Paths & Passageways

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, SC

I am learning my way around the Daily Photo community. Each month a theme day topic is announced and participants from all over the globe are encouraged to submit related pictures from their town. The theme for February is Paths & Passageways.

The little alleyways around Charleston are favorites of mine so my first theme day entry is of Philadelphia Alley, the shady pathway between Queen and Cumberland.

Philadelphia Alley
Originally named “Cow Alley” then renamed to “Philadelphia Street” and later changed to “Philadelphia Alley.” Originally named Kinloch Court but in 1810 changed to Philadelphia by William Johnson who owned much of the property in the vicinity. He had been sent to Philadelphia as a prisoner during Revolutionary War and named the street in admiration of Philadelphia.

I'm thinking his prison experience wasn't too bad if he came home and named a street after it.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Customer Service Day

Gibbes Museum of Art, Meeting St., Charleston, S.C.

Checking google search terms that landed folks on this site is a fun hobby. This morning's crop (other than the "nice sharp boops") were pretty straight forward searches for Charleston information so I decided to do a customer service day and link people up with some of the most common ones.

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Philadelphia Alley

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, S.C.

I ended my day at a meeting in town and arrived home in time to walk while it was still light out which is a treat. I googled Philadelphia Alley to link you to some general info of this quaint little lane and came up with a picture I took myself a few years ago - thank you Google! Then I happened upon another picture I took on this blog describing a trip to Charleston. Photos do get around!

I have a carrot cake in the oven for a birthday treat tomorrow and it is smelling pretty good in here. Yum.

Philadelphia Alley

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, S.C.

Busy week, kids but it is Friday and I have a belly full of Thai green curry and a glass of white wine so I can't complain.

I am back from my second day in Columbia this week. Today was for a professional society meeting. It was the gathering of the clans of volunteer management in hospitals in South Carolina. I didn't get back too late to walk but I got back too lazy to walk so this evening's photo was taken last weekend and is of Philadelphia Alley, the sweetest narrow alley in town.

What does everyone have planned for the weekend? I know the Dragon Boat races are tomorrow and I usually try to get a few action shots there since I know so many of the paddlers.

Best Photo Locations for Charleston Visit?

Two Meeting St. Inn, Meeting St., Charleston, S.C.

I received this email recently and thought Charleston folks might be of help. On further questioning she says they are particularly interested in architecture and nature and will be in the area March 10 - 17. Where shall we send them? I will take any suggestions from comments and FB and add them to the bottom of the post.  

I will start us off with a picture of one of the most photographed romantic Inns at the very end of Meeting St. by the Battery. Not all of us can afford to stay there but we can all take pictures of it!

Hi Joan,

I somehow found my way to your blog and was really blown away with the photos of Sheepman’s Graffiti. I am planning a first visit to your area in March with three other ladies from my local camera group. We will be staying for a week in Hilton Head and are planning to visit Charleston and Savannah. We are from Plymouth, Massachusetts.   A week is such a short time and we would very much appreciate it if you could help us out with a “must see” list to point us in the right directions. Any helpful suggestions or recommendations will be very much appreciated.

Thank you,

A 

Let's do this - I have pulled these from your wonderful suggestions in comments. I know a few of you are planning trips to Charleston this spring so maybe this will help!

I think everyone agrees that simply exploring the Charleston peninsula on foot is the best use of a brief visit. I love Queen, Tradd, Church, Atlantic St.  Go to White Point Gardens. The DASH trolley is free so you can hop on and off. King St. has the shopping and restaurants and you can't go wrong for a bite to eat. As you go down King, take the Gateway Walk on your right and visit a few of the cemeteries. 

Peninsula Charleston
Gateway Walk off King St.
Walk lower east side of the peninsula between East Bay & Meeting St. near Broad.
Alleyways St. Michael's, Bedons, Longitude Lane, Philadelphia Alley

College of Charleston campus
Aiken Rhett House tour
Nathaniel Russell House tour
The Citadel: Beautiful campus. Dress parade on Friday afternoons.
Ashley Hall School campus

Cemeteries
Sunday is a good time to catch gates open. If you are up for a drive just north of the peninsula off upper Meeting St. on the right is Magnolia, Bethany and St. Lawrence Cemetery. You won't be sorry!
Magnolia Cemetery: Mausoleums and bird Sanctuary

Mount Pleasant
The view going across the Ravenel Bridge  is breathtaking and a great walk. There is a water taxi that is a fun, easy way to get out on the water. Mt. Pleasant has a sweet, historic old village that is delightful. There is a new boardwalk on Shem Creek and Vickeries on the water front is the perfect place to watch the sunset.

Charleston Water Taxi: Great views of the bridge and Yorktown
Old Village of Mount Pleasant
Sunset at Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park

Shem Creek Board Walk


Plantations
Magnolia Plantation: Gardens, house, petting zoo, Audubon Swamp garden.
Boone Hall: House and avenue of grand oaks

Worth considering for a drive are: 
Angel Oak
Charlestowne Landing
McClellanville
Cawcaw Park
Mepkin Abbey
Cypress Gardens: Boat through the swamp

Ron Rocz' book Seeing Charleston is a terrific photo guide to the best spots.

Blog Meet Up - Everything & Nothing

College of Charleston, Charleston, SC

I've been reading the Everything and Nothing blog by Shawn Lea in Mississippi for years. I've stolen poems and recipes and ordered CD's she recommended. I vaguely knew she was planning a Hospital Association meeting in Charleston but hadn't kept up as much since she joined the twitter world and blogged less. Monday Shawn emailed saying she was arriving today and would love to go on a photo walk.

My ears perked. Photo walk!?! Right up my lowcountry alley. I had it all timed to catch the light until we were foiled by her flight delays. Still, we met up at the Francis Marion Hotel around 6 pm and I marched her through some of the peninsula's highlights. We started at the College of Charleston Campus, down King, sidestreets, through Charleston Place, Market St., St. Micheal's Church area, Philadelphia Alley, Waterfront Park, the Pineapple Fountain, Rainbow Row to the Battery. Luckily Shawn wore her walking shoes because I was determined she see the highlights before dark. I practically forced her into the exact spot in the pavement to get a good shot.

We ambled back trying to decide where to eat and I pointed at McCrady's saying "that's where my friend Andre' works, it is one of the fanciest restaurants in Charleston" and Shawn said, "That's where we are going to eat then and it's my treat," and with five minutes notice we did. Andre' sat us at a table near the door so he could keep an eye on us and make sure we behaved. ;P

We spotted blogger Dan T and his wife across the room celebrating her birthday and I thought, here I am sitting with a delightful blogger I've never met before, being welcomed by a new blogger, our meal prepared by an extraordinary chef blogger and seeing blogging friends across the room - how much this whole thing has become a delightful part of my life. We visited the kitchen where Shawn Lea met Chef Sean Brock.

Our meal was delicious and they treated us to the chips of strawberry frozen in liquid nitrogen which tickles me to no end. The vapor pours out of your nose and mouth and makes me want to blow smoke rings. Puff.

Thanks Shawn Lea. What a fun evening!

You've Got Chain Mail!

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, S.C.

I decided that I should be Joan of Arc for Halloween. Yes? Makes sense. I stopped at the Footlight Players Costume Sale in Philadelphia Alley on Saturday morning on the off chance that they would have any bits and pieces of costume that might work. They didn't.

Googling around I discovered that the easiest way to make chain mail is to knit it on giant needles with gray yarn. Some people even knit it in a rust color and then spray paint it silver so it looks like rusty silver. Lord. I haven't done much knitting lately and got rid of all that stuff.

I bought the biggest needles I could find and I've been laughing at my pathetic attempts. It doesn't look anything like chain mail. Maybe I can skip the armor and just wear the hood.

Have no fear! The realarmorofgod.com site has a chain mail coif on deep, deep discount. Who knew of the great wide world of armor available online? Not me.

Do we really have to go back to work tomorrow? It seems unreasonable.

Secret alleys and afternoon escapes

Philadelphia Alley, Queen St., Charleston, S.C.

Philadelphia Alley is such a sweet shady alleyway no one with a camera can resist it.

Nice day. I arranged to let all of the volunteers at Roper St. Francis Healthcare go to see The Help at the Terrace Theater this afternoon. What fun! It felt like we were playing hooky and I have to thank Charlie and Darrell who agreed to cover the Front Desk at the hospital because they thought it was a "chick flick". I arrived early to greet everyone and collect hugs. We filled the theater with so few seats to spare I was a worried we might not all fit in. I work with such a great gang. After party at Zias next door for margarita and nachos.

Opportunities

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, SC

Nancy Meeks, who works in the Pharmacy at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, happened on this picture deep in my smugmug album. She left this in the comment section.

Opportunities

Who's that soul inside the doorway?
What's he doing there alone?
Is he sleeping. . .waiting. . .crying?
Or just chatting on the phone?

Was he hungry. . .thirsty. . .cold?
Wondering when the sun will shine?
Was he stranger, friend. . . or foe?
Was he hurting? . . . Doing fine?

Did you stop to ask the question,
"S'cuse, me, sir. Are you okay?"
Or did you simply press along?
So many ops. . .so fleeting day. . .

Nancy L. Meek ~ July 11, 2009

Saturday Hodgepodge

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, SC

I love reviewing the googled search words that land people on my page but these screenshots are even funnier: Is Google making us dumber?

It's been a bright and glorious day. I walked King St. this morning mourning the new flagstone that has destroyed my treasure trove of sidewalk graffiti. :(.

Day trip down the coast today to sweet little Port Royal and ate green curry at the Suwan Thai because eventually I will have eaten the green curry in every Thai restaurant in South Carolina. This version had no eggplant which I take points off for, but you might not.

Ummm.....if you can't find a bill after searching the whole house, does it still exist?

Awwww....Waldo. Nice. Thanks.

I hope everyone is having a perfect weekend.

Games to Play

Philadelphia Alley, Charleston, SC

Photo unrelated to entry. As usual.

Planning what to take to delight children in Kenya has made me think back on the wild fun we had as kids growing up in the hills of north east India. I can't think of a better place to have been a child, wild and free. My stories of hiking to rivers and late nights out with siblings and packs of breathless, laughing friends sound more like those told by our grand and great grandparents here. We took turns strapping our youngest brother to our backs.

Games were seasonal. Although we all collected them, marbles were mostly a boy's game. We designed and made clumsy off balanced kites. Carrom of course. There was a game similar to jacks with five smooth stones.

We played games that involved stacks of flat stones that we tumbled with a ball. One team had to try to restack the stones while the other team knocked them out of play by hitting them with the ball. We played hide and seek and wild cops and robber style games with strips of rubber cut from inner tire tubes that we shot slingshot style at the enemy. Ouchie!

My grandparents would periodically write to tell us that a package was on the way from Canada and list the contents. Delivery took months and our hearts would almost explode with the anticipation. Food items were measured and divided among the ten of us to be completely fair. I didn't eat a whole candy bar until I was an adult. There was usually some game, pocket knife or match box car included. The game where a ball ties to your ankle started the fiercest competition. We didn't stop skipping and jumping the ball until we were called in late at night with our ankles raw and sore.

We collected and traded stamps and candy wrappers. I had stacks of precious shiny foil candy wrappers smoothed out flat. Silly as it sounds I recall some pain leaving them behind on a trip back to Canada.

I am in the back center of this shot. You can see a few pale faces in what looks like a happy balloon party.