South Carolina Symbols, Emblems, and Mascots

Did you know...

7.6 square miles is all the area that the peninsula of Charleston makes up, while there are almost 150 total square miles within the entire city of Charleston.

1773 was the year that the very first public museum in America, the Charleston Museum, opened.

118,492 people reside within Charleston city limits, according to a 2007 census.

$35,295 is the median family income in the city of Charleston, which is more than $10,000 below the national average.

4 US cities were more populated than Charleston in 1800.  Today there are more than 200.

1.5 times as many people live in the city of Charleston than did in 1980, due in part to consistent annexation over the last 25 years.

1788 was when Charles Cotsworth Pinckney ceded the land on which the City Market is built, doing so with one specific and detailed stipulation: a public market was to be built on the site and remain in use until perpetuity.

1989 is the year that Hurricane Hugo struck the Lowcountry.  Incredibly, the city's population has grown by 33% since that fateful event.

And 1 is the number of different mayors the city of Charleston has elected since 1975, the year Mayor Joseph P. Riley first took office.

*Photo courtesy of sheogre on Flickr

Today was Chief Rusty Thomas's final day on the job.  After the Sofa Superstore fire last year that claimed the lives of nine Charleston firemen, I honestly think Chief Thomas just needs a break.

He served the Charleston fire department for 32 years, and so it's really the only job that he has ever had.  I don't know how you walk away from the only thing you have ever known, but that is just what he has done. 

Here is what one of our local television stations, WCBD Channel 2, had to say about Chief Thomas in a news piece today:

After more than 30 years Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas walks away from the only job he has ever known today.

June 18th is symbolic for many reasons in Thomas' life.  On that date in 1976 he took his first station assignment as a firefighter for engine eight.  Of course June 18, 2007 is the date the is the date that signaled the end of his career.

I personally do not know Rusty Thomas, but I know he has had a long and detailed career in the Charleston Fire Department.  I have no idea what the future holds for him, but I do wish him nothing but the best!

Thanks for your service over the past three decades!

Summer is in full swing, so now is an awesome time to take advantage of all the great outdoor activities that Charleston, South Carolina has to offer. 

There are literally hundreds of things you could do here, but these are just a few examples to get you started.

Taking in at least a couple of the different farmers' markets this summer is a must.  For starters, how about the big ones held each Saturday morning at Marion Square in downtown Charleston and in Summerville on West Doty between Cedar and Main Street?  You also won't want to miss out on the Mount Pleasant market that takes place every Tuesday afternoon on Coleman Boulevard.

The Charleston Riverdogs play more than 40 baseball home games at The Joe Riley Stadium during the months of June, July and August.  Their complete schedule can be found on their website.

With specially designed indoor and outdoor exhibits, your family can get up close and personal with snakes, alligators, turtles and more, both from around the world and native to our region at the incredible Edisto Serpentarium.

Be sure not to miss DREAMfest, which is held on the third Thursday of every month through September, in downtown Summerville.  It is a wonderful gathering of exhibits, entertainment and featured artists, complete with an Art Walk and a concert.  It's summer fun at its finest.

This is the first summer that the Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant is home to the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum.  Located on board the historic aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown, and included in your Patriots Point admission, it is one exhibit not to be missed.

Load the kids in the car and head towards the Beachwalker County Park on Kiawah Island.  Stop by the incredible Angel Oak on your way through Johns Island to the beach and cap off the day with a visit to Freshfields Village.  An informal dinner and a little bit of everything are available at the crossroads of Johns, Seabrook and Kiawah Islands.

What beats a family mini-golf championship, except maybe a go-cart Grand Prix?  Top it off by dousing your favorite pirate at the all-new Water Wars at Blackbeard's Cove Family Fun Park in Mount Pleasant.

Get up close to over 7,000 animals, including endangered loggerhead sea turtles, at the South Carolina Aquarium.  You might even want to consider a family membership.  What better way is there to keep the kids stimulated and smiling when school's out?  And make sure you don't miss out on the new Camp Carolina exhibit!

And finally, Charleston County Parks offer both a variety of Splash Passes for season-long water park fun as well as its valuable annual Gold Pass.  The Gold Pass provides unlimited admission to all eight Charleston County Parks including its three beach access parks!  What a deal!

One of the many outdoor activities that you can enjoy year-round in Charleston, South Carolina is biking.

Not only is the weather great -- if not perfect at times -- for biking, but there are several places to ride.

The bike/pedestrian lane of the new Ravenel Cooper River Bridge makes for one of the most unique rides anywhere in America.  Bring the kids if they can handle the three or so miles each way and have the ability and discipline to handle the single-file demands.  There are also tur-around spots to shorted the adventure.

The three regional parks of the Charleston County Parks system in James Island, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant offer some of the best biking in the area for families of any age.  You can visit the Charleston County Parks website for more details regarding their paved, diverse, beautiful, easy to navigate bike trails and affordable bike rentals.

Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place both offer biking opportunities for you and your family, from woodlands to ancient rice fields while catching glimpses of a wide variety of land and water based birds.  It's biking fun combined with incredible natural beauty and local history.

The Swamp Fox Trail, also known as the Palmetto Trail, through the Francis Marion National Froest offers more challenging trails for the more advanced biker. 

More challenging still are the trails in the little known Marrington Plantation, within the undeveloped lands at the Naval Weapons Station in Goose Creek.  It's terrific for the more experienced mountain biker.  You will need to obtain a $10 pass in order to experience it, though.