What a fun way to get a visual overview of the city as well as a history lesson. 

Growing up in Indiana where structures built in the 1800s are considered very old (Indiana just became a state in 1816...until then it was mostly forest inhabited by Native Americans), it felt like I was visiting an ancient city.  Charleston was founded way back in 1670, one of the first New World settlements by British colonists. In 1672, Charles Town (as it was called in those days) was reported to have 30 houses and 200-300 settlers.

By 1700 Charles Town had grown into a major trading center, with plantations utilizing the growing influx of African slaves appearing inland along the rivers, and it soon became one of the wealthiest cities in colonial America.  Over the next 300 years, Charleston would survive the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, battles with native Indian tribes, many damaging hurricanes and ravaging fires, pirate invasions, a devastating earthquake, and about every disaster known to man. 

After our informative carriage ride, Kim and I spent the entire first day just walking the Charleston historic district, blocks filled with one gorgeous historic home after another. Very few are completely original...most homes were severely damaged or destroyed by fire or one of the many other disasters that beset Charleston over the past 3 centuries.  But they have been rebuilt or restored on original foundations and just stunning.

And very expensive.  No property, no matter how rundown (and there are very few of those), can be purchased in Charleston for under 7 figures....most are in the 8 or even 9 figure price range. Charleston is a city that loves to showcase its wealth.

Much elegant and exquisite ironwork throughout the city....

LOVE the vine-covered stairways!

In a city of formality, I found humor in the Rock City birdhouse...a little surprised that the very strict housing commission allows such middle-class silliness.  But I loved it! Sometimes it felt like Charlestonians took themselves a little too seriously.  I bet someone fun lives in this house!

We walked by this mansion a couple of times every day, on our way to and from 22 Charlotte.  Definitely one of our favorites...how can you not love the row of palm trees gracing the front?!

One of the classic Charleston architectural design elements was the piazza doorway which leads to an open air porch running down the length of the home.

The doorway looks like a formal entry...

...but just leads onto a porch, nearly always inside a gated or walled garden.

Pineapples, a traditional "welcome" symbol are common decorative elements.

The Market is the heart of historic Charleston.  Vendors selling all kinds of things...

I'm not a shopper, but all that walking every day made this a favorite stop....

Ice cream for LUNCH! That's my man, heading that way....

Many vendors selling basketry from palmetto leaves...

After lunch we walked down to the harbor area...

The far end of the peninsula is The Battery.  The first shots of the Civil War were fired from this spot, by soon-to-be Confederate soldiers across the bay onto Ft. Sumter.

A nice walkway along the tip of the peninsula...

Ft. Sumter across the water...a long way to shoot a cannonball in those days!

I'm always a sucker for a row of palm trees....

Grand homes facing the bay...I couldn't even afford to buy a window in one of these mansions!

Love some of the old cobblestone streets...

Charleston's iconic bridge...not nearly as old most of the city...

Rainbow Row on East Bay street is a famous stretch in Charleston, with the buildings all painted in colorful pastels.  All building and remodeling plans, including paint colors, go through a rigorous approval process by the city housing board.  You can't just change things up on a whim...everything must fit in with the Charleston design theme.

Many of the homes have these stone blocks on the sidewalk in front of them.  They were used by ladies of the colonial era wearing their big hoop skirts to step into carriages, with the aid of their servants, of course.

Charleston has lots of gorgeous church buildings...

One of our goals was to eat some delicious fresh seafood while we were there.  Mission accomplished!  Fleet Landing is surprisingly the only waterfront restaurant in the historic district, and it was fabulous!  I'm a shrimp connoisseur and I must say Charleston restaurants did not disappoint.

A wonderful first day...

...in historic Charleston.