16 Meeting Street is one of the grandest Victorian mansions in Charleston and was built in 1876 for approximately $200,000 by George Walton Williams, a successful merchant, wholesale grocer, blockade runner, and banker. The house became known as the Calhoun Mansion because one of the Williams' daughters married Patrick Calhoun, the grandson of John C. Calhoun, U.S. Senator, Vice President of the United States, and Secretary of State.

The Rodgers Mansion is right down the street and around the corner from the Mikell House that we visited last week. Built at a time when money was scarce in the south and most Charlestonians had embraced the "too poor to paint and too proud to whitewash" reality of life here, Francis Silas Rodgers gave Charleston one of its grandest homes.

Frank Rodgers was born in Charleston in 1842 and went into the cotton factoring business with his father. A factor was simply a broker or middleman; most cotton planters used cotton factors located in major ports like Charleston to sell their exports. Even after the Civil War, sea island cotton was a viable export in the South until the early part of the twentieth century when the boll weevil came along.

It's that time of year, folks. The mornings are brighter, and the evenings darker. But don't let those early evenings get you down! Now's a great time to take advantage of the lower angle of sunlight and play around with silhouettes. 

To get the best result with this technique, go out on a clear day at a time when the sun is not directly above you.

94 Rutledge Avenue is one of the truly grand houses in Charleston. Built in 1853 by Isaac Jenkins Mikell for his third of four wives, this house is the epitome of a planter's town house. Mikell was a wealthy planter of sea island cotton on Edisto, and I've heard local author Richard Porcher say that there was no finer cotton in the world than the sea island cotton grown on Edisto Island before the Civil War.

Godfrey KHill is a renowned historian who knows Charleston and its history and always asks people "what is Gullah?" In this edition of "Quintin's Close-ups," I sit down with Godfrey, one-on-one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J34Oc_4I9ws&feature=youtu.be

70 Tradd Street was built in 1774 by Judge Robert Pringle. It is difficult to see the depth of the house and later piazza due to the high gate in front of the driveway, but the house is on a double lot, ensuring enough property for a long driveway and garden to the side. The bay window, added to the front of the house in the Victorian era, adds to the interest of the street façade of 70 Tradd. As you can see from the photograph, the house invites passersby to stop and look.

From the historic cobblestoned streets and antebellum architecture to the picturesque beaches and scenic parks, beautiful Charleston, SC promises its visitors a wholly fulfilling experience steeped in southern charm. This hidden gem of a city offers elegant, modern hotels, farm-to-table restaurants and cafés, chic boutiques, and endless outdoor activities for every type of wellness traveller. Start planning your Charleston itinerary by checking out our ten favourite ways to live well in the Holy City.

Gwynn’s of Mount Pleasant, located in the Village Pointe Shopping Center in Mount Pleasant, will be featuring five award-winning local artists as a part of its Give with Gwynn’s holiday charitable campaign. These artists will display their works in Gwynn’s store windows from November 26, 2017 – January 6, 2018. All works will reflect and inspire Peace on Earth.

At 102 Tradd Street, the two-story wooden house built around 1760, we again meet the Grimke and Fraser families. The first time we ran into them was at 55 King Street, the Grimke-Fraser tenements built around 1762 and later used by artist Charles Fraser as his residence.

Originally owned by Frederick Grimke, who built the tenements at 55 King, 102 Tradd became the home of the Frasers; Grimke's daughter Mary married Alexander Fraser and they lived here with their children. One of their sons, Frederick, scratched part of his name...

Let's face it. We all want to be the best we can be. But do you really know what you need to do to make your body run properly? To make it function as God intended? To make yourself look and feel younger? To feel good and to have great energy so you can focus on living the life you dreamed? Well, what you need in your life is balance. 

A small word with big meaning that permeates almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us try to find this balance, especially when it comes to food and drink...