Fort Sumter

What trip to Charleston would be complete without a visit to Fort Sumter? The admission to the fort was free; however, the only way to get there was on an approved ferry that was not free.... oh well, a boat ride through the bay - what could be wrong with that?

We arrived a couple hours early and saw the multitude of school buses lining the street. What a relief when we saw the youngsters entering the aquarium next door. By the time we moved outside of the museum to join the ferry queue the teeming, writhing mass of children had taken up station near the gangway for priority boarding. One hundred puny pirates stormed the ship before a single paying adult was allowed on to search for a seat. In this 3 level game of musical chairs I was the loser. We found a single seat for De Anne, but I spent the trip reacquiring my sea legs.

 Fort Sumter was a little disappointing in comparison to some other forts we have toured. De Anne pointed out that unlike some of my favorite forts that saw little or no fighting, this one had been bombarded into a pile of rubble. Point well taken.

 Our ferry docked at the Fort with the Bay bridge in the background:

It was originally 3 stories tall, until 158 years ago today (April 12th)

On the return trip a sailboat race:

At the Charleston dock - looking across at the retired carrier Yorktown:

By the time we disembarked I was ready to kiss the ground. While the horde of kiddies was somewhat behaved, every once in a while a child would sneak up behind me and, for no discernible reason, emit a bloodcurdling shriek. I mentioned to De Anne that I was becoming a grouchy old man and was dismayed at the speed of her total agreement. I must accept my role.