Atlanta GA: Aquarium 3 '14

Sunday morning  we woke to rain and temperatures that we 20 degrees cooler than the day before.  Time to look for an indoor activity.  We all decided on the Atlanta Georgia Aquarium.

Polar penguins

This is one of the best aquariums in the country with many specialized exhibits of sea creatures both small  and large

Beluga whales also like frigid waters

Dragon fish seen at a distance

Two of my favorite exhibits were of the tropical dragon fish that look like floating twigs

Dragon Fish close up

and the kelpl forest exhibit because it reminded me of diving off of the Channel Islands, CA

Kelp forest

The aquarium has a lot of nice exhibit features like this glass tunnel

 which allows viewers to get a much closer view of some really big fish like

The manta ray above or the  shovel nose shark below

But the  exhibit which startled  us the most

 were the four fully grown whale sharks

whose size dwarfed even the large rays and sharks in the tank with them.    I didn't know we could keep creatures that large in captivity. At first I didn't believe they were real. 

 

 But they are real, and they are definitely the stars attrations of the aquarium.

We couldn't take our eyes off of them.

Atlanta, GA: Orchid Show 3 ' 14

By far my favorite part of the whole day  was the visit to the Atlanta Botanic Garden's Orchid Show.

Held amidst their  massive epiphytic plant collection in their enormous hothouse it was the most spectacular orchid display of orchids and tropical epiphytes I have ever seen.

All the plants were in pristine condition and at their peak of bloom.

There were many species I had never seen before

It was exhausting trying to see it all

But I was certainly happy to try.

Atlanta Ga: Botanic Gardens 3 '14

After lunch, Cheryl,  her daughters Ashley and Amee, and I  decided to visit the Atlanta Botanic Gardens.

 It was the perfect time of year to be there.. Not too hot and humid, but not cold and Spring was exuberantly bursting out all over.

Atlanta is known for mixing man made objects with their displays.  They have some beautiful pieces of Chihuli Art Glass out both in the outside fountains and in their hot houses.

Chihuli chandelier in hot house entrance

 They also gave created many larger than life sized  living sculptures  in their out of door gardens

 

like this  20 foot high earth goddess form which will  soon be covered with living plants

Even their garden gates were imaginative, like the whimsical gate composed of garden tools which was used at the entrance to their vegetable gardens

Or the Koi gate at the entrance to the Japanese Garden. 

The Atlanta Botanic Gardens really are a must see place to visit for anyone going to Atlanta in the Spring time.

Atlanta, Georgia: Lunch at Mary Mac's Tea Room, 3 '14

Exterior

While Bruce and Mike were off playing golf for the day, Cheryl and I decided we wanted to visit a tea room. (we both like tea).  Cheryl's daughters recommended Mary Mac's Tea Room which is a well established landmark  in the heart of mid downtown, Atlanta.  When we arrived at 1:30 pm, the place was and people were waiting in line to be seated in one of the many spacious rooms.  The wait is worth it

 For over 70 years Mary Mac’s has been setting the standard for Southern cooking in Atlanta. While we were waiting pink limos pulled up to let out beautifully dressed women in high heels and large floppy hats.  Familys with kids in levis were in line, as well as business people, celebrities, families and world travelers were all waiting to dine at Mary Mac’s and all were made to  feel right at home. In fact, in March of 2011 The Georgia House of Representatives created Resolution 477, in which Mary Mac’s was officially declared to be Atlanta’s Dining Room.

 While we were waiting  took a peek at their menu.... SURPRISE.   There wasn't one mention of  TEA

Instead the Tea in Tearoom was referring to  the Southern Classic SWEET TEA which was being served with their classic Southern Food.

But oh was that food worth the wait.  YUMMY!  It was so food that Cheryl bought their cookbook just so that she could cook some of  their menu items at home.

Weekend getaway to Atlanta GA 3 '14

Atlanta, GA: Skyline

We're here in beautiful Atlanta Georgia visiting with our good friends Cheryl and Mike Damore

Mike ( Center) Cheryl ( right) Daughter Ashley ( left)

Peach tree in blossom

The weather is great.

The restaurants are fabulous

Cheryl and CC

And we are really enjoying our friends'company.

Anniversary Trip: Temple Beth Elohim 3"14

As our final adventure in Charleston we decided to take a docent guided  tour of  Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim.  It turned out to be a highlight of this week's trip.  Founded in 1749 as a Sephardic Orthodox congregation, in 1841, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim--also known as KKBE--was firmly committed to the path of religious Reform Judaism. Their sanctuary is the second oldest synagogue building in the United States and the oldest in continuous use. Even more so was the small museum they have which illustrates the history of Jews in the mid 1700's and onward in Charleston. This congregation has so much to be proud of.

We were fortunate enough to tour the temple, while their staff was rehearsing for their Purim Service. It definitely was an enlightening  and uplifting experience.  We both agreed that if we were ever to join a  Temple, this would be the congregation we would want to be members of.

Anniversary Trip Dinner at Poogan's Porch 3"14

Poogan's Porch

For our anniversary dinner I had asked Bruce to take me to Poogan's Porch. ,Tucked away on a charming downtown street, Poogan's Porch is one of Charleston’s oldest & most reputable culinary establishments, serving upscale Lowcountry cuisine daily.  Housed in a 1888 Victorian  home The resterant  Poogan’s has been a favorite of well-known celebrities, politicians, tourists & locals alike who rave about the food, the service, and its low key charm ever since it  opened in 1976.  

Poogan's Lounge

First stop, the  low key but elegant Lounge where Bruce had a Long Island Iced Tea and CC had a peach Saki Sangria. OMG so light and refreshing and so Southern Tasting. 

Downstairs porch seating

 One can request to be seated either inside or on the front porch or upstairs balcony.  I had my heart set on being on the upstairs balcony,  but as the temperature continued to drop during the day, we were both very happy to find ourselves seated by a window in one of the elegant rooms upstairs.

We both liked the light southern summery atmosphere and the house itself, and we loved the food.  I had high expectations for this restaurant surely and it definitely surpassed them.

PS  Poogan's reportedly even comes with its own resident ghost. The Charleston police receive so many calls about a distressed woman dressed in black trapped inside this upscale Southern restaurant that authorities disregard new reports. The woman is believed to be the ghost of Zoe St. Armand, who owned the house in the early 1900s. ( You can learn more anout Zoe at:
http://scaresandhauntsofcharleston.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/zoe-st-amand-ghost-of-poogans-porch/ )

Anniversary Trip:Lunch at Patriot's Point and the Yorktown 3 '14

Fish House at Patriots Point

By this time we were starving so we headed off to the newly opened Fish House at Patriot's Point. Of course the seafood was great, but the real draw was the view from the dining room windows...Of the USS Yorktown.

The Yorktown as seen from the windows of the Fish House

 The USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) was the tenth aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy.  She was commissioned on April 15, 1943, and participated significantly in the Pacific Offensive that began in late 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. The USS  YORKTOWN received the Presidential Unit Citation, and earned 11 battle stars for service in World War II. Much of the Academy Award-winning (1944) documentary "The Fighting Lady" was filmed on board YORKTOWN.  She is an impressive sight even at a distance. and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam (1965-1968). The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule (December 1968). Decommissioned in 1970, she is now

the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.

The USS Yorktown is even more imposing when one is up close and personal.  Just a few facts to  help put that statement into perspective.  Her length is 888 feet.  She carries a between 90 and 45 planes, and a crew of 3350 Bruce served aboard sister carrier (The US S Ranger), during the Vietnam War, and spent much of the afternoon regaling me with tales of life aboard this floating city.  It so much more personal than the standard guided tour.

Anniversary Trip: Sullivan's Island Light House 3 '14

Next stop  on the tour was the Sullivan's Island ( AKA Charleston) Lighthouse which is located just down the beach from Fort Moultrie

The modern monolithic Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse, Is a strange sight to behold.  It is  the last major lighthouse built by the federal government, and more closely resembles an air traffic control tower more than a traditional lighthouse. The tower's unique triangular shape, with one point directed towards the ocean, allows it to withstand winds of up to 125 miles per hour. 

When first activated on June 15, 1962, the lighthouse featured an amazing twenty-eight million candlepower light, produced by carbon arc lamps costing $900 apiece, that was the second brightest in the western hemisphere. This powerful beam proved dangerous to its keepers and bothersome to its neighbors. In order to access the lantern room when the powerful lamps were lit, keepers were required to don an asbestos welding suit. To pacify neighbors, plate steel was installed in the landward side of the lantern room. The beacon was downgraded a decade later to a light of just over a million candlepower.

On May 29, 2008, Charleston Lighthouse was  transferred from the Coast Guard to the National Park Service, which is committed to protecting the historic nature of the property and to prevent commercial development on the site. The Coast Guard will continue to maintain the light, but the Park Service will be responsible for the upkeep of the tower. 

Anniversary Trip: Fort Moultrie 3 ' 14

We had planned on taking a carriage tour of Charleston on the morning of our anniversary, but we woke up to a cold rain.  The rain let up soon enough, but the cold  biting wind continued. We decided to trade the open air carriage ride for a visit to some local historic sites where we could duck out of the weather if need be.

First stop Fort Moultrie, which is a series of  citadels on on Sulllivan's Island, SC, built to protect the city of  Charleston.. Fort Moultrie is the only Monument in the National Park System where the entire 190-year history of American seacoast defense (1776–1947) can be traced.

BJ in front of one of the entrances to the underground fortifications

The first fort, built of local palmetto logs, inspired the South Carolina flag and nickname of  South Carolina "The Palmetto State". In 1776, before the beginning of the American Revolution,  South Carolina patriots began to build a fort to protect Charleston's harbor . On June 28, 1776, while the fort was still unmanned and unarmed, British Admiral Sir Peter Parker  attacked used nine British warships to attack the fort.   The soft local palmetto logs did not crack under bombardment but rather absorbed the shot; cannonballs reportedly even bounced off the walls of the structure.  William Moultrie commander of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment, and his four hundred men fought a day-long battle that ended with the heavily damaged British ships being driven from the area. This victory galvanized the Patriots' cause for independence. 

During the years following the American Revolution ,the original fort was replaced by a newer work in 1798, but that Fort Moultrie was destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. Work on
the present structure was completed in 1809

^{Bruce in one of the many underground chambers of Fort Moultrie}

 During the Civil War, Confederate troops barricaded deep within the bunkers in Fort Moultrie, held off Union Advancement into Charleston for over twenty months. In February 1865, the Confederate Army finally abandoned the rubble of Fort Moultrie and evacuated the city of Charleston.

BJ viewing the WWII  electronic communication  systems at Fort Moultie

The US Army modernized Fort Moultrie in the 1870s with huge rifled cannon and deep concrete bunkers. Further modernization in the 1880s turned all of Sullivan's Island surrounding the old fort into a military complex. The fort continued to evolve with the times through and beyond WWII. On August 15, 1947, the Army lowered Fort Moultrie's flag for the last time and ended 171 years of service. After the war, seacoast defense of the United States ceased to be a viable strategy.

Today, Fort Moultrie is managed by the National Park Service as a National Monument which preserves an array of fortifications ranging from the original brick walls of the 1809 fort to concrete batteries and observation posts used through World War II.