We visited Charleston, SC again today. It's nice to get a "late" rental car for 2 days when we're here for 4 nights. We just pick it up mid-afternoon the 1st day and return it mid-afternoon the 3rd day so we really have a car for a good part of 3 days.

We went to the Heyward-Washington House, which was built in 1772 and is still, incredibly, pretty much in original condition from that period. It was owned by Thomas Heyward, a signor of the Declaration of Independence, and George Washington stayed here for a week or so in 1791. They have on display the original letter from President Washington thanking the Heywards for the use of their house. The rooms have been painted in the 1772 colors, but the faux grained wood paneling going up the stairs has the original 1772 paint!

The house is on lot #72 of the 1694 "Grande Modell" street plan for Charleston and the lot is the same size today as it was when it was first granted to an early Charleston inhabitant at that time. Therefore, it has a very deep yard with a garden in the back which is today taken u by this formal garden viewing the house from the rear. In the 1700s there would have been a much smaller garden and then room for horses, hay, vegetables, etc. The carriage house and stable is on the right and the kitchen and privy is on the left in this picture.

There is a truly spectacular collection of 18th century furniture in every room of the house, most of it made here in Charleston. This secretary breakfront which is deemed to be one of the finest pieces of American made furniture in existence anywhere today.

The Camellias were in bloom in the garden, the first we have seen. The individual flowers are so perfect that they look like Disney drawings of flowers.

Then we visited Market Street, which is the old downtown marketplace in historic Charleston. It was awful! There are large cruise ship docks at Charleston and the cruise ships disgorge hundreds of tourists that all come to see the typical tourist garbage sold in the old marketplace. It was crowded and uninteresting to say the least. T-shirts or snow globes, anyone? I'm surprised they didn't have pictures of Elvis painted on velvet.

We ate lunch at Tristan and we had the best crab cakes of the many we have tried so far on the East Coast. It was almost all lump crab meat magically held together by almost no stuffing and served on a sauce that melded with the crab beautifully with thin sweet potato shavings fried crisp. Yummm........ If you come to Charleston, eat here!