Charleston, SC is one of those places that most of us not only have some vague awareness of, but also some mythical vision of what it might be like. How many old movies have you seen based around the Americas and the American Civil war that don't refer to Charleston in some way. I mean, if you have seen Gone with the Wind, you will most certainly have some knowledge of the place. I can hear Scarlett cooing "Oh Ashley!" and I am already drifting off to some old antebellum plantation among the oaks and Spanish moss.Well, Charleston sits on a lovely peninsula with the Ashley River on one side, and the Cooper River on the other. Founded in 1670 in honour of King Charles the II of England, it was, on the eve of the American Civil War, one of the wealthiest cities in the country. It was the hub of trade for deerskin, tea, silk, rice, indigo and cotton. That industry relied heavily on slave labour who were the primary labour force not only on plantations but also within the city working as domestics, artisans, markets workers etc. Consequently, the Port of Charleston was also a primary harbour for the unloading of slaves who were sold in the old slave markets dotted around the city.
Slavery, along with arguments around State's rights and problems with the economy were the catalysts which led to the first shots of the Civil War being fired. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Within four years, Charleston was a shadow of her former self. The war, coupled with devastating fires, years of shelling, a deadly earthquake in 1886, and then the great depression beginning in 1929, pretty much left Charleston in a tragic state.
It wasn't really until the late 1970s that tourism arrived and began to give a boost to the ailing economy of the area, and restoration of the city's beautiful old buildings and streets capes began.
So what you see today is a city still undergoing significant change. Much of the downtown and French Quarter is beautifully restored giving a sense of its bygone magnificence and slowly other inner city suburbs are following suit. So there is plenty of walking to be done just in the this area alone. Fortunately, there are wonderful restaurants, bars and the like to provide sustenance as you wander along the beautiful streets and throughout the fantastic artisan shops and boutiques. And the food of the Low Country is amazing!
But a visit to this area wouldn't be complete without a trek to one of the sea islands, or some kayaking on the swamps, or a visit to Fort Sumter, or a tour into the Gullah history and culture of the area. 
It really is a fascinating place with so much history both tragic and remarkable and I only wish I had more time there, particularly so as to explore the Low Country around the city and to learn more about the Indian and Slave history of the area. But I am grateful for the brief exposure to this wonderful city and perhaps....I may wander back into the Carolina's one day!
