Charleston, SC

[DeeCee735]

We are going to be staying in HH for a couple of nights during our upcoming trip (AKV, BWV, HH). Since we are driving, we will be doing a day tour of Charleston, (never been there) and I'm wondering if anyone who has been there can give us some tips......what do you think would be the best thing to do since we only have one day?

Also, is The Charleston Place still in the concierge collection?

TIA

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Never mind.... I was thinking of Savanah.

 

[okworbust]

Yes - Charleston place is still in the Concierge Collection

Take a tour - very interesting things to see and you get more information than just walking around yourself.

 

[veenstra56]

I would definitely check out the Battery section of Charleston. We took a horse-driven carriage tour through it and thought it was fantastic. It was definitely our favorite memory of Charleston.

 

[ChelleinNC]

Yes - Charleston place is still in the Concierge Collection

It's not listed in the new planner

DD & I spent an afternoon exploring Charleston during a break in a soccer tournament last year. We just parked and wandered around the waterfront, looked at the architecture of Rainbow Row. It was beautiful and we had a great time

 

[ClarabelleCow]

there is a visitor information center, not sure exactly where, but im sure someone can direct you. well worth the visit, then get an all day trolly pass, you can just get on and off all day, we did this this past summer, we were up on myrtle beach and made the trip down. We didnt have much time but wish we had, i hadn't been there in almost 30 years, wow has it changed, but the old buildings at the battery are still beautiful

 

[pb4ugo]

The carriage tour, the Battery and the Farmer's Market are must sees; I'd suggest an on/off tour so that you don't frustrate and lose time driving aimlessly and trying to park - as my DH did!

A few of the things we did are listed here:

for the civil war buff:
http://www.hunley.org - civil war submarine - wknd tours [north charleston]

for the gardener - an old cotton plantation and inspiration for Tara of Gone With the Wind:
http://www.boonehallplantation.com/ - plantation and gardens [mt pleasant]

http://www.patriotspoint.org/visitor/ - home of the uss yorktown

http://www.charleston.com/ - great reference site

I think I like Charleston more than Savannah - wish it was closer to HHI!

 

[GDUL]

We did a combination tour that went to Fort Sumter first and then a tour of the city second (which included the Battery). We really enjoyed it - it's a beautiful, historic town!

 

[DeeCee735]

Is the Battery part of the Historic District, if not where in relation to the Historic District is it? I am very interested in the historic houses on Meeting/Broad Streets. TIA

 

[sjdisneywedding]

yes the battery area will include many of your historic homes, they sometimes used to have tours of actual homes, not sure if thats still offered

Meeting St and King St are the 2 main streets you will be based off of, especially S of Calhoun. They are parallel N-S streets


going N-S
the visitors center is located on Calhoun between these streets(has a nice demo film of the history of Charleston and its involvement in the U.S.'s past)


King is where your city type shopping is located.

Market intersects King & Meeting and becomes N market and S market where the open air farmers market is loctaed. many other nice shops in this area and some dining, the charleston place hotel & the upscale charleston place shops are located off meeting(and I think the interior walkway may lead all the way back to King)

this is also where many tours(especailly carriage tours originate from)


then further south both these streets run into S Battery which connect to E battery to form "the battery"


Ft Sumpter is a must see for historians

also intermixed thoughout this area(mostly S of Calhoun, west of King) is the College of Charleston. beautiful gorunds, old historic buildings!!

the island are very nice beachy type spots if you go during a warmer time of the year

 

[LVSWL]

All of the carriage tours leave from the open air market on Market Street which is right in the center of the historic district. The Battery is about a 10 minute walk down East Bay street from the market. Lovely walk, and you could return by Church Street to really get the "flavor" of the old houses. There is a "bend" in church street that has been captured in many famous paintings. Our favorite restaurant is Carolinas-wonderful lowcountry food!!! A great tour to take is the Tea Party Walking Tour..you will have either Laura Hipp or her mother Maryanne. They are both very knowledgeable about the architecture of the old walled city. You finish the tour with a tea (iced or hot" in their personal garden behind their house which is a nice touch. Charleston is definitely a wonderful walking city, so wear some comfortable shoes and bring your camera and your appetite and also, order some fried green tomatoes!!!

 

[SCFIREMAN]

You can pretty much book and do most of the tour stuff from market street. The carrige tour is neat just dont sit in the front row, in case of "exhaust" from the horse. If you are walking the streets of chaleston and see a ball w/ a flag or stick coming out of it dont pick it up. That is what the carriage drivers use to mark where the horses make deposits.

There are many ghost tours in charleston as well as haunted places you can tour. One of my families favorite places to eat is hymanns seafood. They do not take reservations so there may be a line if you dont get there early.

Charleston is a non smoking city also so all resturaunts are non smoking. you have to go outside to smoke, even the bars.

 

[LVSWL]

If you are walking the streets of chaleston and see a ball w/ a flag or stick coming out of it dont pick it up. That is what the carriage drivers use to mark where the horses make deposits.


I can't tell you how many times we have seen ladies picking those up and putting them in their bags as "keepsakes". They are marked with the different carriage company names, so I guess they thought that they would be a nice 'souvenir".

 

[Halle]

We stayed at the Charleston Place in April and had the Concierge book our private tour. It was well worth the money,definitely a highlight. We attempted to go to the visitor center but couldn't find a parking place in the visitor lot, go there first thing in the morning.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

The carriage tour, the Battery and the Farmer's Market are must sees; I'd suggest

I think I like Charleston more than Savannah - wish it was closer to HHI!

Wow! DH and I intended to visit Charleston when we went to HH in November '06. We absolutely could not pull ourselves away from Savannah!

Charleston must be a fine jewel to behold. We hope to return to HH this November, and will try to pull ourselves away from Savannah.

 

[CarolinesMom]

I live in Charleston and have since 1992 (my DH was born and raised here). Yes, you can hit the battery and the market in one day. I would also suggest a carriage tour and the tour of the Aiken - Rhett House. The Aiken - Rhett house is a true gem. It is not one of those homes that have been restored to the way it used to be. It is actually in the varying stages of life. There are some rooms with the original wallpaper. It is amazing. Please feel free to email me at cwhiers3@comcast.net or pm me. I would love to help you make the most of your day in my city.

 

[DeeCee735]

Thank you all so much for all this great information. We are definitely going to do a "haunted" tour that Friday night, how far out should I book - it's end of April?

We are also interested in a walking tour. Should we skip that and do a carriage tour instead? Maybe the carriage tour in the morning, and a walking tour in the afternoon - the one I'm looking at includes two house tours - one is the Aiken-Rhett? Or we will just do the on/off trolley if we can? Still have to refine the day.

I am also looking into staying one night at the Charleston Place on points as opposed to spending the last night of our week in HH and then doing Charleston on check out day, which is drive home day. This will limit our time there and I don't want to do that. I just can't see spending the 58 points on one night.....then again I think they are borrowed and will expire anyway, and I've already got my "small trip" booked......oh such problems - to be planning away! How lucky we are!

Thanks again for all the info,

 

[ChelleinNC]

Let us know if you are able to book Charleston Place on points. DH & I had talked about doing that and were disappointed to see it not listed in the new 08-09 planner.

 

[marvali]

then you need to take in the "Best free show in Charleston" and that is the weekly parade put on by the Citadel Cadets. It is held most Friday's when school is in session, around 3:45 (sometimes start at 4:20). The Corps of Cadets march on the parade field, accompanied by the Pipes and Drums. If you are lucky, the Summerall Guard will also perform. They are the silent drill team that represents The Citadel.

Other things that are very interesting if you like history are a visit to the Yorktown and a boat ride out to Fort Sumter. The ticket boothes for both are at the same location at Patriot's Point, just across the new bridge in Mount Pleasant. If you have the time, you can also ride out to Sullivan's Island and take in Fort Moultrie, which has an exellent view of Fort Sumter.

Other than those, if you just like tours, you can find one downtown that will take you to a lot of the historic places in the area, including many of the old churches that earned Charleston the title of the Holy City, and there is a very nice Aquarium on the waterfront downtown.

We will be at HHIR in March and April also. Hope you have a great time.