I thought I'd better write about this trip before I forgot about it.  Tim and I have been going to Charleston for years - since the early 1980s.  It's the place we automatically think of when we start talking about a few days away.  It's just a lovely city and we are lucky that it is only a few hours away from us.

As you can see, the weather was beautiful, which was great because here we have been getting wet every day.  One of the best things to do in Charleston is to just wander.  Every street is interesting, and it's almost impossible to get lost.  We just take off down the street looking for anything interesting.

And we are never disappointed.  Most of the old buildings have markers that tell why we should be impressed by them, but even those without a pedigree are charming.  Like the building above, and the one below.

Most people associate Charleston with Colonial, Revolutionary and antebellum days, but the architecture is actually a mix, with even a few art deco buildings.  Here is the fabulous Riviera Theatre.  For years it was abandonded, but now it has been restored.  This trip was the first time I'd ever seen the neon lit.

Unfortunately, many buildings have been lost in recent years.   The first survey of historic buildings was done in 1940, and if you wander around the historic area, you can spot many places where 70 years ago a colonial building stood, but in its place you are apt to find a parking lot or a modern bank building.  There are laws in place to protect the old, but everytime we visit we can still see the changes.  Quite a few massive modern hotels have been built in recent years, some of which block views from other buildings.  Like the monster suites hotel that blocked the view of Church Street from the rooftop terrace of our inn.

There are lots of great antique stores, but you have to drive a bit to get to them.  I lucked into a 1917ish party dress in a mall that had a booth with quite a bit of great vintage.  Who could ask for more of a trip than that?