How We Love Charleston!! Come See Us!

Here is a great music video designed to inspire you, gentle reader,  to come visit Charleston!

So many things to see and do! We're about done with the sultry dog days of  summer, and one of Charleston's best kept secrets is that September is wonderful weather and the city is empty!
Eventsin September include Charleston Restaurant Week --great food at bargain prices. Participating restaurants include the very best in town, with prix fixe menus at $20, $30, and $40 the week of September 3-September 10). Charleston Watersports Week offers 10 days  of continuous opportunities to enjoy one of  Charleston's greatest assets--the water! Events include competitive sports, leisure activities and special water tours for your getaway trip to Charleston.The Charleston Maritime Center offers a Watersports EXPO September 12-14.
As if Restaurant Week were not enough to satisfy the most discriminating gastronome, , the Southern Living Taste of Charleston will be held September 26-28 at one of my favorite venues, Boone Hall Plantation.Fifty of Charleston's best restaurants will showcase their creations with sample plates. There is also entertainment to keep the kids busy!
And to round it out, the MOJA Festival,  a celebration of African American and Caribbean culture, it is in its 30th year here and brings to Charleston the vibe of the Islands, doncha know? Find out more at  http://www.mojafestival.com/ . I will be offering my Charleston Slavery and Freedom Walking Tour daily during the Festival.
Ya'll come down now, you hear?

Preservation Society of Charleston Annual Awards Program

This past Thursday night I attended the Preservation Society of Charleston’s Annual Carolopolis Awards Presentation at the old Riviera Theater on King Street. For those of you not familiar with the Preservation Society, it was founded in 1920 and pioneered the modern preservation movement in Charleston. I hate that I forgot my printed program at the meeting, (it really was informative), but they awarded at least 10 Carolopolis Awards this year, a number of them to homeowners who restored by repairing or replacing original fabric with like kind. As an old school preservationist I have been an advocate for sensitive and authentic work and I was pleased to see such efforts being held up as a “Gold Standard”.

For all you oyster fans, the Preservation Society of Charleston  is holding their Membership Oyster Roast this coming Saturday, February  4  from 2:00-5:00 at the historic Quarters A at the old Navy Yard in North Charleston. For $35, you get oysters, music and fun---chili too I guess? –PLUS an annual membership to the Preservation Society! Hey, you gotta do it! For more info and to purchase tickets go to http://preservationsociety.org

Edwin Augustus Harleston: African American Master of the Charleston Renaissance Arts Movement and Vanguard Civil Rights Leader

We who know the history of the Arts in Charleston are aware of Charleston Renaissance Artists such as Alfred Hutty, Elizabeth O’Neill Verner and Alice Smith.




Boone Hall, by Edwin Harleston

 But today is the Birthday of the greatest and perhaps only African American member of that movement. His name is Edwin Harleston  Born March 14,1882, in Charleston, SC. Edwin Augustus Harleston was one of eight children. His father was a rice planter, a sea captain, and owned a funeral home.

Harleston received a scholarship to study at the Avery Normal Institute in Charleston and graduated valedictorian in 1900. For four years he attended Atlanta University where he played football and sang in a quartet. He relocated to Boston in 1905 to attend the art school of the Boston Museum of Fine Art where he studied under William Paxton and Frank Benson until 1913.

The seven year course was formed under the Beaux Arts tradition and formed the foundation of his style. With a passion for his art, he reluctantly returned to South Carolina to help in his father’s funeral home. It was during this time that he became active in local civil rights groups and eventually became president of the newly formed Charleston branch of the N.A.A.C.P. He led an effort that soon forced the public school system to hire Black teachers.He married Elise Forrest in 1920. She was a photographer , and two years later they opened a studio, which featured both of their works.

Influenced by of much of her work, he developed a highly realistic and academic technique of portraiture; many of his works were commissioned. His patrons included prominent national figures including the president of Atlanta University, philanthropist-Pierre S. Dupont, and the president of the Atlanta Life Insurance Co. Harleston's character studies include The Bible Student (1924), and Miss Bailey with the African Shawl (1930)..

At the request of Aaron Douglass, he assisted in painting murals for Fisk University that depicted a panoramic view of Black history from slavery onward. This work was completed in 1931 the year that he died. Shortly before his death Edwin Harleston received the Alain Locke Prize for portrait painting for his work The Old Servant at an exhibition of the Harmon foundation.



Edwin Augustus Harleston,self portrait


Source: African American Registry

Preservation Society of Charleston Fall Tours are around the corner!

Hard to believe it now, but the cool air of Fall will soon be here, and that means the return of the Preservation Society of Charleston’s Annual Fall Tours of local Homes and Gardens. I like the new format that they use for tours. For those of you who love seeing  old homes and beautiful gardens, the Saturday tours focus on neighborhoods, and will provide an eclectic choice of homes in targeted neighborhoods. This is also great for those who want to concentrate their time in a limited area.

However, on other days the tours have themes, such as “Charleston’s Cosmopolitan Legacy”.,  Colonial Charles Towne, Homes of the American Revolution, and The Civil War. I love the description for Charleston’s Cosmopolitan Legacy:

“….explore the diverse cultural influences that shaped life in 18th and 19th century Charleston, the rich ethnic traditions, skills and religious ideologies that blended together to establish Charleston as the cosmopolitan hub of life in America.”

Note the uncanny similarity to the description for our Charleston Old Walled City Walk! Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I always say!  The thematic tours relate to eras in history and provide not only the opportunity to see lovely old homes, but to learn about eras in Charleston’s storied history. The tours commence October 2, so you might want to purchase your tickets now while they are readily available, because they just might sell out if you wait too long! Check out the tour descriptions at  http://www.thefalltours.org/.

If you would like to volunteer as a docent in the houses, you can call the Preservation Society of Charleston at 843-722-4630 or check out the many programs and volunteer opportunities available at http://www.preservationsociety.org/.

Hoppin' John, Collard Greens and Carolina Gold Rice -- Happy New Year!

Hoppin' John, Collard Greens and Carolina Gold Rice! Happy New Year Everyone!

 I made traditional Hoppin' John yesterday using Carolina Gold rice. For those of you not in the know, Carolina Gold was deemed the gold standard in rice for generations and was the strain that created great wealth in Charleston and the Carolina Lowcountry. Boiled rice tends to be gummy, so many folks use a rice steamer. But my stovetop boiled Hoppin' John turned out perfectly using Carolina Gold. Perhaps its short grain allows for less surface area for it to stick together. Unlike short grain rices used for sushi or rice pudding, I suspect it has a lower starch content as well.

Here in Charleston, we use field peas or cowpeas to make traditional Hoppin' John.  Eaten with collard greens, this is the traditional meal for New Years Day eaten in humble cabins and grand mansions. The old saying is that the Hoppin' John is for good luck and the collard greens for cash!
These dishes have deep roots in African American cooking. Despite that claim, the name Hoppin' John is most probably a derivative of the French phrase pois a pigeon, "pigeon peas", which when said quickly sounds like "Hoppin' John. It is theorized that this West African dish was brought to Charleston in the late 18th century  with the French Refugees and their slaves fleeing  Haiti and introduced into the general culture.

If you feel inspired to make your own Hoppin' John, the recipe in Charleston Receipts is classic.
I boil the field peas up with half a small onion finely diced, fried out salt pork or fatback, and salt and pepper. I make the Hoppin' John using the pot likker from the beans and always keep enough beans and pot likker aside to dish some over the Hoppin' John for those who so desire. The peas are quite tasty all by themselves!

For the collard greens, fill a tall pot with water one third  up, a tablespoon each of vinegar and  white sugar, and Lawry's Seasoning to taste and put to boil.. Put in a pound of seasoning meat. I use pork neck bones but smoked turkey is a good alternative. Scrub and rinse the greens, then slice in ribbons horizontally, discarding large stems. Place prepared greens in the boiling water and force them down into the water if it looks like you have too much for the pot. Don't worry, they will wilt and greatly reduce in volume in no time. Cover and simmer for at least two hours.

Enjoy!

Suggested Rules for Tour Guides from your President

As many of you know, I am President of the Charleston Tour Association. Now that the high season is winding down, the timing is off for my timely suggestions , but I will bring them back up in the springtime when it all gets crazy again!

Tour Guides, locals, your comments are encouraged and welcome!

Dear CTA Members and Friends:

 We certainly are busy this season! As one 87 year South of  Broad resident related to me, he has never seen so many people on the streets. Inevitably there is bound to be stress on the residents of the Historic District.

The CTA is a membership of tour professionals. It is our responsibility to conduct our groups down streets and alleyways in a least intrusive fashion which still allows us to effectively share this beautiful city with our visitors. As a long time guide, I would like to share some tips and suggestions that will enhance the tour experience for yourself, visitors and residents alike. Although many of us have been at Broad and Meeting at 11 o’clock in April, I have the added perspective of 8 o’clock two weeks before Halloween and many a summer evening I wager that there are usually as many if not more ghost tours going out any night as go out during the day. Ghost tours are on a tightly controlled route, so frequent “close encounters” are the norm. I will post this on my blog,  I hope that anyone with suggestions not posted here will feel free to post them at my blog at walledcitytours.com. I’ll credit your suggestions or post them from anonymous, whatever works for you.

(1)    Don’t block the sidewalk and don’t run over the natives!

Sometimes the stress of a large group can be overwhelming. The amateur photographers are falling back, the baby is crying and the lady from  Schenectady keeps interrupting. And that other group just took my favorite spot! So you forget about the Composition of your group. On streets with wide sidewalks, instruct them to walk on the street side (ie,  Meeting Street south walking on the outside or to the right.) This keeps doors clear for residences and businesses to maintain stress free ingress and egress.It moves your group efficiently and quickly past crowds waiting at restaurants or entry to other events, i.e, Home and Garden Tours. Ed Grimball has this under control. He stops his groups where he can line them up “execution style” against a wall and begins his talk. This allows locals to pass. Sometimes Ed greets old friends  residents or even the Mayor! Brilliant!

Another strategy for taking charge of an unwieldy crowd is to identify places where three or more topics can be addressed from the same location. “Cluster”  your visitors  like this:

Upon arrival move fifteen feet past where you intend to talk. Stop, and instruct the first guest to stand there .Moving back to the group center, place your visitors. This also allows stragglers to get close before you commence narration. Even with three topics, it is best to move on between 7 – 12 minutes, so keep your narration pithy and succinct when you cluster.

Find spots to talk at the corners where you can talk on the side rather than in front. Stop in front of gates, walls and churches ( no churches during services of course.) Stop in public parks, graveyards or parking lots. Avoid standing in front of restaurants, businesses ‘and residential front doors.

( 2) Keep Your Visitors Safe!                                                                                                                                    Charleston is incredibly beautiful. Newcomers can be overwhelmed---sensory overload is a rule of thumb. Sometimes we   forget how lovely it is in the course of a hectic workday. It’s all new to them. . With a large group, you feel the need to move on. After all, you only have two hours and what you have to say is so important! The group is gawking up, cameras are flashing, but the sidewalks below, well, they can be treacherous! Be sure to warn them about the sidewalks. My favorite line:

“The city motto was adopted in 1783 and translates from the Latin: She guards her buildings, customs and laws”. But not so much her streets and sidewalks. Please be aware of where your feet are. Take my professional advice, you’ll have a much better time standing up than flat on your face.”

This minimizes your liability as well in the case of accidents. Then again, there is the traffic. Between a healthy business district, again, gawking visitors, (this time in cars), carriages and buses, we should always cross at traffic lights and crosswalks if there is any traffic on the streets.

Last year I saw an experienced guide approaching the Dock Street Theater on the east sidewalk.  She had crossed  Chalmers diagonally from the southwest to northeast corner with a group of twenty, all the while narrating for the first five or so! They  were stretched halfway down the block to the Confederate Home! If you can’t get your entire group through an intersection in 45 seconds, you are opening yourself up to potential accident. Gather your group and cross all at once and as Momma would say, look both ways.

(3)  Just Say No! to  playing  Dueling Tour Guide

 I was in St. Michael’s Church the other day, and there were four other guides with groups. St’ Michael’s turned into the Tower of Babel.

During the high season, there are groups and groups and more groups. Each guide has something important to say, so there is a tendency to speak over the next guide---loudly. So the other guide gets louder. Now let’s add in traffic din. The Result: nobody hears anything and everyone loses. In the event you find yourself talking with another group in close proximity, professional courtesy mandates that you gather your group so that your position with the other guide is back to back and  to speak in a lower tone. Ghost tour guides have this figured out, but not all the daytime folks.

I have had walking guides lament that carriage drivers will speak over them at some stops.
In front of the  Calhoun Mansion is one example.

Walking guides, remember that the carriage folks are just doing their job just like you. But unlike walking guides, the carriages are on a prescribed route. Since they have to travel up Meeting Street on the east side of the street, walk your groups on the west sidewalk.

When  speaking in a narrow passage such as an alley stand  with your back to the wall with your group no more than three deep and left and right. That way, if another group comes through, you can gather your group closer to you so that the other group can pass behind them.

Woo Hoo! Charleston is Number 1 Again!

Copied from the Post and Courier:

Charleston’s No. 1 for 3 years running

•    
• Posted: October 16, 2013

The third accolade is a charm, just like the first and second ones. For three years running, Charleston has been dubbed the No. 1 tourist destination in America by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

The annual award announced Tuesday is based on a composite score for ambiance, friendliness, lodging, restaurants, culture/sites and shopping.

The magazine said, “With sand, sun, history, good food, and friendly people, Charleston is a consistent hit with the travelers who venture to this gracious and beautiful city. Nearby beaches and impressive architecture draw visitors, but it’s the insanely nice locals who enhance magnificent bed and breakfasts and amazing shopping.”

One magazine reader called it, “A bucket list city.”

Conde Nast Traveler also addressed how a moderate-size city outranked major metropolitan areas, such as New York, Paris and Sydney.

“Because great cities combine exceptional qualities, they do not have to be big to score big,” according to the magazine.

Gov. Nikki Haley called it “another great win for our state.”

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley hailed the honor as “a testament to the power of the attraction of Charleston.”

“It is the message of our history, quality of our built environment, the kindness of our people and the attributes of our restaurants and lodging that make our city an impressive place to visit,” Riley said.

The magazine’s readers bestowed the honor on the Holy City a year after naming it the No. 1 place for tourists to visit on the planet.

Meanwhile, Charleston slipped to No. 5 this year in the world rankings. San Miguel de Allende in Mexico came in at No. 1, followed by Florence, Italy; Budapest, Hungary; and Salzburg, Austria.

“A little point swing can make a difference,” said Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In recognition of the award, the CVB posted an online video featuring American Idol finalist Elise Testone of Mount Pleasant singing while walking along the Battery, over cobblestone streets and beside window boxes filled with flowing flowers.

The video starts, “In 2011, we were flattered. In 2012, we were tickled pink. This year, we are swept off our feet.”

The tourism industry added $3.58 billion to Charleston’s economy in 2012, about $3.6 million more than the previous year, according to the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis. About 4.83 million tourists visited the city last year, up 17 percent since 2008.

CVB Chairman Frank Fredericks was flattered with the latest news.

“We have been tickled pink and on top of the world,” said Fredericks, managing director of Wild Dunes Resort, of the earlier top-city wins. “Now, Charleston is completely charmed to have received such an honor for the third year in a row.”

Tourists and locals alike sang the praises of the seaside port Tuesday as well.

“This place is just wonderful,” said Bill McGinnis or Fort Wayne, Ind., who was revisiting the city where he and wife Jane were married two years ago. “I like the relaxation of it. You can walk around without worrying about something happening to you. You don’t have rude people here like they do in bigger cities. It’s very casual.”

Debbie Stockburger of Cincinnati called Charleston a “beautiful place” on her first visit.

“It reminds me of Venice in Italy with all the old buildings,” she said.

Greg Hill of Lafayette, La., also was visiting the city for the first time this week.

“It’s not surpising,” he said of the Conde Nast ranking as he walked through the historic City Market. “It’s a great city. This is reminiscent of New Orleans.”

Ralph Lacomba of Columbia and his wife, Melona, drive to Charleston frequently.

“It feels a little bit different every time — in a good way,” he said. “If we ever retire, it will be here without a doubt.”

Dick Hernacki of Chicago originally planned to come to Charleston to see Fort Sumter, but with the partial government shutdown that includes federal parks, he and his wife changed plans and stopped by the city on their way south.

“We want to come back when we have more time,” he said. “It’s very picturesque.”

Jocobra Bennett of Mount Pleasant said the reason Charleston is such a huge tourist draw is because of the people who live in the Lowcountry.

“The hospitality and the Southernness of the city draw people here,” he said.

A record-breaking nearly 80,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers participated in the survey, close to double the number in 2012. Travelers cast 1.3 million votes for more than 16,000 properties around the world.

The survey also included the top 100 highest-scoring hotels in the world.

Tied for No. 75 are The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island and Wentworth Mansion in downtown Charleston. The John Rutledge House Inn in Charleston came in at No. 99.

On the list of the top 10 islands in the U.S., Kiawah Island ranked No. 3. The Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai came in first and second, respectively.

On the list of the top 20 resorts in the South, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort ranked No. 4, Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms came in at No. 16 and Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina in Mount Pleasant was No. 20.

Abigail Darlington contributed to this report. Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or twitter.com/warrenlancewise.