One of the highlights of our trip to Charleston was visiting Fort Sumter. We chose to depart from Liberty Square, but ferries also leave from Patriot’s Point, which is home to the USS Yorktown.

There are things to see both inside and outside of the departure point:

Part of what made this such a memorable event was that it was also the children’s first boat ride, on the Spirit of the Lowcountry:

The ferry takes the “long way” to the Fort, so that you can appreciate the view of both the harbor and the Fort itself (and if you’re really lucky like Turkey and I were, a view of a dolphin or two in the water), and so you can listen to the ranger narrate the history of it.

Setting foot upon Fort Sumter is a humbling experience…just the thought of the history of the place is enough to bring a tear to the eye!

There is another museum on the Fort grounds, as well:

Of course we had to get a few family photos while we were out:

This was one of two activities that everyone I asked said was a must while we were in Charleston…but be warned–I was also told to buy our tickets in advance, and based on how crowed the ferry was, I think that was good advice!