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BrookGreen Gardens

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:35:22 +0000

During our trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we visited BrookGreen Gardens near Murrells Inlet. It is situated 18 miles south of Myrtle Beach. Brookgreen has more than 300 acres of gardens and facilities that are open to the public. In addition there are excursions that take visitors to parts of Brookgreen more than 6,000 acres that are not generally open to the public.

In 1931, Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington founded Brookgreen Gardens, a non-profit garden museum, to preserve the native flora and fauna and display objects of art within that natural setting. Once a rice plantation, today, Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark with the most significant collection of figurative sculpture in an outdoor setting by American artists in the world and has the only zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on the coast of the Carolinas.

It is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. The admission fee is $12 for adults. Admission tickets are valid for seven consecutive days.

These are some of the interesting things to do at Brookgreen:-

Brookgreen Gardens, the first public sculpture garden in America, has in its collection more than 1,200 works by 350 sculptors.
The Low Country Zoo is home to native animals that live in the woods, swamps and waters of the Low Country. You get to see Alligators, Bald Eagles, River Otters, Red Foxes, Owls, Deers and more.
The Cypress Aviary is the only known aviary built over an existing cypress swamp where you can stroll through on an elevated boardwalk and observe the birds feeding and flying in this natural setting.
The Oaks Plantation History and Nature Trail is a self-guided walking trail through the woods. Visitors can see the archeological site of the former plantation house, the foundation of the spring house, Alston family cemetery, and the slave village.
Low Country Excursions have Cruises on a 48-foot pontoon boat along rice fields now home to alligators and waterfowls.

We had only 1 day to visit Brookgreen Gardens but you actually need atleast 2 days to absorb the beauty of these majestic gardens. We were able to cover most of the gardens and the zoo but couldn’t go for the Cruise and History Trail. So if you are visiting Brookgreen gardens, make sure to plan ahead and visit for at least 2 days.

Visit the Website of Brookgreen for more information.

Fort Sumter Cruise

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:25:33 +0000

On our visit to Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Charleston, South Carolina, we happened to visit Fort Sumter. The cruise to Fort Sumter originated from Patriot’s Point. Fort Sumter National Park is located on an island in Charleston harbor and is only accessible by boat. The Civil War between the north and the south erupted at Fort Sumter on April 12th, 1861.

The primary departure site is from the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center located in downtown Charleston.
The secondary departure site is located at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant.

The cruise from Mount Pleasant to Fort Sumter is a relaxing 30 minute cruise through Charleston’s historic harbor. The 2 hours and 15 minute tour is fully narrated and explains many points of interest and historic significance. You will learn about the major events which led to the outbreak of America’s most bloody civil war. At Fort Sumter National Park, there is a museum with fascinating exhibits and a small gift shop where you get to spend 1 hour. After one hour at the Fort, you will cruise back to port, enjoying panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Charleston’s bustling harbor.

The Tour Rate is $16 for adults.

Visit the website of Fort Sumter Tours for more details.

Here is the gallery view of photos.

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:23:45 +0000

Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum is located at Mount Pleasant on Charleston harbor. It was the first place we visited during our trip to Charleston, South Carolina. On our way to Mount Pleasant, we covered Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (New Cooper River Bridge). It is a cable-stayed bridge over the Cooper River in South Carolina, connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant and is the longest among cable stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.

Patriots Point, Charleston is home to the legendary Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown. It also features other ships like Destroyer USS Laffey, Coast Guard Cutter Ingham and submarine USS Clamagore. USS YorkTown’s hangar deck and flight deck features many fighter aircrafts. The admission fee is $16 for adults and $8 for children.

Fort Sumter Cruise also starts from Patriot’s Point. So be sure to cover both Fort Sumter and Naval Maritime Museum during your trip.

You need an entire day to cover all the attractions. So it’s better to start early and stay as long as you can. We reached Patriot’s Point around 11 am and we covered USS Yorktown and USS Clamagore after our visit to Fort Sumter. This was a truly amazing experience for all of us. It was the first time I was seeing an Aircraft Carrier and it was truly remarkable. This was the best place we visited in Charleston, South Carolina.

Visit the official website for more information.

Here are some photos from our trip.

Here is the Gallery View of all Photos.

South Port Fort Fisher Ferry

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:20:42 +0000

On our visit to Coastal North Carolina, we happened to visit the small town of SouthPort. Just off the coast of North Carolina is a barrier island called Pleasure Island on Cape Fear Coast. Fort Fisher is a part of Pleasure Island and is home to NC Aquarium, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and many more attractions.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) operates a vehicle and passenger ferry between Southport and Fort Fisher. This is a year round ferry and costs only $5/vehicles, $1/pedestrians and $2/bicycle riders. The ferry leaves SouthPort almost every hour. The Ferry Visitors Center offers shaded picnic areas and rest rooms. Aboard the ferry, there is an air conditioned lounge or you can just walk around and enjoy the cool breeze as you speed through the waters. Kids will love the wild sea gulls and you can feed them if you wish.

We enjoyed the ferry ride from SouthPort to Fort Fisher thoroughly. It was our first ferry ride with our vehicle.

So if you happen to visit Pleasure Island or SouthPort, be sure to take this 35 minutes ferry ride.

Visit NCDOT website for more details regarding the schedules and rates.

Here is the Gallery View of all Photos. Click on the thumbnails to view larger Images.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Trip

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:16:37 +0000

Located on the 12 acre Liberty Island, the Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.

Ellis Island is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. It was added to the National Park System in May of 1965 and through extensive restoration, its main building opened over a quarter century later on September 10, 1990 as a national museum of immigration.

There are ferries which take people to Liberty Island & Ellis Island from both New York and New Jersey. Tha ferries depart from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan and Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Visitors can enter the statue’s base and pedestal and then visit the Liberty Museum. There is a staircase inside the statue which leads to the Crown.

For more information about Ticketing for the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum, visit http://www.statuecruises.com/

Here are some photos of our Trip to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. We were lucky enough to visit the Statue of Liberty Museum Gallery and Pedestal Observation Levels.

Here is the Gallery View of all Photos. Click on the Thumbnails to view larger Images.