Where to Go When You Gotta Go

The latest topic of interest in the Holy City is where and how to find a public restroom. City officials insist that there are enough bathrooms to go around, but visitors complain that they can't find them. I agree with both sides. There are facilities in most parking garages and city buildings (City Hall, the Dock Street Theater, City Market, City Gallery at Waterfront Park) and also at Moultrie Playground (near Colonial Lake) and Hazel Parker Playground (near High Battery). We locals know where to look. But what about the visitors? I don't know the best way to alert the public about the whereabouts of the restrooms, but perhaps the tour guides, carriage drivers, street vendors and rickshaw drivers can help. As a tour guide, I have often been asked by passersby as well as folks on my tours where to find a bathroom. I think that anyone in the tourism industry who comes in contact with visitors on the street can be helpful with sharing this much-needed information. So let's not add any bathrooms at the parks, as they will undoubtedly become eyesores and detract from the beauty of our city. But let's make sure we know where the facilities are and send people in the right direction. I also was pleased to see that the city has a website with a map showing the bathrooms. I, for one, will keep a copy or two of the map from the city's website handy for my patrons. Being the most polite city in the country, this is yet another way that we can make our visitors feel welcome.

Memorial Day

Today, cannons were heard booming at the Battery. Nothing to fear - the city wasn't under attack. The shots were fired by Civil War re-enactors commemorating Confederate Memorial Day. Some state offices were closed for the holiday. The War Between the States was a difficult time for our country. The reasons for the conflict are often discussed and often are sources of disagreement. However, the men on both sides who fought were brave men. Many on both sides gave their lives not for a single political issue but simply because their country called them. This was true for men in both the Union and the Confederate armies and is true for men (and women) who have died in battle throughout history. Sometimes the reason for the conflict becomes lost over the course of the war. In several weeks, the country will commemorate another Memorial Day which will honor members of the military who have given their lives in far too many wars our country has waged. May they all rest in peace.

Palmetto Roses

The other day, a young man about 17 years old approached me and offered to sell me a rose made from the palms of the Palmetto tree. There are usually several kids selling them at the Battery, but this guy was on Anson Street, a block from the City Market. I told him no thanks, and he then said, "Well here. You can have one anyway." I have a feeling that he figured I'd give him some money anyway, but instead I thanked him and asked him where he usually sells them. He said at Waterfront Park. I told him I'd send some business his way. So if you are in the park, look for the kid with the cornrows. Although this is a great venture for kids to earn a little extra money and let visitors take a unique hand-made memento home with them, the kids are supposed to be wearing a badge, much like those that the tour guides wear. A few years ago, kids were climbing trees that were on private property in order to get the palms. The mayor said that, although they were trespassing, he thought something positive could come out of this. Since then, the rose weavers have been given permission to sell the roses (although they must get the palms from other sources). Those who wear the badges have gone through an "enterpreneur-in-training" course sponsored by the city. So support them as they get a healthy dose of operating a small business. However, please buy only from those kids who can show you a badge. As of late, I've noticed quite a few vendors who don't have the badges, and when I've asked them to show their badge, they claim they've either lost it or left it home. Chances are their excuses are bogus, and they often try to sell their flowers for an inflated price. Most card-carrying vendors sell the flowers for $2 or $3 a piece. Our city prides itself on the way it balances tourism and livabilty, so support those who follow the city guidelines. Otherwise, it's not fair to the vendors who do so and only encourages those who don't to continue to outsmart the system that's in place for the good of all of us.

A Time to Remember

I just got exciting news that the marker commemorating the 230th anniversary of the siege of Charles Town (the longest of any city during the Revolutionary War) will be erected on Wednesday, May 12. The city fell to the British after 42 days of fighting, and the Royal Army occupied the city for the remaining two years of the war. However, the war continued in the backcountry (other parts of the state) under the direction of heroes like Francis Marion (aka the Swamp Fox). Thanks and kudos go out to a young 26-year old man from Virginia, Mark Maloy, a history buff and re-enactor, for orchestrating this much overdo recognition of the men and women who so valiantly and fervently displayed their belief in the independence movement. Come to the Green (Marion Square) and see history unfold again as Charleston recognizes its rightful place in this chapter of the Revolutionary War.

A Great Time for a Walk

This is the best time of year for a leisurely stroll through the streets of the Holy City. Every street is bursting with color, thanks to all the conscientous homeowners whose perfect choice of shrub, tree or vine has added just the right touch to an already beautiful city. The cool mornings and evenings are the best times for your walk, since the midday brings a proliferation of tourists either on their own or with guided tours. You may want to invest in a walking tour guide book. "Charleston, From a Kid's-Eye View" is a great guide book for people with children (or anyone really) to stop and search for details, thereby appreciating the sense of place moreso than when having your nose in a manual filled with lots of information. So stop and smell the "Lady Banks" roses. And you better do it quick, since before you know it, the heat of the summer will be upon us and you will have missed your chance for a delightful walk.

Just Another Day in Paradise

All anyone wants to talk about right now is how gorgeous things are around here, thanks to the sudden burst of color. My favorite flowering tree is the beautiful peppermint peach tree that's in Washington Park. Branches on one side of it have flowers that look like peppermints - white with a pink line going through them. The other side has branches with darker pink flowers. Gorgeous all the way around! Also, the wisteria just blossomed overnight and is beautiful on Meeting Street near First Baptist Church High School. Azaleas popping out in different places and will likely be in full bloom in Hampton Park by next week. If only we could hang on to these flowering delights all year! But then again, we probably wouldn't appreciate them if that were the case. Plus, their burst gives us something to look forward to each year. There is nothing like Charleston in the spring!

Tea Rooms

Since I started writing about food a few posts ago (and digressed somewhat to other things), I will now return to that topic. I had been musing over the fact that our "traditional" foods have been reinvented and are served in fine restaurants the city over. But this time of year, several area churches hold annual "tea rooms" where folks have an opportunity to have a taste of the homemade versions of some of these recipes. I went to one yesterday at Old St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (which is on the road that leads to the plantations). The church itself sits in a lovely setting of moss-draped oaks and centuries-old tombstones. The food, made by parishioners, was delightful, with choices such as she-crab soup, okra soup, shrimp pate, and Huguenot tort, to name a few. There is also a boutique in the church hall where hand-made items which the "church ladies" have created are for sale. You can even buy cookbooks with the traditional recipes for the foods you've just enjoyed. The tea rooms, accompanied by the beautiful white Bradford pear trees in bloom, are the first signs of springtime, the most glorious season in the Lowcountry.