Tag Archives: charleston

Charleston, South Carolina

Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award for “Top City in the U.S.” recently went to my hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Stephen Colbert accepted the award on behalf of THE City.

Saltwater Fishing: A Father’s Day Fishing Tail

Charleston Marsh

I awoke to a dull but persistent sound of freight containers being offloaded at the Port of Charleston. “That’s the sound of money,” I had once heard someone say. I was tired from travel. Coming home was always a mix of excitement and exhaustion. Friends and family; a beautiful city by the sea so steeped in history. Long before me centuries of tides had moved life-sustaining nutrients, boats, people, and commerce through meandering fingers reaching deep in to the heart of permeable shores.

But it was 6:00am and time to rise for a fishing trip with my father. Having spent so many years living great distances from him, I was looking forward to spending some slow time exploring narrow creeks and marshes in pursuit of redfish and trout. In the days proceeding, bending rods and screeching reels filled my imagination and intensified the anticipation. I hoped my suppositions would become reality.

I was a little dismayed the day before when I came in to town and witnessed the impending storm clouds on the horizon. When it began to rain in buckets, I thought the trip would be canceled for sure. A somber call to Dad allayed my fears somewhat. He’d been studying the weather and felt confident we should give it a go. I hung up the phone and noted the rain gear in my suitcase.

Charleston-Salt-Water-Fishing

Despite my doubts, dawn rose fresh and brilliant. I looked across the harbor to see Charleston filling with the flow of men and women making their way to work. I felt fortunate to have grown up fishing these waters. Before I could even walk I bounced around in a basket at the bow of my father’s John Boat. In those days my mother would have been younger than my wife is now.

Exploring the fringes of one of America’s oldest and most beautiful cities was always an adventure for a young child. The biology of bringing up a seine on a mud bank, catching a shark, getting caught on a barrier island in a fierce thunderstorm, or heading shrimp till my fingers bled. These are just a few of my memories.

We arrived at our first fishing spot. The marsh grass gleamed green against the backdrop of palm, live oak, and pine, and somewhere in the brush a warbler welcomed the day. I spoke of friends, money, and new developments that are further protruding and forever changing the landscape. We could see countless new homes from the boat where, before, we could have never conceived of their existence. Now I think we feel hypocritical for simultaneously wanting environmental protection and economic improvements. But we know the solutions must be there. They have to be. Who doesn’t want their children to experience the same natural beauty that we shared with our parents?

The entire time I spoke, my father simply listened. At first I wondered why he didn’t readily join in. But then it occurred to me that he always listens to me, providing feedback when necessary; guidance when required. While the amount of talk is not the measure of quality time spent together, I hope he knows I am there to listen to him as well.

Salt-Water-Fishing

I watched my father make a cast close to the bank, and in an instant his line went taut. There were no jerky movements, foolish displays, or wasted effort. Instead, his actions were smooth and practiced. Dad pulled in a beautiful bass; and then promptly released it. The day was far from over, so we made our way to several other spots. We caught some, lost some, and all the while soaked up the landscape that has helped to shape the lives of each of us.

Charleston-South-Carolina-Fishing

On the way back in we followed the “Winds of Fortune,” a shrimp boat returning with its days catch. At one time my grandfather operated two shrimp boats, the Carol El and Princess Anne, the latter of which sank out at the jetties with him on it. It was a different time back then. Much of the area was forest and farmland. Then a bridge was built.

I tried to picture what home was like in those days. What it was like for my grandfather to fish with his father. I wondered what it would be like to fish with my son.

Winds-of-Fortune

Cooper River Bridge

Headed over the Cooper River Bridge on my way out of Charleston, SC over Memorial Day Weekend.

Cooper_River_Bridge

Did you know the first Memorial Day was originally held in Charleston, SC and organized by former slaves?

It was May 1, 1865, but they called it Decoration Day.

On that day, former Charleston slaves started a tradition that would come to be known as Memorial Day.

You can read the entire account here at The Post and Courier.

Up the Creek

I enjoy exploring different forms of images I’ve captured with a camera. In this case I took an original picture and made it look like a dark watercolor that conveys a feeling of alienation and uncertainty about what lies ahead.

Up the Creek

Wedding at Wadmalaw

Went to Charleston last weekend for a wedding, but managed to still find my way out on a boat. This picture was taken by simply opening up the shutter speed and dragging it across the subject’s face.

Captain

A Weekend in Charleston, South Carolina

Tree_Shadow_Bulls Last weekend I made my way to Charleston, South Carolina to spend quality time boating, fishing, and camping with some good ole childhood friends. I have been somewhat deprived of the Lowcountry over the course of the last decade, and while there have been many changes, much is still the same.

Despite being December, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, and some of us even took a dip in one of the creeks. The highlight of the trip for me was doing an 8-mile loop around Bulls Island, which is a part of the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge. It is filled with wildlife and incredible scenery.

There is a section of the hike called, “The Boneyard” where dead trees stand and fall at the water’s edge. Beaten by hurricanes and bleached by sun and salt, they appear like fossils being pulled into the sea.

The remnants of an old fort made out of oyster shells lies at the north end of the island. Built some time in the late 1600s or early 1700s, it served as a lookout for marauding pirates who would often ambush incoming ships carrying their cargo to Charleston and beyond.

I am growing tired of the mediocre camera I am using to shoot video. The lack of image stabilization and high resolution are disappointing. Time for a new one. Any recommendations?

Now, if that does not get you excited to watch this video I don’t know what will! Either way, you can look away or choose not to hit play. ;~)

Charleston, South Carolina

I love where I am from. Charleston, South Carolina is a place by the sea where environment, culture and history have come together to create a very special place filled with a distinct charm all its own.

There have been many events and individuals that have shaped the character of Charleston. For instance, Charleston was once held hostage by the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. Almost one-hundred years later, the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, a structure that still stands sentinel in the mouth of the harbor. It is said that General Sherman spared Charleston from the match on his way to burn Atlanta because of his love for it.

My appreciation for Charleston, SC is only intensified by the fact that I live almost 3,000 miles away from it and for almost 10 years. Why do I not live there you may ask? Well, because Charleston lacks only one thing – mountains.

Still, I love to visit, and I just happened to find myself there this past week. I was able to get out in the boat to fish with my father, shoot clays in the country with my mother, and take in the city with long walks and runs down the slate-covered sidewalks.

For those that live far away from their place of birth, I suspect they  experience the same feelings that I do when they return. You cannot help but unearth memories containing emotions, experiences, and individuals that have played an integral role in who you are today.

On my last day in Charleston, my feet lead me to the very street and house that  I grew up in. Sounds cliche, but it was actually quite circumstantial considering the busy schedule I maintain when visiting. I have an extensive family and divorced  parents who live in different houses, so I generally do not have much time for these types of tangents.

Nevertheless, there I was looking over the wall, thinking it rather small in comparison to when I was a child. So much happened there, and yet it is all gone except for my memories and of those that shared them with me. How quickly your mortality can come rushing in like an uninvited guest. 

On a lighter note, I love the juxtaposition of these two pictures. My stepfather on the left in his skeet shooting attire, and my father out on his boat. Both pictures were taken within two days of each other.