Pausing at Columbus, Indiana

Columbus, Indiana, is located about forty miles south of Indianapolis along I-65. Linda suggested we stop to take in the sights of the community. One of her relatives lived in Columbus some years ago and Linda thought I'd like to see the town. On top of that, Columbus is now home town to the former Rushville Rocket, Tony Stewart. I didn't expect to see Mr. Stewart but figured it more likely to see him there than rolling down I-65.

Linda was right. Columbus was a surprisingly rich visual treat. Interesting architecture, public installation art, and a very cute community fundraising project were all on display. The two images at the left in the image a permanent pieces (as I understand) and the remaining four images show tree cozies installed after the first of the year for a couple of months. The cozies are built to raise funds for their identifies charities. The winner is pictured in the upper right.
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Actual date of these events: 2009-03-14

Stopping at the State Capitol of South Carolina

Linda and I found the capitol grounds in Columbia, South Carolina, richly decorated with markers commemorating various aspects of their history. The capitol building itself is a fine looking building. There's a very nice monument to the "Thin Blue Line," their law enforcement. The South Carolina State House also claims to be the only state capitol in the nation to have a monument dedicated to the contributions and history of African-Americans on its grounds.

There are no less than three markers reminding South Carolinians what the Union army under William Tecumseh Sherman did there; a statue of George Washington with a broken scabard bears a plaque identifying Sherman's men as those responsible. A marker shows the location of the old state house burned down by Sherman's men. There are six bronze stars on the unrepaired exterior of the current state house highlighting where cannon fire struck the building.

One of the more moving monuments stands to the north of the capital and depicts a confederate soldier. The inscription reads

This monument perpetuates the memory of those who true to the instincts of their birth, faithful to the teachings of their fathers, constant in their love for the state, died in the performance of their duty; who having glorified a fallen cause by the simple manhood of their lives, the patient endurance of suffering, and the heroism of death, and who, in the dark hours of imprisonment, in the hopelessness of the hospital, in the short, sharp agony of the field, found support and consolation in the belief that at home they would not be forgotten.

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Actual date of these events: 2009-03-12

Getting a taste of Charleston, South Carolina

Because I'd visited to Fort Sumter a couple of years ago, I'd claimed to have been to Charleston; now I know that I'd not really begun to experience the city. Linda and I came into the city from the south, making our way through the narrow streets of the peninsula. The colorful homes and shops felt like they'd been there a long time. A horse drawn carriage carrying tourists edged over to let us pass as they talked about the significance of this building and that. We found our way to the shoreline where we could see historic Fort Sumter. I remembered the fort tour guide telling how outraged the people of the city had been to have a "foreign" fortress overlooking the channel to their harbor. Someone probably stood where I stood, watching the opening volleys of the War between the States.

We walked up into the city to see the old market area. On our way, we saw the pineapple fountain and the customs house. We strolled the through various stalls and buildings of the market. Between the long, slender buildings of the market, Gullah people were making beautiful baskets for sale.

After our stroll through the market, Linda and I headed out of the downtown to the Hominy Grill, one of our RoadFood.com finds. It was not the easiest place to find but well worth the effort.

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Actual date of these events: 2009-03-12