Day (9/24/11) - The Battery and Bridge Walk

A visit to Charleston is not complete without walking along The Battery and Rainbow Row.  So, on our final day, we braved the humidity and occasional rain showers and walked along the waterfront marveling at the gorgeous, lavish mansions lining the harbor.  From the river walk, we could also see Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, Fort Moultrie, and Sullivan's Island off in the distance.  Before leaving, we strolled through White Point Gardens, a park located at the southernmost point of the Charleston peninsula that is bordered by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers.  While the boys climbed on the disabled Civil War-era cannons, Mike and I relaxed in the shade.  There is something so quintessentially southern about oak trees drooping with Spanish moss and palmettos.

Although we weren't quite ready to leave, we had to check out of hotel.  This is what it takes for the Mann family to go on a 9-day vacation!  Imagine if we had girls instead of boys!

When I lived in Mt. Pleasant, I had to drive over the Cooper River Bridge every day for work.  It had extremely narrow lanes, no median between northbound and southbound traffic, and no shoulders or emergency lanes.  Plus, it scored a 4 out of 100 for safety and integrity.  Talk about a white-knuckle drive!  The year after I left, construction began for the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, connecting Mt. Pleasant to downtown Charleston.  The new bridge also includes a bicycle and pedestrian path, which runs along the south side of the bridge.  Mike encouraged us to walk to the top of the bridge, hoping to see incredible views of the Charleston Harbor.  Although it was hot and humid (upper 80s), we had to carry both boys in both directions, and the summit was 186 feet above the Cooper River, it was well worth the effort!   

 

After that, everyone was exhausted.  Although we were sad to leave Charleston, we knew we needed to get on the road.  Our goal was to make it to Jacksonville, FL for the night, leaving only a couple hour drive on Sunday.  That way we'd reach Port Canaveral in time for the start of boarding on the Disney cruise.  I do hope it's not another 10 years before I return to Charleston though!