The arctic freeze made staying warm difficult in Charleston.
On Saturday we went to Cracker Barrel for good breakfast and coffee; our server happened to be from Denver, and he said his brother owns an indie snow boarding store out there.
Fort Moultrie can keep out solders, but not freezing cold air.
After breakfast we drove down to Sullivan’s Island, and wandered around Fort Moultrie. It was very cold – we wound up wearing sweatshirts, gloves, and winter jackets, and still speed-walked through the fort.
After the cold, we were ready to head indoors, so we stopped at Seel’s on Sullivan’s for lunch. Tony enjoyed fried scallops, fish, and fried, and Louisa had spicy grilled red snapper, served with salsa and cheese grits.
The U.S.S. Yorktown is docked at Patriot's Point for touring.
We then drove over to Patriot’s Point. If you’re anywhere near Charleston, this is a great stop. We spent several hours there, and probably could have stayed longer. There is a true-to-scale base used by our troops in Vietnam. There are several helicopters and a patrol boat, as well as a jeep. As you walk through the base (which is remarkably small, maybe 50′ x 75′) you can read about some of those who received the Medal of Honor.
This sub wasn't built for tall people.
After walking through the base, we got to tour a submarine. It was fun swinging through the small, narrow doorways between compartments. We’re quite glad that we don’t have to spend time in such small quarters, though; we’re particularly happy that we don’t sleep in triple-stacked hammocks, with 18 of our closest friends, surrounded by torpedoes.
There are many WW II era planes on the Hangar Deck.
Finally, it was time to head to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. You walk up a few flights of stairs, and then are on a hanger deck inside the ship. Maybe a dozen airplanes are present inside the ship, mostly WWII era. We first walked through the Medal of Honor exhibit, which tells the story of a select few heroes who received the medal. If you’re in the area, go… if not, read online. Be proud of your soldiers.
In addition to a few modern jets, the sunsets are nice from the flight desk.
After walking through the museum, we went down to the engine room, then up to the briefing and radar rooms before finally making our way to the flight deck. Yes, the flight deck is very cool. 
We also got to walk through the bridge.
After exploring the ship, we went back to Sullivan’s Island, where we went to Station 22 for dinner. We enjoyed an appetizer of calamari, served with a citrus sauce. We both ordered the same entree, fish with creamy polenta, with spinach, bacon, and just a hint of chopped tomatoes.
Photos from the day can be found here.
