Tour of Charleston

The first full day we were in Charleston, we decided to get acquainted via a carriage ride. The draft horse who pulled us was named SAM which stands for "Slow As Molasses". Sam often wanted to turn around a wrong street and head towards the barn, just as most horses do! We saw a church that was in an earthquake in the 1700s which has caused the steeple to lean. The street where it sits is called Church Street. There were five cobblestone streets that were original to the city and some old houses. Most of the original houses have burned down as they were constructed out of a pine which is very oily and flammable. Some houses were reclaimed from the slum district and revived. These houses were painted brightly and are known as Rainbow Row. Around the corner from Rainbow Row is where some of the large mansion estates are located. These run right down the waterfront. Across the street from these mansions is a walking path that is lined with oleander, a toxic plant. Story goes that during the Revolutionary War when Redcoats made settlers board them, the ladies of the houses would serve oleander tea. Needless to say, the Redcoats stays were numbered.