Pitt Street Bridge Walkway and Charleston Harbor in Daydreaming on the Porch

There are so many extraordinary places to visit, walk and photograph in the Charleston area that I am amazed when I start frequenting one particular spot and wonder why I had not done so years earlier. The past few months as errands to Mount Pleasant have multiplied, I make it a point to drive through the historic Old Village which is over 200 years old, all way down Pitt Street to the edge of the marsh and and inlet adjacent to Charleston Harbor separating Mount Pleasant from the equally historic island community of Sullivan's Island. There used to be a bridge across this inlet, but now it's open only to walkers and bikes. About a mile long, most of it seems to be like a dike or levee cutting across the marsh with the actual bridge at the end near where it Sullivan's Island. To the left are huge expanses of marsh looking toward the Isle of Palms. To the right is Charleston Harbor. I can walk or sit on a bench and see the harbor and ships passing, shore birds wading in mudflats, and, off in the distance, the skyline of Charleston and also the 500 foot tall Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River.

It really is an amazing place to visit. There always seems to be a brisk sea breeze or, wind, actually, blowing across the harbor. The birds are abundant. Not only wading shorebirds, but the larger egrets and herons. Saturday I spent a good bit of time on the walkway enjoying a very cool breeze and abundant sunshine. Clouds and the sun offer infinite combinations of photo opportunities in this wide open expanse. The sun often shimmers and reflects light over the water. One feels far from the city, yet is surrounded by it. It's becoming a favorite place for me to escape for awhile and look out over marsh and the harbor to the ocean beyond. Fort Sumter is easily visible from the walkway.

It's not far from where I work and live, so that's another big plus. Although there are always people there, and not much real solitude, it's still the perfect nearby place for me to visit for awhile. Also, one of my favorite restaurants is just a short distance away, so I sometimes eat lunch there and then head over to Pitt Street Bridge. I can do it all in an hour and be back to work. Nice.

Views of Charleston Harbor from the Pitt Street Bridge Walkway

A good view of the walkway stretching off in the distance toward Sullivan's Island

Wading birds in the mud flats near the marsh

View of Sullivan's Island in the distance from the walkway