Plumbers in Charleston, SC

The post-pandemic trend of declining imports and overall cargo volumes at the Port of Charleston continued in April, and retail experts warn the drop is likely to continue through the year at U.S. ports.

Charleston’s port handled 214,101 20-foot containers in April — down almost 19 percent from the same month a year ago.

Loaded import containers, while up from the previous month, fell by 28.2 percent year-over-year to 101,024 in April.

All told, containerized cargo has declined by 16.4 percent during the first four months of 2023.

The number of loaded import boxes through the first four months of 2023 has dropped by about 22 percent as consumers, still resilient in the face of rising prices and interest rates, have tapped the brakes on their COVID-era spending spree.

“Consumers are still spending and retail sales are expected to increase this year, but we’re not seeing the explosive demand we saw the past two years,” Jonathan Gold, the National Retail Federation’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy, said in a written statement. “Congestion at the ports has largely gone away as import levels have fallen, but other supply chain challenges remain, ranging from trucker shortages to getting empty containers back to terminals.”

Ben Hackett, founder of research group Hackett Associates, said current U.S. economic uncertainty is impacting trade.

“Year-over-year import volumes have been on the decline at most ports since late last year and declining exports out of China highlight the slowdown in demand for consumer goods,” Hackett said, adding his group forecasts a larger decline in imports during the first half of this year than it did just one month ago.

“Our view is that imports will remain below recent levels until inflation rates and inventory surpluses are reduced,” he said.

Ports along the East and Gulf coasts could also see lower cargo volumes as imports move back to West Coast facilities in the coming months, according to a report by Reuters.

Some U.S. retailers shifted imports away from the West Coast this past year because they feared labor strife at Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., could disrupt deliveries. With union contract talks showing progress, some of the cargo that had bee diverted to the East and Gulf coasts is starting to move back.

“The rebalancing will inevitably happen,” Michael Schetman, vice president of North American sales for APL Logistics, told Reuters. That is because ocean shipping from China to Los Angeles remains the fastest and cheapest option, he said.

While imports have tumbled in Charleston, the amount of containerized cargo being shipped to foreign markets is on the rise. Loaded export containers were up nearly 12 percent year-over-year in April and have increased by 4 percent during the first four months of 2023.

The Port of Savannah, Charleston’s biggest competitor for cargo, also saw a decline in cargo last month. It handled 408,686 containers in April, a 17.6 drop from the same month a year ago.

The Port of Virginia, the Southeast’s other major port, had a 20.6 percent drop in containerized cargo in April.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum has launched a new audio tour for visitors aboard the historic USS Yorktown.

The audio tour is presented by Charleston history tour company Bulldog Tours and is available for purchase through a mobile application entitled Patriots Point Experience. The app is priced at $7.99 on the IOS and Android marketplaces, according to a news release.

Visitors who download the audio tour on their personal device will hear details and stories from veterans at more than 100 stops along the self-guided tour routes aboard the aircraft carrier. The tour also includes sound effects designed to bring many of the areas aboard Yorktown to life. Guests are encouraged to bring their own headphones.

“Touring the USS Yorktown is already an amazing experience. By pairing those sights, exhibitions and artifacts with information and stories told by sailors, we have improved the visitor experience by creating memories that people will never forget,” Patriots Point Executive Director Allison Hunt said in the news release. “This audio tour is something visitors won’t want to miss.”

Related content: Patriots Point Development Authority gains new board member

The Patriots Point Experience audio tour is one of many products the museum has built in partnership with Bulldog Tours and the USS Yorktown Foundation. Visitors can also purchase guided history tours for families and groups every day. After hours, Ghost Tours are also offered every night and include stories and access to places that are off-limits to visitors during the day, the release stated.

“Patriots Point is such a special place, and the museum’s ships are full of the most amazing history and stories, Bulldog Tours owner John LaVerne said in the release. “It’s an honor for us to work aboard the Yorktown, support the USS Yorktown Foundation and help bring history to life. We look forward to working with the Patriots Point team to expand on the success of the audio tour so that it includes the USS Laffey and Vietnam Experience.”

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Founded in 1670, Charleston is a charming town located in South Carolina. Not only will you find educational museums, stunning harbor views, and plenty of unique shops but there’s also an abundance of wildlife.

The swamps and marshes around Charleston are home to sharks, fish, birds, and even alligators. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, this may have you wondering if it’s safe to go in the water. We’ve scoured the internet and did the research for you!

Let’s talk all about the ancient creatures we know as alligators to see if you can cool off in the beautiful waterways in South Carolina.

The Type of Alligators in Charleston

Southern states including South Carolina are home to alligators. They frequently congregate in rivers, swamps, ponds, channels, and even lakes on golf courses in the Charleston area. The majority of people in this area of the state don’t fear alligators, but visitors to the area mistakenly believe that they simply exist, waiting to devour people and pets.

American alligators are really shy creatures that want to stay away from people, despite the fact that there are recordings of instances of their attacking humans. According to the State of South Carolina, authorities investigate roughly 750 alligator reports made throughout the state every year.

Over 50% of those include alligators that weigh 22 pounds and are under five feet long. Alligators of this size eat crawfish, aquatic invertebrates, tiny snakes, frogs, and turtles. Near Charleston, mature alligators have the potential to reach lengths of roughly 13 feet.

Are Alligator Encounters Dangerous For Humans?

Despite the limited likelihood of seeing an alligator in Charleston, it is important to be mindful of their presence while taking the appropriate safety measures. Keep your distance from any alligators you encounter and avoid making any attempts to approach them.

Although they are uncommon, alligator-related events do occur in Charleston. The majority of encounters happen as a result of people giving alligators food or being too close to them, which can make the reptile angry.

Gators are plentiful in the Charleston area. While they typically stay away from areas where people live and seldom pose a risk to them. But if you do see one, be cautious, avoid approaching the wild animal, and keep your distance. Never give the alligators food or engage in any other form of interaction with them.

Where Are Alligators in Charleston?

James Island County Park, which is just a few miles from downtown Charleston, has a variety of ponds and streams where alligator sightings are very common. The park’s cycling and walking paths are open to visitors, who should be aware that they may spot these creatures lounging by the edge of the water.

You can also find gators at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. There are numerous bodies of water where guests can spot the reptiles in the vast gardens of this old property. Alligators enjoy sunbathing, while visitors learn about the local animals on the plantation’s led nature tram trips.

Alligators can be found living in a 15-acre lake and a number of smaller ponds at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park. You might see these amazing reptiles while taking a leisurely stroll through the garden or when renting a pedal boat for a cruise around the lake.

Another popular tourist location that is home to alligators is Caw Caw Interpretive Center. If you intend to see alligators on your visit to Charleston, this place features alligator-spotting wetlands and swamp habitats. Guests can explore several ecosystems on the center’s more than six miles of paths and watch gators from viewing stations.

Visitors can find the alligator-attracting Cypress Gardens in the nearby village of Moncks Corner. Tourists can tour the gardens on foot via the nature paths or by renting a boat to travel through the swamp and get an up-close encounter with these amazing creatures.

Alligator Safety Tips

First and foremost, keep your distance from alligators. Don’t give an alligator food. Giving these wild creatures food not only motivates them to approach humans and makes them more daring but it also negatively affects their natural diet.

Alligators should not be approached by children or pets. Alligators don’t differentiate between household animals and wild animals. If given an opportunity, an alligator’s innate inclinations might lead it to try to eat a pet.

Gators have the ability to quickly fling their bodies out of marshes and snag a leashed-up dog. For this reason alone, avoid walking too closely to bodies of water these creatures are known to frequent.

Avoid swimming in locations where alligators are known to live. Alligators may be attracted by splashing if they suspect a wounded victim. Never go near an infant alligator. Although they may appear adorable, the mother may be nearby, and she will naturally want to defend her young.

The weather is warming up, tourist season has arrived and desserts are ready to make headlines. When thinking of the Charleston food scene, what comes to mind most often are seafood, barbecue and traditional Southern cuisine options. However, the Lowcountry also has a sweet tooth, with delectable dessert options that offer unique culinary experiences.

Along the barrier islands along, you can find a multitude of tasty after-dinner favorites. One Folly Beach possibility is The Pineapple Hut, a modern dessert truck offering pineapple dole whip, a dessert pineapple-lovers once had to travel to Disney or the Dole Plantation in Hawaii to find. The Pineapple Hut has put its own spin on the beloved treat and has made this tropical-inspired soft-serve dairy-free, creating a popular dessert option for everyone, including vegans. You can enjoy it three other ways, including a pineapple float – pineapple juice topped with pineapple whip; chunky whip – pineapple whip served with layers of pineapple chunks; and the best-selling paradise whip, pineapple whip served right inside of a pineapple. Check out Instagram for additional weekly flavors.

Another widely popular option is the Co-Op’s frosé, available on Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms and Kiawah Island. Enjoy this boozy, after-dinner treat by chartering a boat and watching the sun set over the downtown Charleston skyline.

For another alcohol-inspired dessert option, stay on the lookout for Booze Pops, a popsicle truck for grownups that regularly frequents the islands and other areas around the Charleston.

The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar isn’t on one of the barrier islands, but it’s not far away in Mount Pleasant. There you’ll find over-the-top milkshakes with an absurd array of toppings – from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to an entire slice of key lime pie, all inside a souvenir mason jar. Austin Conway, manager of the Mount Pleasant Crazy Mason, recommended trying The No Ordinary Cheesecake shake, which features cookies n’ cream ice cream in a vanilla-iced mason jar, rolled in crushed Oreo cookies, topped with a slice of cheesecake and an Oreo cookie and finished with chocolate sauce and whipped icing. He also holds The Sweet Cheesus shake in high regard. It is made up of strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a strawberry-swirled jar with a vanilla buttercream rim, rolled in crushed cones, topped with a slice of cheesecake, fresh strawberries and graham cracker crumbs and finished with strawberry sauce and whipped icing.

“Visitors also cannot go wrong with any of our waffle desserts,” said Conway.

The Crazy Mason offers a variety of waffle desserts including the Crazy Butter Cup Waffle, the Crazy Cookies ‘N’ Cream Waffle and the Crazy Turtle Waffle.

For those looking to venture into downtown Charleston, consider stopping by Carmella’s, a traditional Italian cafe and dessert bar with a bit of Lowcountry flair. Carmella’s features three signature items that never leave the menu including cannoli cake, peanut butter chocolate cake and carrot cake.

“The cannoli cake and carrot cake are family recipes from my Uncle Dennis Raffa out of Philadelphia, who was pivotal in my training in the dessert business,” said chef Brian Solari. “The chocolate peanut cake is an item that we played around with for a while before we perfected the recipe. It’s a blend of chocolate cake and chocolate brownie, with a peanut butter honey mousse filling.”

Solari recommended pairing any of Carmella’s desserts with an Espresso Martini.

“We use fresh espresso in the cocktail, which really gives it an added punch as well as freshness,” he added.

Another delicious downtown option is Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe, where desserts are made in-house daily. Kaminsky’s offers a variety of award-winning options by the slice including, its two-layer cake, three-layer cake, pies, New York cheesecake, flavored cheesecakes, cobblers, cookies and brownies. You also can opt for a multitude of enticing specialty coffees and signature dessert martinis, ranging in flavors from chocolate to key lime pie.

For a more laid-back option, try Peace Pie, a gourmet ice cream sandwich shop in the heart of downtown Charleston. Peace Pie offers pie-inspired ice cream sandwiches, where visitors can indulge in a banana cream pie ice cream sandwich, a cherry pie ice cream sandwich, a Boston cream pie ice cream sandwich and much more.

There is no better way to put the cherry on top of a delicious meal than following it up with a mouthwatering dessert. Whether you are looking for ice cream, pies, cakes, a mixture of these options or more radical desserts, Charleston’s sweet tooth and its diverse range of confectionaries will not disappoint.

Once again in the “someone should do something” department, a church in Charleston has — deciding to take real action to help those struggling with homelessness. St. Marks United Methodist Church in downtown Charleston opened its Transitional Storage Center two years ago in its basement. There, 150 storage bins, totes and lockers — secured daily with zip ties — hold the belongings of those with no place to call home.

Between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. each day, participants are able to access their belongings.

“We tried to set it up in between the times that people get out of the shelter and the breakfast and lunch at Manna Meal,” program director Miranda Nabers said of the center’s hours. “That way, we know people have the time to come in here to get their belongings (or) put them away. If they need to pick up a birth certificate, if they need to (get their) ID, they can come in here. So it’s kind of helpful to have that storage place for those important documents you need for housing, for a job.”

In the same facility, the center also has charging stations for cellphones, donated clothing and books, and the Kanawha Valley Collective assessment team to help some people get into shelter. The executive director Kevin Jones calls the program a “steppingstone from homelessness to housing.”

It took a lawsuit against the city to identify the gap in services now being filled by the storage center. Over the past two years, Jones says 85 participants have left the program because they got into treatment or permanent housing.

“We know that there was a need for it, and so we just kind of pushed ahead with it,” Jones said.

Thank goodness they did. We know there is a need, and we know this kind of help is a hand up, rather than a hand out. While our communities are filled with organizations trying to make a difference (some doing similar work to that at the Transitional Storage Center), such a facility is another project to consider, for those looking to expand.

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