After a hiatus in 2020, my travel buddy and I resumed our travel adventures with a trip in November 2021. Destination: Charleston, SC! Apparently, Erin and I have themes with our destinations, our last trip having been Boston in 2019. We’re attracted to:
history
walkable cities
older architecture
costal locations
a connection to tea
Stunning descent into Charleston.
We rented a lovely Airbnb in northwestern Charleston.
Charleston Tea Garden
Our first stop of the day was the Charleston Tea Garden. Located on Wadmalaw Island, this is the only place in North America where tea is grown. We took the video tour of the tea factory and learned that green and black tea both come from the same tea leaf. The way the leaves are processed determines whether the tea is black or green.
We also took the trolley tour, which carried us through some of the tea fields, out to the greenhouse, and past their unique harvester. The harvester allows them to operate with a fraction of the manpower used by other tea gardens around the world.
The Angel Oak Tree & St. John’s Parish Church
Our next stop was the Angel Oak Tree. The tree itself is incredible - over 400 years old, 28 feet in circumference. The photos don’t do it justice. But I’ll be honest, I found this experience was the least special of our trip. The sheer number of signs asking visitors to refrain from harming the tree detracted from the wonder. A chainlink fence surrounds the area and the spot was probably the most obviously touristy of our trip.
We spent actually spent more time on the grounds of St. John’s Parish Church, down the road from the Angel Oak. We traced generations of the same families through the cemetery and marveled at the decades upon decades of history represented. A church was first built on this site in 1735. This spot was far more beautiful and impactful for me.
Charleston’s Historic District
We decided to explore Charleston’s historic district next. At the top of my list was photographing this area, and I particularly wanted sunshine for the photos. The forecast was a little uncertain later in the week, so we decided to take advantage of the weather and make a brief exploration of The Battery, ahead of further investigation later in the week.
Unlike Boston, we rented a car for part of this trip, and I’m so glad we did. A few of our sites were outside of Charleston proper and having our own set of wheels was a luxury.
Folly Beach
Our last stop of the day was Folly Beach for sunset. Generally, I’m not much of a beach person, but I love being on the coast, especially in the late afternoon and early evening. We watched the waves as the sun set - a happy , peaceful end the first day’s adventures.
