Before arriving in Charleston, I had just finished a book by Sue Monk Kidd: The Invention of Wings. The book is fiction, but follows quite closely the true story of two sisters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, who grew up in a prominent slave-owning family and later became abolitionists and women's rights activists. It was a good book, and a good grounding in the society and values that produced this beautiful city. In other words, it was built on the backs of enslaved people brought here against their will. Important to remember as one walks down Charleston's beautiful, picturesque streets.
After checking into our hotel, we walked to the visitor welcome center to get the lay of the land. Afterwards, we employed our customary approach to familiarizing ourselves with the area nearby: sit at a bar and chat up the bartender. He recommended a walk up King Street...
...to a couple of nearby hot spots. We chose one called "Prohibition," and had so much fun you'd think it WAS illegal.
Tomorrow we have reservations for a Valentine's Day brunch and some time to explore old Charleston on foot.
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