Category: Low Cost Travel

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US Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas!! It is my favorite holiday! Not just the religious aspect, I love the decorations, family time, food, and fellowship of this time of the year.

Today, most Americans blend religious and secular customs with their own family traditions, often incorporating food, decorations and rituals from places they or their ancestors once called home. Roast turkey and ham are popular for Christmas dinner throughout the country, but depending on the region, so are tamales, roast goose with red cabbage, crawfish jambalaya, roast pork or “seven fishes” seafood salad.

Using mistletoe inside began because of the healing properties of the herb. Since it blossoms even in the coldest winter, the Celtic Druids began to look at it as a symbol of vivacity. The association between mistletoe and fertility/vitality strengthened through the Middle Ages and became part of Christmas. Kissing under the mistletoe began in England where men could sneak a kiss from any woman standing under the mistletoe. Any refusal was considered bad luck

The nativity scene of Jesus’ birth was begun by St. Francis of Assisi who created an original living nativity around 1223 in a cave in Grecio, Italy. He created it to help his followers better understand the birth of Jesus. At the time, plays were a common way for the church to help people learn scriptures. The nativity scene typically has at least Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Shepherds, sheep, angels, donkey, ox, and the Magi (Three Wisemen) and their camels

Advent is a religious event that has been celebrated since the 4th century. It is a four-week period that starts on the Sunday closest to the November 30 feast day of St. Andrew the Apostle to prepare for Christmas. It is a celebration of the coming of Christ.

Advent is 4 weeks and represented in the church with a wreath made of a circle of evergreen branches to symbolize eternal life. There are 4 candles in a circle on the wreath. Each week a new candle is lit. The candles all represents something different. The first candle is The Candle of Hope representing God’s people shining in a dark place and the hope we have in Jesus. The second candle is the Candle of Peace, representing the old testament prophets and the peace we find in Jesus. Third is the Candle of Love, representing John the Baptist and the love we have for Christ. the last candle is the Candle of Joy, representing Mary, the mother of Jesus and the joy we find in Jesus. In the center if the circle is the Christ Candle, lit on Christmas Day. It represents the birth of Christ and reminds us Jesus is the light of the world and if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness, but have the true light of life.

The Advent calendar was possibly created in the 19th century by a housewife who was tired of being asked when Christmas would come. The 24 openings have a picture or small gift for each day beginning December 1. Some towns have entire buildings and celebrations around opening of each window.

Yule logs are a tradition that is said to predate Christianity. As part of the winter solstice celebrations, Gaels and Celts burned logs decorated with holly, ivy and pinecones to cleanse themselves of the past year and welcome the new one. Europe had much ado about the Yule log for many years with different ways of ensuring the burning of the log for the 12 Days of Christmas. Today the yule log is usually a log shaped dessert, very tasty.

The tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus is a tradition which dates back to ancient Norse mythology. Odin, the Norse god, had an eight legged horse named Sleipnir. Kids would leave treats for Sleipnir hoping to get treats in return. This tradition became popular in the US during the Great Depression when parents tried to impress upon kids the importance of being grateful for anything they were lucky enough to receive for Christmas.

Evergreen fir trees are universal winter decorations. They were used as a reminder that spring would come again; the Romans placed them around temples to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture. In the 16th century, German Christians brought the trees inside their homes as a symbol of everlasting life.

Germany started the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Decorations for these trees were made by hand. Trees were decorated with berries, popcorn and nuts to feed the birds and the custom continued with indoor trees.

Martin Luther is said to be the first person to put lights on a Christmas tree. Legend has it that he was walking through a forest one night and was moved by the beautiful stars shining through the trees. When he got went home, he recreated what he saw for his family by putting a tree in their living room and placing lighted candles on its branches.

The first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce, and the first president to establish the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn was Calvin Coolidge.

Christmas Caroling was begun in Europe thousands of years ago before the establishment of Christmas when it was a celebration of the Winter Solstice. The word carol means dance or song of praise and joy. Christmas carols were possible first written in Latin in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Carol singing has come and gone but was revived to include singing at home, church and on the street as well as in plays since the 1800s The first printed publication of Christmas music helped widen interest in carols. It was published in 1833 and included “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen “, “The First Noel”, “I Saw Three Ships”, and “Hark! The Herald Angles Sing”. Almost all Christmas carols have some part of the Christmas theme, whether the birth of Jesus or the celebrations of the season (snow, sleigh rides, etc.).

Each carol has an interesting history. “Silent Night” was thought to have been written n Christmas Eve for the midnight mass in Orberndorf, Austria in 1818. Two priests adapted a poem and introduced it at their service despite their church organ being broken.

“Joy to the World” contains Christian imagery/. Its lyrics originate in the Old Testament in a 1719 translation of the Psalms of David, melody crafted in the 19th century.

The first version of”O Tannenbaum”, “O Christmas Tree”, originated in Germany, maybe as early as the 16th century. This carol pays homage to a universal symbol of Christmas, an evergreen tree.

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was written by Haven Gillespie in 1934 just after he learned his brother had died. On the subway ride home, remembering his childhood with his brother and his mother’s warning that Santa was watching, he composed the song and had a composer wrote the music.

“Deck the Halls” dates back to the 16th century Wales where its melody and many of the lyrics were from a New Year Eve song. Undergoing several changes such as “fill the meadcup, drain the barrel” to “don we now our gay apparel”, the current version became popular in 1887.

“Jingle Bells” was originally written in the 1850s in Savannah, Georgia. Called “The One Horse Open Sleigh” was a celebration of Thanksgiving. The song was renamed in 1857 and is as we know it today. The song made history in 1965 when it became the first song broadcast in space. The crew of Gemini 6, following reports of seeing Santa Claus, did an improvised version using bells and a harmonica they had snuck on board.

Christmas Pickle – If there’s a pickle among your snowman, angel and reindeer ornaments, you’re likely taking part in the American tradition of hiding the green ornament on the tree, so that the first child to find it gets an extra gift, or has good luck for the following year. The practice’s origins are a bit murky (or should that be briny?), but, it’s likely it grew from a Woolworths marketing gimmick from the late 1800s, when the retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch.

Candy Canes – Candy canes can be devoured as a treat or hung on the tree as decoration. They date back to 1670 in Cologne, Germany. The most popular account is that a choirmaster wished to quiet the children in his church, Cologne Cathedral, during their yearly Living Creche tradition each Christmas Eve. He reportedly commissioned a local candy maker to create what he referred to as sweet sticks for the children. He specified that they should have a crook at the top of each stick, to remind the children of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus. He also specified that he should use the color white to teach the children about Christianity and remind them of Jesus’ sinless life. This trend caught on quickly and spread throughout Europe where other congregations began to hand out the candy canes during nativity plays.

The red and white peppermint sticks arrived in the US in 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster, Ohio placed them on a tree. By the 1950s, an automated candy cane making machine was invented. Candy canes are the number 1 selling non chocolate candy during December.

We have so many great Christmas traditions! Many families develop their own traditions to become part of the family story. It’s a great way to connect our family together and to the world. Wouldn’t it be fun to try a different tradition from somewhere in the world and see if that fits your celebration? It’s an easy internet search.

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Lucky Places

Looking for a little luck this year? While you could wish on a star or hunt for a four-leaf clover, there are certain locations around the world that are famous for bringing people good fortune in love, work, family, finances and more. Some even bring better health.

Close to home is Friendship Oak in Long Beach, MS. On the front lawn of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park campus stands a sprawling oak tree more than 500 years old and nearly six stories tall. It is said that those who enter its shade together will remain friends for the rest of their lives.

At Jade Cove in Big Sur, CA you might find a jade stone. People typically find the dark green jades here. In many cultures around the world, jade is thought to bring good luck.

Hoover Dam, on the Nevada side, there are two 30 foot tall bronze statues known as the Winged Figures of the Republic. Touching the feet is said to bring you good luck.

Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, Illinois has a large bronze bust of Lincoln in front of the memorial. Millions of people have rubbed the nose of the statue for good luck.


The two best known locations around the world are the Trevi Fountain in Rome and the Blarney Stone in Blarney, Ireland.

The Trevi Fountain dates back to the 1700s but the tradition of throwing coins into it became even more popular in the 1950s thanks to the American film “Three Coins in the Fountain”. Visitors fling a coin with their right hand backward over their left shoulder into the fountain. Some say tossing one coin over your back into the fountain assures you will return to Rome. Two coins brings love and three means you’ll get married. Over $1 million in coins is collected every year and donated to a local charity.

If you kiss the Blarney Stone in the Blarney Castle built over 600 years ago, you will have the gift of “blarney” or the gift of eloquence and good fortune in matters of persuasion. By the way, the only way kiss it is to climb to the top of the battlements, lean over backward holding on to a metal bar, scoot yourself over to the edge and kiss the stone.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, is a 6th century place of worship turned into a museum. It is considered one of the world’s great monuments and it is also a major tourist attraction. The Weeping Column or the Column of St. Gregory is said to “weep” with healing holy water. Visitors can put their thumb into a hole in the side of the column and if it comes out damp, legend says their Illness will be cured. Another legend says that when you put your thumb in the hole and rotate your hand, you will be granted a wish.

Il Porcellino is a bronze boar statue in Florence, Italy, sculpted in 1634, which draws hundreds of visitors a day hoping for good luck. Visitors rub the boar’s snout while dropping a coin in his mouth. If the coin slides back out and falls through the grating beneath the statue, that guarantees good luck and that you will return to Italy one day.


Madron Well in Cornwall, England is purported to have healing waters. Traditionally, visitors would take pieces of rag or ribbon, known as clouties, that were torn from a part of the body where they had an injury or illness. They would tie the clouties in a nearby tree, and as the piece disintegrated, their affliction would also disappear. Today, the tree is still filled with colorful pieces of cloth for blessings and luck.

The Wishing Trees (Banyan trees), Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, Hong Kong are famous for their wish granting abilities. Write your wish on a piece of paper, tie it to a mandarin orange and toss it as high as possible into the tree branches. If the orange gets caught n the branches, the wish will come true.

Nuremberg, Germany has a 14th century fountain, Schoner Brunnen, with tiers of stone religious figures. This is surrounded by a protective railing with two rings embedded in the grate. People believe if you turn the rings, it will bring good fortune to you.


The last one I am going to tell you about is the Laughing Buddha in the Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou, China. There are many replicas of this statue. He is said to the the origin of the tradition of rubbing the Buddha’s belly for good luck.

I don’t know about you, but everything I can do, silly or not, to have good luck or better health, I’m in.

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South East Historic Cities

The United States has many historically significant towns in every state. These cities, towns or villages serve as places with significant historical or cultural events. Travel Pulse, a travel magazine, only documented one town per state.

This article will discuss the Southeastern states.

Of course, Charleston, SC is one of our most historic towns. Charleston was 350 years old in 2020 so has had many firsts. Among them, hosting the first opera in the US, opening the first golf club in the US, introducing the first regularly scheduled rail passenger service and having our county’s first historic district.

Athens, Georgia is home to the University of Georgia, the first state-chartered public university in 1785. They have 31 sites on the National Registry of Historic Places and 21 historic districts.

St. Augustine, Florida is the nation’s oldest city with over 450 years of history. One of it’s attractions is the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental US.

Kill Devil Hills in the NC Outer Banks in North Carolina is where the Wright brothers made the first controlled airplane flight in 1903. (As a fun aside, NC is home to the development of the UPC code, Cheerwine, Pepsi Cola, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Texas Pete, BC Headache Powder, Goodys, and Vicks VapoRub.)

The Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia is made up of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in the Americas and was the colonial capital for more than 80 years prior to the start of the 18th century.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is one of the most scenic and historically significant town in the Shenandoah Valley. It is remembered as being the site of abolitionist John Brown’s pivotal raid in October, 1859.

Montgomery, Alabama, the first capital of the Confederate States of America in 1861, was the setting of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-1956 and the Selma to Montgomery protest marches in 1965.

Vicksburg, Mississippi has much Civil War history. Jefferson Davis gave his first address as the first President of the Confederate States of America in 1861 and the Siege of Vicksburg two years later would be the turning point in the war. Vicksburg is the final resting place for some 17,000 Union soldiers.

New Orleans, Louisiana was purchased by the US from Napoleon as part of the Louisiana Purchase. They celebrated their tricentennial two years ago. Lots of unique history in this city.

Louisville, Kentucky was founded almost 250 years ago. It was a major stronghold of the Union forces in the Civil War. The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875. Also the first city in the US to introduce the secret ballot.

Jonesborough, Tennessee was founded in 1779, 17 years before Tennessee became a state. In 1820, The Emancipator published from Jonesborough became the first periodical dedicated exclusively to the issue of the abolition of slavery.

Washington, Arkansas served as the Confederate capital of Arkansas from 1863-1865. There’s also a strong case to be made for nearby Little Rock, which played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement.

There are many other historically significant towns in each state.

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Palate and Honanki Heritage Sites

 Red Rock Canyon. The park is only hiking so we drove to where we could see the red rocks forming mountains from the car. We were looking for something else to do and I stumbled upon the Palate Heritage Site and it’s sister site, Honanki Heritage Site.

Palate Heritage Site

Palate Heritage Site is located in the heart of Red Rock Country, just a few miles from the town of Sedona. The site is a well-preserved cliff dwelling that was once home to the Sinagua people, who lived in the area from about 500 AD to 1425 AD. The Sinagua were skilled farmers and traders, and they built their homes in the cliffs to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate and potential invaders.

The Palate site features several rooms and structures that were built into the cliff face, including living quarters, storage rooms, and a communal plaza. The buildings are made of local sandstone and are remarkably well-preserved, with some of the original plaster still visible on the walls.

One of the most striking features of Palate is the rock art that adorns many of the walls. The Sinagua used a variety of pigments to create intricate designs and symbols, many of which have been interpreted as representing astronomical events or religious beliefs. The rock art at Palate is considered some of the best-preserved in the region and offers a unique window into the culture and beliefs of the ancient Pueblo people.

Honanki Heritage Site

Honanki Heritage Site is another impressive cliff dwelling located just a few miles from Palate. Like Palate, Honanki was once home to the Sinagua people and features a series of structures built into the cliff face. However, Honanki is much larger than Palate and features more complex architecture and a wider variety of rock art.

The Honanki site is thought to have been occupied from about 1100 AD to 1300 AD and is believed to have been a center of trade and religious activity. The site features several rooms and structures that are thought to have been used for ceremonial purposes, as well as living quarters and storage rooms.

One of the most impressive features of Honanki is the rock art, which covers many of the walls and ceilings of the buildings. The rock art at Honanki is particularly diverse, featuring a wide range of designs and symbols that are thought to represent everything from astronomical events to religious beliefs to daily life. Some of the most famous rock art at Honanki depicts a figure known as the “Sinagua Shaman,” who is thought to have played an important role in the religious beliefs of the ancient Pueblo people.

Exploring the Heritage Sites

Both Palate and Honanki are open to the public and offer visitors a chance to explore the rich history of the ancient Pueblo people. Guided tours are available at both sites and offer a wealth of information about the architecture, rock art, and daily life of the Sinagua people.

Visiting Palate and Honanki is a great way to connect with the past and gain a deeper understanding of the people who once called this area home. The sites are a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the ancient Pueblo people and offer a glimpse into a culture that has long since passed into history.

These sites are currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Reservations are required for the Palatki Site. We didn’t get to go see either site. They close at 3:00 which was about 15 minutes after we would have gotten to the Honanki Site. We were almost to it and the road (which hadn’t been great the whole time – dirt and gravel and potholes) took a downward slope with large rocks, not gravel and we didn’t want to take the car down it. So, we just looked at them from a distance. They were beautiful! We were disappointed not to see them up close but seeing them, even from a distance, are pretty awesome!

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National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

Then off to Albuquerque. This was one of our family stops but we made good use of our time there. We visited the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. It is a great museum with lots of history and information about people from the atomic age, nuclear medicine, the history leading up to the creation and use of the atomic bomb in WWII. They have bomb casing of the Fat Man and Little Boy bombs, airplanes used, information about the Cold War, nuclear waste transportation and all things nuclear. It was very well done and had lots of great information.

There is a Critical Assembly room which is an exhibit based on the laboratory environment for the assembly of the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project. A room exploring the Cold War and the political conflict existing after WWII along with lots of military weapons. Exhibits about sources of radiation that are around, there uranium comes from and how it affects us and the process of changing uranium into a usable form for nuclear power or weapons and how to dispose or recycle it.

There are displays of the Manhattan Project and the people involved, especially at Los Alamos and the journey that led them to the first explosion in 1945. The devastation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the after effects are covered. There are even displays about the history of nuclear medicine and how it contributed to the advancement of medical technology as well as green energy options. There are classrooms where children were learning science and a lab where you could play and learn the concepts of physics.

Painted Desert and Petrified Forest
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Roswell, New Mexico

The next thing we did was go to Roswell, New Mexico. 

After visiting Carlsbad Caverns, we drove on and went to Roswell, New Mexico. We are both science fiction fans and wanted to see Roswell and all the information about that reported UFO landing. The town was so much bigger than I expected! I thought we would be able to walk to see whatever we wanted. Nope, it is so large, there were two Tractor Supply stores, a Penny’s, Hobby Lobby, Target, etc. I never expected it to be a city. 

Lots of businesses capitalize on the UFO landing that they are famous for, especially downtown. A doughnut place had a huge green alien holding the sign up, (most of the alien depictions looked the same, green alien that is common to UFOs) as did a gas station, lots of businesses had alien theme signs on the windows and store fronts. It was kind of fun. Like seasonal decorations but there all year. Of course, there were several UFO shops. We also went in the International UFO Museum. Very well done, informative and worth the visit. Very factual with international UFO information as well as a neat map which showed every reported sighting site. If you touched the site, it would tell you where it was, when it was and what was reported. The also had displays on some of the better UFO movies.

Most of the roads we were on (and we didn’t do interstates, all back roads so we could see the country) were in excellent shape, nice and wide divided 4 lane roads – even the back roads we were on. SC could use some tips from them! We kept seeing signs that said, “Rough Road”. We seldom knew where the rough road was. If they wanted to see rough roads, they should come to SC. And very little traffic on any of those roads. It was very pleasant to drive them.

Next Post – National Nuclear Science and History Museum
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Carlsbad Caverns

The first touristy thing we did was to visit Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Mike had applied ahead of time for an entry time (based on where we stayed the night before and how long to get to the caverns). Reservations are required at this time. It didn’t take us very long to get our instructions and information to start our tour.

Carlsbad has self-guided tours as well as Ranger lead tours. The Ranger lead tours went deeper into the cavern but we opted not to do that. We decided to do the self-guided tours. There is also the option to walk down into the cavern or ride the elevation. We decided to walk down (but NOT back up). It is a 1.25 walk into the cavern.

It is 750 feet down (equivalent to walking up or down a 75-story building) and pretty steep. We walked down, some steps, some slopes. Most of the time there were handrails but occasionally you could venture off the path and get up close and personal with the sides of the cavern as well as the deep look into the lower areas. We didn’t do any of that. They actually ask you not to so as not to harm any of the structures as well as for safety.

We went all around the “Big Room” – 8.2 acres. The walk around this area is 1.25 mies. The Caverns are beautiful and well worth the visit! It was so much more than we expected! It wasn’t just a little walk around, it was massive in size and had a huge number of different formations. Most of the structures and rooms are named and you can usually tell why they had that name such as the Totem Pole, Temple of the Sun, Hall of Giants, The Whale’s Mouth, Iceberg Rock, etc.

Carlsbad Cavern is one of over 300 limestone caves in a fossil reef laid down by an inland sea 250 to 280 million years ago. The Cavern stays about 56 degrees F. It has been called one of the seven wonders of the world.

The “Big Room” measures 2,000 feet long and 1,100 feet wide at its greatest extent with amazing formations everywhere and you can walk around all of it! The ceiling arches 255 feet above the floor. It is the largest chamber in North America. The calcium deposits have built stalactites and stalagmites, some eventually joining as columns. Nature has decorated the caves with mineral features of draperies, thin straws, popcorn-shaped nodules and oddly curved helictites.

We didn’t, but you can watch 400,000 Brazilian free-tail bat bats leave the cavern on summer evenings. Reservations are required. The bat area can be seen as you walk down into the cavern. We heard from some people who had seen it that it was amazing!

The elevator ride back up is 62 seconds (at 9 mph). Much quicker than walking back up. We did see some dedicated people walking up as we were walking down.

Next Post – Roswell, New Mexico
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The Hotel del Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado or The Del or Hotel Del is a historic beachfront hotel in the city of Coronado just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of a wooden Victorian beach resort. It is the second largest wooden structure in the US and is a California Historic Landmark as well as a National Historic Landmark. We have  been to this hotel. It is worth a visit even if you don’t stay there.

In 1885 it was dreamed of and 4,000 acres were purchased. The 399 room hotel opened for business in February, 1888 as the single largest resort in the world. The original grounds had many amenities, including an Olympic-sized salt water pool, tennis courts, and a yacht club with architecture resembling the hotel’s grand tower. A Japanese tea garden, an ostrich farm, billiards, bowling alleys, hunting expeditions, and deep sea fishing were some of the many features offered to its guests. Today there are 679 guest rooms as well as 78 ocean-view cottages and villas, a wellness spa, beauty salon, fitness center, multiple pools, shops, beautiful grounds and lots of recreational activities and water sports such as deep sea fishing available.

This hotel has always been popular with almost all the US presidents as well as many celebrities staying there. Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Mae West, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Kevin Costner, Jimmy Steward, Whoopi Goldberg, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey are among the stars who have stayed at the hotel.

The hotel has been featured in at least 12 films including “Some Like It Hot” with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, in “Wicked, Wicked”. “The Stunt Man” with Peter O’Toole, “My Blue Heaven” with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis, and “The Neuron Suite”

Frank Baum did much of his writing of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” while staying here. Other authors have used the setting in their works. Some of the storylines of “Baywatch” season 4 evolve in and around the hotel. And there is even a US Postage Stamp honoring director Billy Wilder with images of Marilyn Monroe and the hotel from “Some Like It Hot”. The Hotel Del is famous for having the worlds’s first outdoor electrically lit Christmas tree in 1904.

There are reportedly several ghosts in residence at the hotel. Kate Morgan was staying there in 1892.  She told the staff she was waiting for her brother. She was found dead on the steps leading to the beach three days later. She had shot herself. There is also the ghost of an actress who drowned in 1904.

To get to the hotel, you can drive across the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, which is a dramatic two-mile long bridge with a 90-degree turn at its midpoint. Another option is to take the ferry which departs from the foot of Broadway in San Diego.

This is as eclectic as you can get, and is a highlight of any visit to San Diego. (A great town in its own right.)

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Hauntings in SC

The Coastal Region

There is so much history in our state! Part of that history is the stories we hear about ghost hauntings. Charleston and the coastal part of the state is inundated with ghost stories from parks to churches to homes and gardens. Lots of our stories are famous and some are lesser known. Until I was looking for stories, I had never heard the following one.

The Unitarian Church in is the second oldest on Charleston. There is a story about a young girl named Anna Ravenel. She fell in love with a soldier stationed at Fort Moultrie in 1827. The 14-year-old was to be married to an aristocratic young man, but she fell in love with 18-year-old Edgar Perry, who fell in love with her. Anna and Edgar ignored her father, often meeting together in the church cemetery.

Anna’s father separated them by locking Anna up and having Edgar transferred to a fort in Virginia. Anna became very ill and died before Edgar could get back to her. Anna’s father was so determined to keep them separate that he had six graves dug in the cemetery and buried her in one, not marking which was his daughter’s. Edgar never found out which grave was Anna’s. Anna’s ghost is reported to still appear around her grave, looking for Edgar. The interesting thing about this story is that Edgar joined the army before he was old enough and used a pseudonym. His real name was Edgar Allan Poe, who among his works, wrote a poem about Annabelle Lee which could easily have been a poem about his love for Anna.

The Old City Jail is said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Charleston and there are plenty of reasons why. Thousands of people died at the jail. Probably the most famous hauntings is from Lavinia Fisher, so called the first woman serial killer, and her husband John who owned a hotel. They reportedly killed over 100 wealthy men and stole their valuables. Another famous “ghost” is Jacque Alexander Tardy is best known for piracy and killing people on several ships, blaming the chefs on the ships. 

In the park near the Battery, called White Point, dozens of pirates were hung. Many left dangling from their nooses to deter other pirates from entering Charleston Harbor are rumored to haunt the park.

At the Edisto Presbyterian Church cemetery, Julia Legare is said to guard the family mausoleum. When she was a young girl in the mid 1800s, she fell very ill and the doctor declared her dead. Her family placed her in the mausoleum. 15 years later, when the family opened it to bury another relative, they found the cries that were heard after her death had been real. Julia was found at the door as if she had tried to escape. The mausoleum has been sealed again and again but the door is always found open. As if Julia refuses to be locked in again. 

Central SC

Hauntings in Central South Carolina are almost as plentiful as those in the coastal region. Lost loves are a big part of the stories. Quaker Cemetery in Camden is an example. Agnes from Glascow, Scotland stowed aboard a ship and came to the US in search of her fiance. He had been sent to the US during the American Revolution to fight the colonist. She heard he was in Camden and followed him there. He had moved on, she fell gravely ill, died and was buried in the Quaker Cemetery. Her spirit is said to be wandering around the graveyard, searching for him.

The University of South Carolina has many stories. Some people report seeing lights on at night in the South Caroliniana Library where a former president, James McKissick, who is buried in front of the library, is said to be wandering around the building and reading the books. Students in one of the dorms reportedly have seen a female with long dark hair. She is thought to be the daughter of Dr. Black who was murdered by a group of soldiers. She avenged her father’s murder by poisoning the soldiers. Her spirit and those of the soldiers now reside in the building.

The Congaree River  Bridge is apparently haunted by the restless spirt of a young girl sho stands by the side of the road trying to hitch a ride. She asks drivers to take her home. About half way there, she vanishes without a trace.

The State Museum is another place people report seeing a ghost. It is the ghost of a former mill worker, Bubba, who worked there when it was a textile mill. It is believed he died in an industrial accident. He is most often spotted on the fourth floor near the Old Country Store. Most of the time he is a real looking man wearing overalls but sometimes he is just boots and partial legs.

The Adluh Flour Mill is reported to be inhabited by a former longtime employee who died. It is believed that his soul is pinned to his old work cart which to this day has proved impossible to move.

The Keller Hall Bell Tower at Newberry College is where a love story is the source of the haunting. A female student reportedly jumped from the tower during the Civil War after finding out her Union soldier boyfriend had died in the war. Her ghost is spotted roaming the campus crying out for her beloved.

A search shows many, many more stories. Have fun looking!

In the Upstate of SC

Upstate South Carolina has it’s share of haunted places. Cry Baby Bridge is located in Anderson and is said to be haunted by the spirit of an infant who was thrown from the bridge by it’s mother. It is said that if you stop your car on this bridge at night and cut your car off, you can hear the baby cry and see it’s mom walking, looking for her child.

Hell’s Gate or Oakwood Cemetery is in Spartanburg and it reputed to cause issues with your cell phone during the day – battery draining, phone ringing when it is cut off, etc. At night it is said that you can see orbs, a white shrouding mist and hear the laughter or crying of children and hear disembodies voices. Photos have seemed to show small faces peeping from behind trees or headstones. Be careful if you go there at night because it has the reputation for being the site for grave robbing and Satanic rituals. These Satanic rituals have reportedly created a portal to hell so that evil spirts can mingle with the people buried there. 

Greenville’s Tuberculosis Hospital in Greenville has been a tuberculosis hospital, an insane asylum, and a prisoner release site. It has since burned but they say you can hear voices, sobs, footsteps and other sounds here. According to legend, sometimes rain puddles turn red, supposedly the blood of the TB patients. 

Woodruff is home to Seven Devil’s Bridge which can only be crossed on foot. Seven men were hung there are reputed to haunt the bridge at midnight. If you cross the bridge then, you will experience all manners of tragic experiences with most ending in screams of horror. 

The Shamrock House, at the base of Sassafras Mountain, built in 1925, was a family dwelling. Now it is a guest house you can stay in. According to stories, a young woman who died there haunts the house. Lights turn on and off and doors open by themselves along with the ghostly footsteps and cold spots. This house has also been used as a backdrop of “The Long Journey Home, a Big Foot Movie” and “The Hills Have Thighs” movies.

Another haunted bridge in the upstate is Poinsett Bridge. It is one of the oldest bridges in the state and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. It is no longer used for vehicle traffic, but it used to be part of the main route from Columbia to Asheville. There are two stories about the hauntings – by a slave who was hung while the bridge was being built or that it was built on Indian land and the tribe haunts the bridge. Most of the reports about this bridge include strange lights which seem to float on the mountain, voices, screams and apparitions. 

There are many other haunted sites in our state. Have fun checking them out!

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SC Walking Trails

How about a nice walk outside? South Carolina has many walking trails from easy to difficult. Some have waterfalls, some are on the beach, in the mountains, level ground, hilly, just about anything you want!

There are lots of river walks all over the state. River Park in Rock Hill is 3.5 miles of walking trails mostly along the Catawba River. Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County is also along the Catawba River. The Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park is 2.5 miles and part of the Palmetto Trail. While you are there, visit the West Columbia Riverwalk which is 8 miles of pavement and boardwalk along the Congaree River. The Waterfront Park in Beaufort or the Conway Riverwalk are both close enough to shops to walk for a bite to eat after your walk.

I could walk all day on the beach but if you want a little variety on your beach walk, try the state parks at Huntington Beach, Edisto, Hunting Island or Myrtle Beach. We also have beautiful marsh walks at Shem Creek Park in Mt Pleasant or Murrells Inlet.

The Palmetto Trail is a system of hiking and biking trails being developed in SC. The trails run beside lakes, in mountains, through forests, large and small towns and swamps. Begun in 1994, it will be 500 continuous miles from Walhalla in the Blue Ridge Mountains to Awendaw on the Intercoastal Waterway when finished. It is currently 350 miles with 26 passages raging from 1.3 to 47 miles. Parts are rated easy, moderate, or strenuous. It is one of 16 cross-state trails in the United States. We even have a trail head in Santee, behind the Town Hall Complex. This portion is 13.2 miles and goes through agricultural land, offering a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. The Southern part of the trailhead is at the Eutawville Community Center near Hwy 45 and 6. Each section is called a passage and include the Swamp Fox Passage, Santee, Fort Jackson, Lake Moultrie, Lake Marion and Capital City Passages. 

So, put on your walking or running shoes and explore our state!