Tryon Palace first served as a meeting place for the colonial assembly and a residence for the Royal Governor of North Carolina. All the buildings are reconstructed buildings except the stables. The Palace is a gorgeous Georgian architecture with exquisite furnishings and a garden beautifully manicured with a diversity of plants which are said to be native to the river edges of coastal North Carolina. And with the aim to give visitors a better museum experience, Tryon Palace opened the The North Carolina History Center complete with the state-of-the-art interactive technology and living history programs.
Tryon Palace, New Bern, North Carolina
closer view of Tryon Palace in New Bern, North Carolina
the kitchen at Tryon Palace, also a restored structure
the building to the far right is the Palace’s stable, the only original structure that has survived
the stables, the only original structure in the palace that has survived
the dovecote at Tryon Palace, New Bern, North Carolina
Tryon Palace and Gardens, New Bern, North Carolina
Tryon Palace and Gardens, New Bern, North Carolina
the archway inside the Tryon Palace and Gardens, New Bern, North Carolina
a statue inside the Tryon Palace and Gardens, New Bern, North Carolina
a statue inside the Tryon Palace and Gardens, New Bern, North Carolina
a little garden behind one of the homes that George Washington stayed in Tryon Palace, New Bern, North Carolina
hubby and I at Tryon Palace and Gardens, New Bern, North Carolina
my mom and dad-in-law at Tryon Palace, New Bern, North Carolina
North Carolina History Center, New Bern
view of Trent River from North Carolina History Center
Charleston, South Carolina is a three-hour drive from where we are currently living, Fayetteville, North Carolina. It is always exciting to discover this city and driving for hours doesn’t really seem to matter. It has been hubby’s “home” from 2000-2005 and it has become one of our favorites after our two visits since we got married. There is so much this city can offer. We have been to the colorful and beautiful downtown Charleston and even tried one of their ghost tours, awed at the aquatic displays at South Carolina Aquarium, reconnected with the past in Magnolia Plantation, stalked some alligators at Audobon Swamp Garden, learned about war batteries at Fort Moultrie, met the Hunley at Charleston Museum, and said hello to Sullivan Island Lighthouse. This time, we are geared to do the Charleston Harbor Cruise. It was an hour and a half tour showcasing the beauty of Charleston aboard the General Beauregard vessel. It was an entirely different way to appreciate the city and it surely was one of the most unforgettable.
I am inlove with Charleston, again. It didn’t come as a surprise.
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, also known as the New Cooper River Bridge
View while waiting for the harbor tour at the docks
Where do we go from here?
Waiting at the docks for the Harbor Cruise to start
View of South Carolina Aquarium aboard The General Beauregard Harbor Cruise
View of Charleston Waterfront Park aboard The General Beauregard Harbor Cruise
View of Charleston Waterfront Park with the Pineapple Fountain aboard The General Beauregard Harbor Cruise
The beautiful pastel buildings as seen aboard the The General Beauregard Harbor Cruise
View of Fort Sumter aboard the The General Beauregard Harbor Cruise, where the Civil War started
I have an eye (and heart) for lighthouses and my old post about the old Mackinac Point Lighthouse is one proof. While in Charleston, South Carolina, we visited the Sullivan Island Lighthouse. It is not the prettiest lighthouse I have seen but definitely one of the most unique lighthouses in America and that is a beauty itself. It resembles more an air traffic controller tower than a lighthouse, known for its unique triangular shape. It is also the only lighthouse known to be using an elevator instead of the typical spiral staircase found in most lighthouses.
Sullivan Island Lighthouse, the lighthouse that resembles more an air traffic controller tower than a lighthouse, known for its unique triangular shape.
My curiosity over the H.L. Hunley submarine started when hubby and I watched the show “Mysteries at the Museum” and it left me awed. It was not America’s first submarine but the third. The first submarine was named Pioneer and the second submarine was named the American Diver, sometimes referred to as the Pioneer II. H.L. Hunley, however, is the first submarine to successfully sink an enemy ship in a combat. It has a long history of mystery, which was uncovered in 2000 after 131 years underwater.
Hunley was first called “the fish boat” or “the fish torpedo boat”, almost 40 feet in length and a width of almost four feet and weighed approximately seven and a half tons. This hand-powered vessel was designed to carry a crew of nine – eight to power it and the ninth to control navigation. It had sunk twice during its training missions, killing crews including Captain Horace Lawson Hunley, one of its original investors, but recovered in the hope of perfecting the submarine again and again. On its third mission, the Confederate submarine Hunley successfully sank the Union ship Housatonic but it has not returned from its mission which mystified everyone. After 131 years, the Hunley was uncovered and the remains of the crew were found in their assigned positions. Research has found that there was no panic at the time it went down. Why the submarine sunk remains a mystery until today. One theory is that the men did not drown but ran out of oxygen. On April 17, 2004, the men were buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston next to the other crewmen who had drowned on the submarine. The Hunley remains at the Warren Lasch Conservatory at present. But a replica of the Hunley is located in front of the Charleston Museum.
Replica of the Hunley in front of the Charleston Museum
Hubby in front of the replica of the Hunley outside Charleston Museum
Hubby had lived in Charleston, South Carolina from 2000-2005. Our first visit to Charleston together was July of this year. About two weeks ago, we have decided to give this beautiful palmetto city another hello. We are meeting his old colleague for lunch at Perfectly Frank’s in Summerville, SC which Guy Fieri of Food Network featured on his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but the tricky part is not knowing what else to do after that. That afternoon we found ourselves strolling around Fort Moultrie at Sullivans Island.
Perfectly Franks in Summerville, South Carolina
Fort Moultrie Visitor Center
Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina
Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina
Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina
Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina
One of the batteries at Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina
Some batteries at Fort Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina
Day 2 at American Le Mans Series at Virginia International Raceway and I was pretty sure I could hear the angry roar of race machines in my head from the previous day’s race practice. But this day is no day to fret because the VIR 240 Race starts at 2:30 pm to last for 4 straight hours. It was streamed live with a coverage available on ESPN. Our morning was spent stalking race drivers and crews at their pit stations. It was super cool to get up close and personal. We were very lucky to be able to chat with Beth Chryst, sponsored by beatbyagirl.org, who made me truly proud as a woman to see her in the race track. We also had a warm conversation with Miles Maroney and his dad who revealed that Miles started racing at age 4!
This 9th round of the race was won by the insanely fast Muscle Milk Pickett Racing pair of Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf.
open wheels at the pit station at ALMS-VIR 2012
with Beth Chryst of beatbyagirl.org (center) and our good friend Jane Toney (right) ALMS-VIR 2012
with Miles Maroney (center) and hubby (left) at VIR pit station ALMS-VIR 2012
open wheel at ALMS-VIR 2012
who wants a golden GTC?
Prototype 2 and a Lotus Evora GT at ALMS-VIR 2012
Prototype 2 of Level 5 Motorsports at ALMS-VIR 2012
Prototype 1 #16 Dyson Racing Team at ALMS-VIR 2012
#48 Porsche 911 GT3 at ALMS-VIR 2012
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Henzler/Sellers at ALMS-VIR 2012
#02 Extreme Speed Motorsports Patron Ferrari 458GT at ALMS-VIR 2012
#02 Extreme Speed Motorsports Patron Ferrari 458GT at ALMS-VIR 2012
Prototype 2 of Conquest Endurance Team at ALMS-VIR 2012
Prototype Challenge of Taken 2 team at ALMS-VIR 2012
ALMS-VIR 2012 pit station
the pretty faces of Falken at ALMS-VIR 2012
ALMS-VIR 2012, view from the Oak Hill
All these cars are too fast and our camera had a hard time coping with their speed. This is my only decent photo of Muscle Milk P1, the winner of American Le Mans Series 9th round, taken at the Oak Tree Hill.
the winner of ALMS-VIR 2012 9th round, Muscle Milk taken from Oak Tree Hill
hubby and I enjoying American Le Mans Series 9th round at Virginia International Raceway 2012
hubby and his MR at ALMS-VIR 2012
our good friend Jonathan Toney at ALMS-VIR 2012
And just in case you are wondering how these cars look when stripped naked, here:
#8 Merchant Services Racing Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet getting naked
Lotus No. 23 Evora GT getting naked at the pit station
Originally a freshwater reservoir for rice fields, this 60 acre piece of Magnolia Plantation was converted into a habitat for wildlife. Named after John James Audubon, the famous naturalist and hunter known for his paintings of birds and was once a guest of the Reverend John Drayton, then owner of Magnolia Plantation, Audubon Swamp Garden offers a unique viewing experience through dikes and bridges keeping you up and close to natural flora and fauna. Enjoy the 45-minute self guided walk and listen to the music of the swamp but keep an eye on the alligators lurking in the water just few steps away and discover what other charms Charleston has to offer.
Entrance to Audubon Swamp Garden
Audubon Swamp Garden
Music of the swamp at Audubon Swamp Garden
A statue at Audubon Swamp Garden
Alligator sightings at Audubon Swamp Garden, Charleston
I had my first taste of turkey leg at Michigan Renaissance Faire. They said that you have never really been at the Renaissance Faire if you have not had this. Whoever said that is right and truly knows how perfect this turkey leg is. The festive smokey scent seems to follow us the entire day. Hubby laughed at how small my face looked next to the meat which I agree.
turkey leg at Michigan Renaissance Faire
In every corner at the faire, someone is shouting “pickles”. I was not a fan of pickles until this day that the faire made me.
pickles at Michigan Renaissance Faire
There are no rules really, but the proper drinking etiquette at the faire is the use of horns as your drinking glasses. That is why you see nearly everyone tagging a horn with them, though they make a good aesthetic use, they are tagged for a reason.
using horns as glasses at Michigan Renaissance Faire
There are hundreds and hundres of food varities at the faire to choose from at a fairly good rate. But dining at the Blackstone Castle Cafe is a real royal treat. The food is great and the ambiance is classic. If you cannot appreciate the castle’s beauty with a harp playing while you dine, then my friend, there is something wrong with you :)
food and drink shops at Michigan Renaissance Faire
Blackstone Castle Cafe at Michigan Renaissance Faire
menu at Blackstone Castle Cafe at Michigan Renaissance Faire
