Too Hot to Handle?

It's a little early, but the dog days of summer have already arrived! This is weather usually reserved for August - temps at 95 and humidity levels about the same -which makes it feel like 103. (The term "heat index" is a term we are all too familiar with. ) So if you haven't visited Charleston in August, be prepared for a preview of it now in June. Make sure you carry a bottle of water with you at all times when outdoors. Fortunately, lots of kids these days are on street corners in the historic district ready to sell you a bottle for $1. Even if you have a bottle with you, it doesn't hurt to pick up an extra from them so you can keep pouring it in and keep hydrated, so bring a little money with you as you stroll the streets. It's amazing to think about when I was growing up here and having no air conditioning in our houses, schools and churches. The temperatures (and humidity) weren't much different then than they are today - give or take a degree or two to account for global warming! But I don't remember complaining about it back then. Of course, we are so accustomed to air conditioning these days that it makes it even more uncomfortable when we aren't inside. But I still don't like a/c much - I run it all day, of course, and like it when I'm sleeping, but I'd prefer to be outside - even in the heat. Not working, of course. Just sitting on my porch or dock and enjoying a glass of iced tea! Enjoy yourself when you come to town - but don't complain about the heat. It's hot and it's supposed to be hot. We wouldn't have it any other way!

Tis the Season

It's that Spoleto time of year again! For 10 days in late May/early June, the city is abuzz with all that the arts world has to offer - art shows in the park, dance performances at the Cistern (College of Charleston), concerts on the steps of the U.S. Custom House, chamber music in the churches and theater at the Dock Street Theater. These are but a few of the venues - there are dozens more. I remember when the festival began 35 years ago. Our mayor (still in office to this day) had hit upon a brilliant idea, borrowing from the European festival of the arts in Spoleto, Italy (outside of Rome). However, locals here were a bit skeptical. But after the first two years of operating in the red, the festival took off and has been a booming success every year since - bringing hundreds of performers and followers of the arts to the city. Piccolo (or little) Spoleto offers the chance for artists and performers on a less renowned scale to show off their stuff - and at a smaller ticket price (and sometimes for free). The "Charleston Renaissance," back in the 1920s and 30s, was a great time for artists in Charleston - with not only painters but performers, writers, and musicians bursting forth at a rather unlikely time, since the city was not yet the shining star that it is today. But out of that Renaissance came Porgy (and Bess), the dance the Charleston, the jazz of the Jenkins Orphanage Band, and painters such as Alice Smith, Anna Heyward Taylor and Edwin Harleston (to name but a few). So today's Spoleto USA could have found no better home than Charleston, and the arts remain alive and well here not only during early summer but all year long! Spoleto just gives us a reason to celebrate the art heritage of this city!

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.