was close to where I was stationed in the Marines and is always nice to visit. Hilton Head is an expensive area with large private beach houses and many resorts. The above photos were taken in December so you can see that even in winter time you can enjoy the beach, just might not want to stay in the water too long! Below is a large beach house and a blurry shot I took of a dolphin that was cruising by. |
| The large hotel on the upper left is one of the many options to stay at the beach. I don't ever remember Hilton Head getting very packed, even in the summer times. The common beach store on the right is the same as ones all over the US, this one sold live turtles for $20 a piece. |
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| If you could only visit one place in South Carolina I'd suggest Charleston. Not only is it the state's best city but also one of America's best on the eastern coast. Charleston was founded in 1680 by English proprietors under King Charles II. The city had a difficult start, with constant attacks by Native Americans, attempted invasions by French and Spanish fleets, and even raids by Pirates. Today the city has actually been rated the best mannered city in the USA. I would agree with that, as everyone I came in contact with was extremely friendly. After the US declared independence from the UK, the building on the left was used to store consficated tea making it a target for the British. |
| Large churches were also targeted at night by British warships so in turn the citizens of Charleston pained the steeples black for camoflauge at night. There are dozens of historic places of interest throughout Charleston that I will have to visit on another trip. The city has many interesting areas such as the French Quarters, the Battery, a large down town area at the intersections of King and Market streets and even several beaches close by. |
| I did visit the old neighborhood known as the Battery which is located at the southern most point of Charleston. The Battery is a scenic neighborhood with several parks and some enormous colonial mansions. Some of these go for as high as 7 million dollars! Historically, the Battery is most known for being the site of where pirates were executed. Around 29 pirates were allegedly hanged here in the 1700s. Above are two examples of some of the typical homes you'll see in the Battery. There is also a luxury hotel located in the neighborhood. |
| I spent July 4th 2009 in Charleston and watched the fireworks from the Battery. Honestly I don't think this was the best vantage point at all, most of the fireworks seemed to be closer to the shore across the sound. On the left are the crowds gathering to watch the firework show, the right shows the private boats out in the water enjoying the celebration as well. |
| The two above photos show the famous Citadel in downtown Charleston. Founded in 1842, the citadel is one of the most famous military colleges in the United States. As a matter of fact, cadets from this citadel fired shots at a federal ship back in 1861, the first shots of America's bloody civil war. Today there are about 2,000 cadets enrolled at a time at the citadel with an additional 1,000 civilians. |
| At the mouth of the cooper river just outside of Charleston is the Naval and Maritime museum known as Patriot Point. The museum of course mostly focuses on its 4 large naval ships and 25 aircraft, but also has an ashore replica of a naval support base in Vietnam. |
| In the day time of July 4th I visited Patriot Point with some of my friends from Virginia. The small festival they had on the right included live music, food, and some fun family oriented activities. The large ships on the left include a US Coast Gaurd Cutter and a US Navy Destroyer with a submarine nearby. The dock on the upper right leads down the to USS Yorktown aircraft carrier that was used during world war II with two photos of the ship below. The F/A 18 on the lower left sits on top of the flight deck of the Yorktown. The F/A 18 is actually the same aircraft I used to work on when I was in the Marines from 99 to 04. I spent about 9 months of my life living on an aircraft carrier, so it's always interesting to visit one. Had I been into photography back then I'm sure I could have gotten some amazing action shots of our deployment overseas. Many parts of the USS Yorktown are open for exploration, and the hangar bay also has more aircrafts on display. |
| The small island on the left is the home of the abandoned Fort Sumter. The fort was founded just after the British War of 1812, but its significance wasn't until the first shots where fired here during America's civil war. South Carolina was the first state to declare independence from USA and attempted to negotiate a peace treaty. USA refused to recognize South Carolina as a new country and maintained its troops that were in Fort Sumter. After additional talks failed and food was beginning to run low, a supply ship named Star of the West was sent by the federal government to Fort Sumter to replenish the island. Under order |
| Other items that you can find in South Carolina but are illegal in most other states are firecrackers. Literally as soon as you cross the border from North Carolina on I-95 you'll come across a rest stop area known as South of the Border. This is not a place anyone would ever plan to visit, but it's usually worth stopping by as you're passing through on the highway. South of the Border is pretty small overall but has a few amusement type rides, a 24 hour restaurant, some beach and camping stores for those doing road trips and probably the largest supply of fireworks in the US. The top right is a firework 'super market, the lower left Big Bang is a $700 package deal on the border of being a bomb. |
| There are many swamps and ponds in Myrtle Beach that have nice restaurants and shops built over the water that are interconnected by floating docks and piers. Above is one of the biggest in the center of the city that also includes a hard rock cafe, planet holiday and several attractions. Growing up, I had always visited Barefoot Landing which is in northern Myrtle Beach. The ponds are also filled with turtles and giant catfish with fish food available for sail on the dock. On the upper right is the feeding frenzy caused by throwing in a little food. |
| After Charleston, the second most popular destination in South Carolina is probably Myrtle Beach. I went here several times growing up and always remember having a lot of fun. Returning as an adult was a pretty different experience, I hadn't been here in over 10 years. The above photos show the main street along beach that has all your typical beach attractions and entertainers. The guy above on the right is from Ripley's believe it or not museum, which have several of them located in Myrtle Beach. |
| The left hand photo is some of the night life areas in Myrtle beach. In the immediate area you're allowed to walk around and openly drink instead of being forced to stay in the bar/club that you're in. Myrtle beach definitely has a wild and crazy side. There are many stores that sell things that would otherwise be illegal in other states. I remember visiting the beach at 15 and my friend buying a stun gun which you would have to be 18 in any other places. Below are bongs and drugs that are legal in South Carolina for sale. The salvia is something I never heard of until recently but is illegal in most states. Supposedly it has the effect of entering a new dimension and can be a terrifying experience that lasts for about 10 minutes. I'm not sure what the those special cigarettes will do but it's amazing how these things are legal in South Carolina. |
| M-2000s, M80s and other firecrackers that are illegal in the rest of the country are sold at South of the Border. You can also even buy mortars that are used on July 4th. |
| If going crazy at Myrtle Beach or launching mortars from South of the Border isn't your thing there are plenty of quiet coastal towns along South Carolina that you might find more enjoyable. The small town of Georgetown is located between Myrtle Beach and Charleston and has a historic waterfront that is a fun place to visit. Above is the main dock along the water with a upper class restaurant covered in Ivy. Below are some of the restaurants that I thought where nicely built and fun to explore. |
| The swamps are a good place to find wildlife and extend along the entire state's coast from North Carolina south to Georgia. Animals range from water fowl to the American alligator and even include black bears. The surrounding photos show a ground bird above, a large pelican in flight and a painted turtle below. The painted turtle was a common animal sold at pet stores and are abundant in the wild. |
| Just like seeing a lion in Africa or a grizzly bear in Alaska, spotting an alligator in South Carolina is the highlight of an outdoor trip. Alligators are actually pretty common along the coast and if you're seeking one out they shouldn't be too hard to find. This alligator on the left was actually seen back in Georgetown swimming along the docks. Some American alligators in South Carolina have been captured at over 14 feet in length! This one was only about 4, just a kid. |
| from a general, cadets from the Citadel were ordered to open fire on the supply ship named the Star of the West which was forced to turn around and retreat. In response, Abraham Lincoln sent reinforcements and later the battle of Fort Sumter began, the first engagement that sparked the civil war between the north and the south. |