Charleston, SC

We had been to Charleston one other time a few years ago and loved it so we were very excited to get back.  Luckily, it did not disappoint. It was still just as beautiful and charming as we remembered. 
Of course we still had to deal with rain but there were a few days without the wet stuff so we got to explore. 
What you may not know is that I am a huge fan of HGTV and a show on there called "House Hunters".  I had watched an episode in the past about a couple trying to find a house on Isle of Palms.  I had to go there since we were so close in proximity.  Let me just say now, I LOVE ISLE OF PALMS! :)  It is a beautiful, little beach town that I wouldn't mind exploring more of and for a lot longer.  The beach is not over commercialized and the water is warm!  I could go on and on but I'll stop now. 
Over the next few days we went into Charleston.  We toured the USS Yorktown which is a recommissioned ship of the Yorktown that was sunk in the battle of the Midway in WWII.  It had so much information and a lot of very cool aircraft.  After touring we caught a ferry over to Ft. Sumter which is the original fort that was fired upon to start the Civil War.  We saw the walls that still have cannonball indents and some of the bricks that still have fingerprints from the slaves that helped to build it.  SO much history.  Another day we shopped a little (to Gary's chagrin) and took a carriage ride through historic downtown.  The most interesting thing I learned on the tour is that the horses that pull the carriages are very well cared for.  ;) They get 6 weeks of vacation time a year and after one tour they get to go to the spa.  :)  After exploring some more of downtown we heard a lot of thunder and saw some lightning so we decided to duck into 5 Church for a drink.  5 Church is a VERY cool restaurant and bar that is right in the heart of the tourist district.  It is an old church that has been converted and the most impressive part about it is that the ceiling is a chalkboard upon which the book, "The Art of War" is written on and parts of the Declaration of Independence.  How cool is that??
Our last day there we drove out to another place I had heard about on HGTV ;) called Kiawah Island.  It was only an hour's drive away and it was a beautiful drive.  What we didn't know until we got there is the majority of the island is gated off and you have to have a pass to get in.  Hahaha!  We were a bit shocked but it was still a pretty area to see.
The whole Charleston area is gorgeous, the people are friendly and there is so much history.  It is definitely an area we will be visiting again.