Fort Sumter.  Familiar to all students of American history, the fort is located in opening to the channel across from Charleston.  The first shots of the American Civil War were fired by Confederate forces firing on the fortress in April 1861.  But this is not Fort Sumter.  Ubiquitous signs in Charleston direct visitors to the Fort Sumter visitors center where you can take the ferry to the historic site, far off in the distance.  But from the shore along Charleston’s tree-lined streets, the fort pictured is clearly visible and we, like probably most visitors, assumed it was Fort Sumter.  Not so.  It’s Castle Pinckney.  Not very notable in the annals of American history, but it certainly provides a unique foreground juxtaposed against an incoming container ship.

From the cobblestone streets to the brightly painted shutters, Charleston is reminiscent of the Old World.  And no stroll is complete until you’ve passed one of the numerous historic and picturesque churches such as St. Phillip’s Church, pictured below, fittingly located on Church St.

The Charleston City Market provides ample opportunity to interact with local artisans who have passed down their skill from generation to generation.

Like many cities, Charleston uses blank wall space as an artist’s canvas.  This life-size piece is located on East Bay St.

From a balcony at the South Carolina Aquarium you can watch the tugboats hard at work, speeding out to meet ships and rotating them on a dime as they prepare to park in the adjacent port.  Dolphins occasionally frolick in the tug’s wake.

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Read Charleston, South Carolina (Part I): The Guts of a City here.