Waterfront Park on a hot summer afternoon

Usually when I walk the historic downtown streets to Waterfront Park at Charleston Harbor where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meets, I can count on a breeze from the nearby ocean to cool things off a bit. Not yesterday. The past three days in Charleston have been the hottest of the year. Consequently, I drove to the park since it was too hot and stifling to walk. I am talking about the kind of heat that is like an insulating blanket of hot, moist, dense, steambath-type air, laying as heavy as steel planks in the atmosphere. I walked through a tunnel of oak trees and some brief, merciful shade to the main fountain and there discovered what I realized was the perfect antidote to the heat — the gushing water where kids frolicked with gleeful abandon — as the young and carefree are wont to do. Whew! It made me realize that most of the sober-minded adults watching their kids in the fountain ( and certainly I) would love to be splashing around in that wading pool/fountain ourselves, spontaneous, free, joyous… and… well, young again?

The park is beautifully designed and a tribute to the city of Charleston which created it 16 years ago. You can watch sailboats, cruise ships and container cargo behemoths making their way to their destinations. You can walk out to a pier and sit on a swing and catch the breeze from the harbor. You can sit along the main promenade and do some serious people watching, as the wind bends palmettos fronds and youth scramble after frisbees on the grass behind you in the main park area. It’s a delightful place to bring a book to read, spread a blanket for a picnic, or, as is usually the case with me, take pictures of all the scenery and activity. There’s also a great art gallery right in the middle of the park where I have seen many excellent exhibits.

Charleston is richer and more beautiful blessed with this sublime little park, an urban oasis on the waterfront.

Here are some of the pictures I took yesterday during my visit to the park, late in the afternoon when even yesterday’s terrible heat was waning. Still, the humidity and heat were oppressive.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/camas/sets/72157627242120073/

The park has won some notable awards:

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2007/may/20/bits1/

lelis

August 6, 2011

Your photos tell me it’s time to consider another visit to Charleston soon. Perhaps, when it’s a little cooler…. And I suspect, from what I’ve seen of your photos over time, that they may be worthy of some awards too. How’s that book coming along? As always, thanks for sharing your images with us here!

Willy & Wilma

Enjoyed the Waterfront Park pics. Wish I could send you some of the cool air the San Francisco Bay area has now. What brings it is an offshore 40 mile wide current of cold water from the Bering sea and the Coriolis force driven Westerly winds. Willy

That fountain looks so refreshing! 🙂

Gypsy Spirit

idyllic…..thank you. Yes I would happily be splashing in that water with the children if I was enduring the heatwave your country currently is. hugs P

I’ve read about the heatwave, and whilst heat is part and parcel of living in the tropics – the heat at such a high temperature in your area is still way above what I face here even during the hottest days… Air conds are cheap here so every house has at least one unit installed. But if they can afford it, one unit in every room including living room, dining room, family area etc…except the bathrooms. And at specific btu. But normally we have fans (all kinds) in the house too and hence save some electricity bills from air cond consumption which can be rather costly. I love the pictures of the waterfall and children having fun. Yes it does remind me of my childhood years when even playing in the rain was bliss. 🙂

It’s been in the high 90s, low 100s here. But high humidity for us is 20%. I can hear you: steambath. Makes me want to run through the sprinkler like we did when we were kids! The last place I lived was on a golf course. On hot nights, I’d walk through them because they had those lovely, cool bursts of water watering the greens 🙂

Thank you for the note on the Hudson entry. The Hudson Valley River school reminds me a lot of Albert Bierdstat’s work. Maybe he was one of them? 🙂

What a beautiful fountain! Every town needs one of those.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frederic_Edwin_Church_Aurora_Borealis.jpg 🙂

Ryn: thank you for your kind words. Luckily the MRI wasn’t necessary yet until I have another migraine attack this month. It was horrible yesterday…I won’t wanna endure something like that again. 🙁

August 9, 2011

Diary pardner,Wilma,does the music for our Weekly Entertainment Ezine. She is also diarist CanadianJade. Willy

~seafarer

August 12, 2011

seeing these pics reminds me why I love that area…. it has been way to long since I was there… I think I see a visit in the near future!….. 🙂

Simply Lora

August 13, 2011

I agree with lelis…it is time for a visit to Charleston. I loved the photos and the post. We cooled off this week in Kansas City with our highs in the low eighties. The previous week of 108 was miserable, so I can totally relate to this post!

Eriu

August 19, 2011

It’s been far too long since I’ve been there. I miss it! When I thought I might move there I had already picked out one of those benches as my spot to read and reflect. I spent my 40th birthday there. Taking pictures!

Sago

September 9, 2011

Beautiful. I forget how truly elegant Charleston is. Thanks, Oswego.