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Charleston, SC While some would argue the soccer pedigree of this Southern city there is no doubt that in the state of South Carolina it is a hot spot. Some of the best youth players have come from the Low Country and even MLS fans should recognize the name Temoc Suarez. Suarez' high school Alma Mater, Bishop England, is one of the perennial powers in high school soccer while continuing to crank out players who will likely have at least some sort of college career. While not as rich in tradition most other area high schools tend to play a high level of soccer and the combined nature of the area's youth soccer clubs provides a very strong example of how good the game is at this level around Charleston. A local Charleston youth squad, a girl's under-15 team going by the Fusion nickname, wound up falling a step short in the 2002 U.S. Youth National Championship playoffs losing out to a club from Dallas for a spot in the national finals. Then there's the non-soccer side of Charleston. A beautiful downtown area that truly is living, breathing history you are also met with many, many fine restaurants from the posh to the cheap for all sorts of palates. There are also many wonderful accommodations in the downtown area around Market and Meeting streets as well as the plethora of shopping opportunities available all along King Street. Of course that's only the tip of the iceberg as far as this historic Southern city goes. If you're interested in American history there's hardly a better place in the entire Southeast. Fort Sumter was the site at which the Civil War began as cannons bombarded the tiny island in the mouth of Charleston Harbor. One of the forts that did the bombarding, Fort Moultrie, has also served as an important defense in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 as well as being on active duty throughout most of the 20th Century including the periods of the Spanish-American War and both World Wars. If you're interested in World War II history and Naval history in general there is also Patriot's Point, which maintains the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, the destroyer U.S.S. Laffey, Coast Guard cutter U.S.C.G.C. Ingham, diesel submarine U.S.S. Clamagore, as well as a replica Navy Advance Tactical Support Base or "Fire Base" from the Vietnam era. Speaking of historical attractions, as of summer 2002, the C.S.S. Hunley is on display at the S.C. Aquarium located in downtown Charleston along the Harbor. The Hunley is a crude version of a submarine that was built by the Confederate military during the Civil War and was sunk on its first 'mission'. Along with the Hunley the aquarium has all of the typical attractions that aquariums are known for, you know, fish and stuff. Did I also mention there are several beautiful golf courses and a number of fine beaches? Some of the courses in the immediate Charleston area include Dunes West, Charleston National, Patriot's Point, Kiawah Island's Ocean Course, RiverTowne, and Wild Dunes' Harbor Course. Of course, the most recognized course on the South Carolina coast is Harbour Town at Hilton Head, SC a further two and a half hours south. Some argue you can get just as much value for the money at both Kiawah and Wild Dunes and save yourself plenty of driving time and gas money. If beaches are your thing then a trip down to Folly Beach, south of Charleston, just might be a must. Folly offers a laid-back beach atmosphere that has just enough in the way of "touristy" attractions to keep you from feeling that you're too far out in he "boonies". Both Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island off fine beaches to give you your fill of Atlantic surf... well, Atlantic waves as sometimes it can be difficult for the local surfers to find anything to give them a decent ride. There's also Beachwalker Park, a nicely maintained state park, located on Kiawah Island for those who like a quieter atmosphere.Charleston is a widely varied and beautiful city for folks of all tastes and backgrounds. If you can't find a little something to tickle your fancy in this town then you probably aren't trying all that hard. Charleston Battery The Battery may not be the most well known club in the U.S. but it isn't from lack of trying. They are currently one of the model franchises of the A-League boasting one of the best facilities in all of the country. Most would say the stadium is worth the visit alone, it's merely a bonus that the Battery tends to play good soccer. The club began operation as the brainchild of Tony Bakker whose undoubted love for football, sic soccer, eventually lead to the stadium bearing his company's name. The team was formed in 1993 and shared their early field with the College of Charleston and Bishop England, a private local high school. Some of the team's early stars included Clark Brisson, Mike 'Auggie' Anhaeuser (currently an assistant coach), Dave Hoffmann, Patrick Olaleri, Todd Miller, Nicky Spooner, Paul Young, Chris Veselka, and Manny Sanchez among the many players who helped out along the road to where the club is now. There are also several benchmark events that paved the way from a small high school/college field to the state-of-the-art facility that is now enjoyed by Battery fans and non-Battery fans alike. The most enduring memory for Battery fans will be from the 1996 season back when the league still went under the USISL umbrella. In that year the Battery beat the Charlotte Eagles to win the league championship, which remains their only piece of championship hardware at the current time. Ironically they have yet to win the Southern Derby Cup which was instituted by their very own fans but are hoping that one day this trophy will also reside at Blackbaud Stadium. Some other hallmark events for the club include hosting a U.S. Women's National Team match versus Mexico, the 2002 Shriner's All-Star game(s) for outstanding high school players (girls and boys) from around the country, and hosting (and defeating) D.C. United and the NY/NJ Metrostars of MLS in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition in 1999 and 2001 respectively. These are but a few of the landmarks along the way for the Battery and surely there will be more to come considering the strength of the backing this club receives. Blackbaud Stadium Capacity: 5100 Colors: home - yellow & black; away - red & black Honors: 1996 USISL Champions Directions: From I-95: Take I-26 east and exit on I-526 east. Follow I -526 East to Exit 23A. Take Exit 23A, Clements Ferry Road Merge onto Clements Ferry Road. Turn left onto St. Thomas Island Drive. Blackbaurd Stadium is one mile on the left. Don't worry, there are signs that have "Charleston Battery" on the along with arrows to keep you pointed in the right direction. From I-26: same as I-95 directions From I-77: Take I-77 south until it merges outside of Columbia, SC with I-26. Take I-26 east then same as directions from I-95. From Mt. Pleasant: Take I-526 towards North Charleston. Take Exit 24, Daniel Island (exit will loop around underneath 526). Merge onto Seven Farms Road. Go one mile and make a right onto Daniel Island Drive. Stadium is 8/10 mile on right. Once again, there are signs to let you know that you're on the right track, besides, the stadium is visible from the highway so you shouldn't be able to get too lost. Tickets: Refreshers: Then there are the roving armies of vendors around the stadium concourses that hawk everything from italian ices to, well, more beer for those who just can't wait until they make it to one of the four stands. The beer people also tend to rove the stands in search of prey during the match action in order to keep the thirsty hordes happy.There's also a tented area for the privileged folk that get served a meal as they sit behind the South goal. Don't worry you're not missing much especially once you get upstairs to the.... Three Lions Pub What trip to a pub would be complete without the food and the drinks right? Well, about the only thing you can't currently get to drink is something hot along the lines of a coffee or tea, which is kind of odd considering the English motif. Most of the food is typical bar fare (i.e. nachos, chicken fingers, buffalo wings, etc.) but it's quite serviceable around 10PM and beyond after a match and you're more interested in throwing back a few from the bar. The choices of brews range from Amstel to Boddington's with the standards such as Budweiser and Miller Lite available as well. I recommend starting with a Boddington's and ending with a Guinness. For members of the Three Lions Club there is a buffet that normally consists of some sort of pasta dish, a mixed greens salad, a fruit salad, and various other food items that can also be the fare for a well-fed footballer. Unfortunately, because of this development the burgers that were once served in the pub seem to be gone for the foreseeable future. If you're in for a match and are staying at the Daniel Island Hampton Inn I highly recommend eating your big meal at the Queen Anne's Revenge before heading off to the stadium. Club Merchandise: Fan Culture: On the Web: Around Town Restaurants Queen Anne's Revenge Andolini's Pizza Juanita Greenburg's T-Bonz (and Kaminsky's) Sticky Fingers Hotels & Accommodation Near Blackbaud Hampton Inn @ Daniel Island Downtown Rather than list the multitudes of hotels in the Downtown Charleston area I'll just give you a handy dandy internet URL that lists the hotels in the downtown area: www.sciway.net/hotels/charleston.html In this area you'll mainly find hotels in $80-200 a night range with a handful of exceptions in the $50 a night range. The lower rates, predictably enough, are going to be further away from where you might want to be but if you're driving anyway saving some serious cash on the hotel could be a top priority that will allow you to maximize your cash in other ways. A couple of hotels in the area that normally have some sort of special or package rate are the Embassy Suites hotels in the area or the Doubletree Inn downtown as well as the various Hampton Inn locations throughout town. I would also mention that there are many historical hotels and bed and breakfast inns to suit those who are more inclined to these kinds of accommodations. Regardless, if you're staying in downtown Charleston prepare to spend a pretty penny but in the end it's likely going to be well worth it as long as you choose carefully with your destinations already well in mind. |