Thursday, 09/29/2022. Since almost all activities were canceled due to the upcoming arrival of Ian, we decided to visit the Exchange Building today. Built between 1767-1771, it served as a customs house, military prison, and post office. A guide in historical attire showed us the premises and gave us insights into the history of the building. It was here that the Declaration of Independence for South Carolina was signed in 1776.
After a little history, shopping was supposed to cover the rest of the day, so we headed towards City Market. On the way, we already saw that many shop owners had closed their businesses and were protecting them with sandbags from the expected flooding. The City Market was deserted. There were hardly any tourists left in the Historic District. But we were lucky. We could still find one, ONE single store open, so Steffi could still get a souvenir from Charleston. The store owner had already taken precautions because of Ian, and it seemed to be only a matter of minutes until she, understandably, should lock up her store.
With the awareness that a large part of Charleston will probably be flooded, we made one last stop to indulge in BBQ. At Lewis BBQ, they also announced that they would be closed the next day, so we could enjoy a good meal on this Thursday. Afterwards, we stayed a little longer at the Triangle Bar, where Steffi enjoyed the cocktails created by the staff. The beautifully decorated bar made the 3 hours we spent there fly by. Then it was time to go to bed. I wonder what will happen during the night...
