Hilton SFO Park, Sleep & Fly

We arrived back at SFO at 10:44 pm. We had to be in the city the following day so we stayed at the Hilton SFO. We had the Park, Sleep & Fly package which included 7 nights of parking--$218 total.

2016 11 19

Home Team BBQ

Right before we went to the airport, we stopped for one last meal in South Carolina.

We found Home Team BBQ, located at 1205 Ashley River Road. Order at the counter. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

Pulled Pork Platter--$11.50. Platter includes white bread, house pickles, onions and 2 sides. We chose Hash (various animal parts stewed with vegetables) & Rice and Brunswick Stew (tomato based stew).  I liked the Hash & Rice but wasn't a fan of the Brunswick Stew. The pulled pork was tender and flavorful. 

We also ordered a full rack of St. Louis Ribs--$23.95.

We chose Mac & Cheese and Collard Greens as sides for the ribs.

2016 11 19

Boone Hall Plantation

Ten miles east of Charleston is Boone Hall Plantation. It's located at 1235 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant. The plantation is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $20 ($18 with AAA or military discount).

The plantation was established in 1681 and is still a working plantation. Peaches, strawberries, tomatoes and pumpkin are still grown, with U-Pick fields open in season. The plantation has been featured in several tv shows and movies, including North & South and The Notebook.

Enter through the Avenue of Oaks, a 3/4 mile drive lined with Spanish-moss draped oaks. This is even more impressive than Oak Alley in Louisiana.

Sign up for a guided tour of the main house at the Hospitality Center. It's a 30-minute tour through 5 areas on the 1st floor. There is no photography allowed inside the house. The house is still occupied by descendants of the Boone family when they're in town.

The antebellum mansion was built in 1936 and has a very impressive porch. There are shaded seats just in front of the porch. Meet here for the tour.

The back of the house

with a river running through it.

Next to the Avenue of Oaks are original slave cabins. There were 40 slaves who worked here.

You can listen to a lecture about slavery between the first and second cabins, near the mansion. 

The tour through the slave quarters is self-guided.

There are exhibits in each of the cabins. Press the button when you enter to listen to the presentation. Plan on spending an hour to tour all the cabins.

You can also take a Plantation Coach Tour throughout the 738 acre grounds. These open-air coach tours begin in front of the Butterfly Cafe and last about an hour. The tours are first come-first served and focus on the agricultural and natural history of the plantation. You'll pass by the cotton gin, which was being restored.

On the coach tour, you'll see cotton fields,

ponds & marshes with wildlife,

more housing on the plantation,

and even Fluffy's house!

Horses roam the plantation in penned fields.

One last presentation is on the Gullah Culture. This is a live presentation  on the evolution and development of the Gullah Culture in the Lowcountry. It's offered in the outdoor theater at 11:15 & 12:45. It's supposed to be a good presentation but we ran out of time.

2016 11 19

Hannibal's

Another place I wanted to try was Hannibal's Soul Kitchen, located at 16 Blake Street. It's a 30-minute walk from the downtown area so we were glad we still had the car.

It's located in a sketchy neighborhood.

We got there before 10 am. I wanted Crab Rice but it wasn't available yet so I got Sauteed Crab with Grits--$7.75. It wasn't a huge portion but the crab was so good. It was fried with onions.

Sauteed Shrimp with Grits--$6.50. This wasn't as good as the crab.

2016 11 19

Bowen's Island Restaurant

Bowen's Island Restaurant is listed in 1000 Places to See Before You Die. Of course, we had to visit it. We rented a car and drove 20 minutes south to reach it.

The restaurant is known for its "oyster room." For $30, you can have all the oysters you can shuck and eat. Throw the shells in the hole in the center of the table.

Unfortunately, on the evening we visited, they had a corporate event and the oyster room was closed.

You can also order oysters a la carte. Half trays are $11. This was a full tray for $16.

Unfortunately, some of the oysters were caked with mud and not edible.

They're also known for "Frogmore Stew." This is their version of a Low-Country Boil. I thought this wasn't worth $14. It had a few sausage slices, a few shrimp, a few boiled potatoes and a corn.

The oysters are boiled in big pots.

This was the corporate event that disrupted our plans.

2016 11 18

Poogan's Smokehouse

We had lunch at Poogan's Smokehouse, located at 188 East Bay Street.

I had read about Blenheim's Ginger Beer and was glad to see it on the menu--$4. This is so spicy that you can choke if you breath in. It was so good though.

Sauces to go with your meal--mustard, BBQ and spicy apple vinegar.

Smoked Springer Mt. Farms Chicken Wings, served with Alabama White Sauce and Pickeled Celery--$13. This got rave reviews on Yelp but I was disappointed. The wings were tough and there wasn't much flavor.

Pulled Pork, served with 2 sides--$14. We chose Bacon Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Hash and Carolina Gold Rice. This was delicious. The pulled pork was juicy and tender and the sides were great. It also came with a dinner roll.

2016 11 18

Doors of Charleston

2016 11

Sights Around Charleston

The Charleston Visitor Center is located at 375 Meeting Street. They show a 20-minute film "Forever Charleston," highlighting sights in the city. It used to be free but now there is a charge to see the film. It was a boring film and not worth it.

Buses to the Charleston Airport depart from the Visitor Center. Cost is $2/person.

Statue of George Washington in Washington Park (also known as Washington Square), located at the corner of Broad and Meeting Street.

Washington Light Infantry Monument located in Washington Park. It's dedicated to the soldiers of the Washington Light Infantry who fought in the Civil War.

Around town, you'll find carriage blocks, which were used in the 19th century as stepping stones to get into carriages or to mount horses.

Another carriage block

Confederate columbiads (large cannons) that were used in the defense of Fort Sumter, now located in White Point Garden at the southern peninsula of the city. 

Statue of General William Moultrie located in White Garden. He aided in the American War of Independence and was also governor of South Carolina.

Walking along East Battery on the eastern side of the peninsula.

2016 11 18