My most vivid southern experience happened about four years ago when my family and I decided to take a trip up to Charleston, South Carolina. There, we visited Patriots Patriot, a naval museum atop the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, a legendary ship that landed in Charleston Harbor. Dozens of war planes were set out for tourists to observe, take pictures in, and view its historical facts. USS Yorktown is the signature piece of the whole museum. It participated and held services in the Battle of Midway, World War II, as well as the Vietnam War. Nearby, in downtown Charleston, we noticed ferry boats that offered to take people across Charleston Harbor to the renowned Fort Sumter National Monument, where the Battle of Fort Sumter took place (in 1861) and is the site most known for the first shots being fired that initiated the Civil War. We proceeded to dock, and the ferry ride was a relaxing half an hour ride. Astonishingly, we even sighted a few flipping dolphins. After landing at Fort Sumter, the view was incredible. It was literally this small piece of land with deteriorated concrete walls and barriers; it's amazing to think that a battle was fought here! Fort Sumter was THE place that started the division of America into the Union North and Confederate South, and it all started out with a few single shots fired from the Confederate soldiers that triggered a massive and bloody war. At the fort, I still remember taking pictures of the non-activated, antique cannons and cannonballs leftover from the war. Today, it is a National Park open to all by boat. There was certainly much to be learned about the area, and the experience was worthwhile. I called this my southern experience because this was the start of the Civil War, an iconic representation of the South and its history.
--Agnes
Please see map.
Sources: http://www.nps.gov/fosu/index.htm
http://www.patriotspoint.org/
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