Daughters of the Nile



How does a Supreme Queen complete her Daughters of the Nile adventure? Well, if you are afairly new resident of a state, you might decide to play the role of a tourist. And, that is exactlywhat Supreme Queen Shirley Henley decided to do!Last week-end over twenty ladies and gentlemen descended on the historic city ofCharleston, South Carolina, to join Supreme Queen Shirley in a crash course on Southern history, the Civil War, slavery, and Southern cuisine.We were housed in the ghost-ridden and old restored Francis Marion Hotel. Our first day found us carpooling our way to the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens on the Ashley River. We tooktram tours of the grounds and ponds, sighting much wild life and water fowl, and learning about the vast acreage making up this amazing Plantation. It is still privately owned and affords visitors a real insight into a Southern aristocratic lifestyle during the early years of our country. On another tram tour, we visited slave cabins and learned about the growing and cultivating of Carolina Gold Rice. A short film gave us a photographic overview of the owners and developers of this large property. Following a picnic lunch, we took a tour of the existing house and thenproceeded to take self-guided walking tours of the many gardens. Azaleas, camellias,daffodils, flowering fruit trees, beautiful bridges and ponds, and many others shrubs wereblooming along the trails and throughout the woods where we gazed in awe at oak treeshundreds of years old. They have endured decades of war, fires, disease, and hurricanes, yetthey remain majestic, dripping with Spanish moss. We learned a great deal about slavery and the Civil War, reminding us of how difficult life had to have been in those days. It truly is a must-see place when visiting Charleston.The next day found many of us downtown shopping at the large Farmers’ Market, enjoyingmany local products and purchasing the famous Charleston sweet grass baskets and silverrice bead necklaces. There was a lot of walking! Mealtimes found us enjoying the deliciousfoods that are famous in Charleston and in the South. More walking made us feel better abouthaving overindulged in the delicious cuisine. We boarded seven bicycle pedi-cabs and had afun squad ride to take a nighttime tour of the Haunted Old Jail! It reeked of death, cruelty, andhistory. Another pedi-cab ride took us to dinner!After breakfast, we found our way to the Big Red Barn and boarded a mule-drawn carriage for a tour of downtown, the Battery, Rainbow Row, and surrounding areas. Our guide provided uswith a great deal of interesting local history. Quite a few of the ladies from Milcah Temple No. 77 joined us back at the hotel for a delicious lunch and hospitality. Now, after this three-course luncheon, we were stuffed!Early the next morning, we gathered together for a tour of Fort Sumter, where the Civil Warbegan. We boarded the boat and headed to the Fort in time to participate in the raising of theAmerican flag. Some of our ladies and gentlemen were asked to assist in unfolding the flagand veterans were asked in to assist in the raising of the flag. It was a chilly morning with avery brisk wind blowing but a beautiful sight of our flag whipping in the air. The afternoon foundus all going in different directions - shopping, snacking, eating ice cream, gawking at the sights,and enjoying each other’s company. Dinner time found many of us together at CoastRestaurant, once again feasting on the local Southern Charleston cuisine.I truly hope the Supreme Queen and her husband, Mark, enjoyed their visit to Charleston and some of its amazing attractions as they became better acquainted with their new home in the South. We made new friends and enjoyed visiting with old friends, which just epitomizes the spirit of Daughters of the Nile. Tuesday morning, we departed to our various locations after a lovely time in Charleston.Alyce Thomas, Past Supreme Queen ................
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