Vacation 2012

10 July - 9 August
a tour of places in eastern USA

the R-pod travel trailer - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - a map of our travels

Wednesday - Thursday - - - 1 - 2 August 2012

Page 16

~ Charleston, SC - Fort Sumpter ~

KOA Campsite on Isle of Palms just East of Charleston.
It was a good clean campsite. There were warnings about alligators by the pond.

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, also known as the New Cooper River Bridge to Charleston, SC
approaching town from the north on US Hwy. 17 - opened in 2005.

Some ship traffic
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The boat to Fort Sumpter left from a dock at Patriots Point Museum
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Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum
- USS Yorktown CV-10 (Aircraft Carrier)
- USS Laffey DD-724 (Sumner-class destroyer)
- USS Clamagore (Balao-class submarine with GUPPY III upgrade)

Our tour boat the Spirit of Charleston had to head out around the bow of the Yorktown.

USS Yorktown CV-10
The Yorktown is the ship which recovered the NASA Apollo 8 space craft.

Yorktown achievement ribbons.

bow of the Yorktown

Port side of the Yorktown

Radar carrying airplane on Yorktown

large helicopter on Yorktown

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USS Laffey DD-724 - port side - - - - view aft end

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Charleston from the bay, as if one was entering from the Atlantic Ocean.

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Fort Sumpter
The place where the American Civil War began

Arriving at Ft. Sumpter at the mouth of Charleston, SC bay

A Ranger gave a talk as soon as we entered the fort.

Dahlgren gun - mounted

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The cannon in the foreground is an 8 inch Columbiad. It was in the fort in 1863 during the Civil War,
particularly when the war started April 1861 and the Union bombardment in 1863.
It had a range of 4,800 yards.

View across Ft. Sumpter from North to South.
The cannon displayed in the foreground is an 8 inch Columbiad.

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Fort Moultrie
seen from Fort Sumpter - camera zoomed in considerably

Fort Moultrie is located some 5,000 ft. or 1,666 yards (just under a mile) Northeast of Ft. Sumpter.
on Sullivans Island, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. (See map at beginning of this page.)
In 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War the Confederates occupied Ft. Moultrie and shelled Ft. Sumpter from there.
It should be noted that the fortification which was the predecessor of Ft. Moultrie fired some of the first cannon shots
of the Revolutionary War against 9 British ships in June 1776, saving Charleston from British occupation at that time.
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15 inch Rodman cannon. The largest gun used in the Civil War.
2 Rodmans were brought to Ft. Sumpter as part of a post Civil War modernization in 1870.
It weighs 55,000 pounds (24,947 Kg) and has a range of 5,579 yards ( 3.168 miles or 5.1 Kilometers )

6.4 inch (100 pounder) Parrott cannon
These rifled guns were installed by Federal troops in 1870 (after Civil War) in the modernization program.
Maximum range 6,800 yards = 3.86 miles.
Robert Parker Parrott designed both 6.4 inch (100 pounder) and 8 inch (200 pounder) rifled canons.

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Top of the Eastern outer wall.

A model of Ft Sumpter as it was in 1861. It was built for 135 guns and 650 men.

Mona had the good sense to bring a parasol (well umbrella, but used as a parasol).
There was lots of sun and no shading clouds.

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I (Gerard) had a hat, but in the daypack we had a canteen with water.- - - - - - - - - - Joseph led us out the dock back to the boat.

A parting look at the exterior wall of Ft. Sumpter.

This navigation tower has an incredilby bright light on top facing out to sea.
It guides ships in along a safe deep water course. There are significant shallow spots to be avoided.
It is so bright it is blinding in mid-day.

The little low island in the harbor once had a castle-like house on it.
Something that was a rich mans plaything. At the time called a Folly.

The U.S. Customs House is a grand structure... as it often is. Galveston, TX has one much like it.

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Harbor Activity

A NOAA research vessel heading out as we approached the dock just of Patriots Point.

A fine looking schooner

We took the early boat to Fort Sumpter, and returned ashore by noon.
Since we had plenty of day left we decided to do today what we had scheduled for the following day,
that being visiting Charles Towne Landing and visiting the City of Charleston.

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City of Charleston, SC next page.

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update 11 March 2013

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