Four-Day Tour of Charleston

Day 1 First Walks Near Anchorage Inn at 26 Vendue Range:  Exterior of the Inn, Waterfront Park and Fountain, 
St. Philips Episcopal Church, Cobblestone street, 
Pink House Gallery, Old Slave Mart Museum.
Day 2 Horse carriage tour of the Historic District: 
French Quarter and South of Broad Maps, South of Broad Mansions, Miles Brewton House, Two Meeting Street Inn, Calhoun Mansion, First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, George Washington Park, Circular Congregational Church, Horse-drawn Carriages.
Day 3, Part 1 Magnolia Gardens Plantation: Beautiful flowers, huge live oaks and cypress trees hung with Spanish Moss, black reflecting marsh ponds, signature plantation bridge.
Day 3, Part 2 Magnolia Gardens Plantation: Slave quarters, alligator in marsh, across marsh reeds to the woods, moss close-up, magnificently spreading tree, plantation mansion from several angles, expansive views from its veranda.
Day 4, Part 1 Self-guided tour in the French Quarter:
French Quarter Map, Old Exchange House, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Washington Park, Postal Museum, City Hall, Charleston County Courthouse, Interior of St. Michael's Church, George Washington's Pew 43
Day 4, Part 2 Self-Guided Walking Tour South of Broad:
South of Broad Map, Cemetery at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, Tourists in carriages, Calhoun House alley, Huge tree at Two Meeting Street Inn, West Point Gardens: Gazebo, Cannons, 1775 Army of Revolution Monument, Massive array of sailboats.

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Charleston, Day 3, Part 1 of 2
Magnolia Gardens Plantation: Beautiful flowers,
huge live oaks and cypress trees hung with Spanish Moss,
black reflecting marsh ponds, signature plantation bridge.

April 19, 2012

Posted June 28, 2012,  ©2012 Herbert E. Lindberg

On the third day we took a package tour bus to Magnolia Plantation for a 3-hour tour of this most popular tourist plantation in Charleston. The round trip and tour consumed most of the day but it was well worth the price (50 bucks each) and time. We didn't see any camellias, because either a bus tour group is rushed or they don't appear in mid April.  Azaleas came early this year in the warm early spring, so we didn't see them, either. Still, there was lots to see that was uniquely southern plantation, which was my prime interest on this first trip to The South.


Magnolia Gardens Plantation

The video below is posted on the Gardens' website. High definition is available (click on the gear in the control bar and select 720p or 1080p, depending on your Internet connection speed). The website host server is very fast so you won't have much waiting. Select full screen in the control bar.   When the subject goes on to animals there isn't much more of interest in the video for our purpose here.


We began with a walking tour of the gardens. 


Picturesque foot bridge across a marsh.


I lagged behind the group to take pictures.


The moss-covered trees along the path at the Ashley River tell us we're in The South.


There's a lot of colonial history in The South.


Magnolia Gardens Plantation's signature bridge nestled in the marsh.


Crop zoom into the above photo.


More of the trees and marsh in the foreground.


Closer view of the bridge with a woman from our tour group kindly posing.


Zoomed view.


Crop into the zoom.  Hope she gets to see this photo.


Formal part of the gardens.


Gazebo under the moss.



Huge 1000-year-old moss-covered live oak.  Our tour group is dwarfed at its base (Mary in jeans).

Looking up into the Spanish moss.
Spanish-moss, also called Florida moss, Southern moss, long moss, or graybeard, is not a true moss. It is an epiphytic
plant, which grows on another plant but does not rely on the host plant for nutrients; epiphytes make their own food.

 

If anyone knows this beautiful flower please let me know what it is.
The wet leaves are from intermitent sprinkles; we all carried umbrellas.

 

Obligatory statues were scattered here and there, and needed upkeep.

Four-Day Tour of Charleston

Day 1 First Walks Near Anchorage Inn at 26 Vendue Range:  Exterior of the Inn, Waterfront Park and Fountain, 
St. Philips Episcopal Church, Cobblestone street, 
Pink House Gallery, Old Slave Mart Museum.
Day 2 Horse carriage tour of the Historic District: 
French Quarter and South of Broad Maps, South of Broad Mansions, Miles Brewton House, Two Meeting Street Inn, Calhoun Mansion, First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, George Washington Park, Circular Congregational Church, Horse-drawn Carriages.
Day 3, Part 1 Magnolia Gardens Plantation: Beautiful flowers, huge live oaks and cypress trees hung with Spanish Moss, black reflecting marsh ponds, signature plantation bridge.
Day 3, Part 2 Magnolia Gardens Plantation: Slave quarters, alligator in marsh, across marsh reeds to the woods, moss close-up, magnificently spreading tree, plantation mansion from several angles, expansive views from its veranda.
Day 4, Part 1 Self-guided tour in the French Quarter:
French Quarter Map, Old Exchange House, St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Washington Park, Postal Museum, City Hall, Charleston County Courthouse, Interior of St. Michael's Church, George Washington's Pew 43
Day 4, Part 2 Self-Guided Walking Tour South of Broad:
South of Broad Map, Cemetery at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, Tourists in carriages, Calhoun House alley, Huge tree at Two Meeting Street Inn, West Point Gardens: Gazebo, Cannons, 1775 Army of Revolution Monument, Massive array of sailboats.

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