Fort Sumter

The last third of our trip took us to Charleston. 

The Carolinas are steeped in history so we knew we wanted to take advantage of learning more about our country. 

Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began in 1861.

This was definitely on our bucket list! 

We took a ferry ride to the fort. 

 It's a lot smaller than you would think. 

 They sang the Star Spangled Banner and raised the flag. Then one of the rangers gave a brief talk about what our flag represents... courage, freedom, sacrifice, and unity.  It was lovely!

After about an hour with no shade (and it being so hot and humid), we headed back to the air-conditioned boat. 

I love it when we can bring history to life for our kids and finding ways to incorporate that into our vacation is always a memorable experience for us all. #homeschoollife

Being at Fort Sumter was even more poignant considering that today, in 2020, it sadly feels like our country is going through yet another "civil war."

I think we can all agree, America has never been perfect. No doubt we have made mistakes in our past and will continue to do so but that doesn't mean we have not come a long way and can continue to improve.
I am grateful to live in this country. I am grateful for the men and women who have sacrificed everything for the freedom we enjoy. May God help us to raise our children to be grateful and proud Americans, too.
May we learn from our history and strive to make a positive contribution towards the future.
And most of all, may God Bless America!