Blue Angels & Boone Hall Plantation

On April 17 Donna and I drove to Charleston to see the Blue Angels perform and to visit Boone Hall Plantation. The Blue Angels performed over Charleston Harbor, and we watched from Patriots Point on the Mt. Pleasant side. We got there just in time for the beginning of the show, which ran from 2:00 until around 3:00. This was my first time ever seeing the group, and I was absolutely blown away by the speed, sound, and precision. Those F16s are LOUD! It was an incredible hour, and I had a grin in my face the entire time; I felt like a little kid!













Lots of folks watched the show from their boats


The U.S.S. Yorktown, on display at Patriots Point


From there we headed a few miles down the road to Boone Hall Plantation, which dates back to 1681. The nearly mile-long drive lined with live oaks was planted in 1743. What a vision it was to plant that! If only the planters could see it now.





The actual home is relatively new, built in 1936 to replace the older home that was in a bad state of disrepair. Being relatively new, it employees pieces and parts of various schools of architecture, making it a very interesting building. We toured the inside but were unable to take photos.





There is a row of 9 original slave cabins that date back to 1790 and a smoke house that dates back to 1750, all of which are in remarkable condition.

The slave cabins




And the smoke house


In its heyday, Boone Hall Plantation was home to the world's largest pecan grove, but Hurricane Hugo in 1989 wiped out the marjority of the trees.

A couple more shots from around the grounds; I love the undulating brick wall.




By then we had worked up a good appetite, so we paid a visit to Jack's Cosmic Dogs, the restaurant that, according to Alton Brown, "serves up the best hot dogs I've ever had. Ever." It's a tiny little place that's easy to miss if you're not looking for it, but it's certainly worth seeking out. The atmosphere is fun, the employees are very friendly, and the hot dogs are unique and very good. I had one with chili, onions, and some of their famous sweet potato mustard, which was very tasty, along with some of their excellent fries.



Not quite ready to head back home, we drove out to the Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island for a bit of exploring. We stopped at the Sullivan's Island lighthouse, the most modern lighthouse in the U.S., built in 1962. It is so modern, in fact, that it contains an elevator!



We then headed over to Ft. Moultrie and walked around its grounds as the sun was setting. Little-known fact: Edgar Allan Poe was stationed here from 1827-1828.





That was the perfect way to wrap up the day, so, sufficiently worn out, we headed back to Columbia.