Help in Charleston

[Mimi2angels]

My sister and I are taking my mother to Charleston SC for her birthday at the end of April. Can anyone recommend a clean, reasonably priced hotel close to the historic district? Also where are you favorite places to eat and what are your favorite things to do in Charleston? Thanks a bunch!

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I recently stayed in the Double Tree in the middle of the historical district for a few days. It was very nice. Since rates vary by season etc, I'd recommend calling to get a current rate. It's right in the middle of everything so you can walk to a lot of places close by.

181 Church Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-2644

 

[momminnie]

Charleston is great! Rates do vary. I don't know what you would call a reasonable rate. I like to stay in the B&B's in the historic distric. If you like Pizza try Mellow mushroom down town, We like California dreming down on the water, We like the Charleston Crab house.

 

[java]

If we didn't have our kids with us we would have eaten here
http://www.82queen.com/

It was so pretty and smelled delicious. But since we were with the kids we stuck to Hyman's, Sticky Fingers, another good breakfast place that I can't remember the name of- it was towards the water from Hyman's on that same road.(Jimmy's?) it was gooood.

Even just walking around you'll find good food.
We love it there.

 

[luckofthedraw]

No trip to Charleston is complete without a trip to Poogan's Porch and Hyman's.

Will you have a car in Charleston? If not, you'll want to stay directly in the historic district. We usually stay there. If you do have a car, the hotels at Patriot's Point are nearby, and a lot cheaper than the historic district.

Forgot to add: you might want to check on the dates of Spoleto Festival. Charleston is verrrry crowded during the festival.

Also, they have wonderful walking tours (garden tours, historic house tours, ghost story tours) and carriage rides.

 

[newtodis]

I live about an hour and thirty minutes from Charleston and can mail you some stuff from the visitor's center here in Hilton Head if you'd like. If you've got specific questions, let me know - I'd be happy to help. We've done lots of different things on lots of different trips up there. You can always take a day trip down to Savannah or Hilton Head as well!

For hotels, we've always had good luck with Hotwire when booking hotels up there for previous vacations. DH also worked at a Hampton Inn a while back and we've been able to get some good deals with them on our travels. Determine what's important - where you're staying or the cost. The closer to "downtown" the higher the rates will be. We stayed in Isle of Palms the first year and LOVED it. It was just over "the bridge" (I'm NOT a bridge fan and this sucker is HUGE!!!) but only 5 or 10 minutes to Charleston. We've also stayed in Mt Pleasant and on the other side of Charleston at the Hampton Inn very close to where the Sofa Superstore Fire was were the firefighters were all killed.

Favrotie places to eat - my boys (DH and DSs) love Bubba Gumps right on Market Street. If you're staying specifically in historic Charleston, you'll have lots of options - but many are chain-ish. If you're a bit adventureous, try heading out to Isle of Palms (this is still my favorite beach by far with a great ice cream store!!), Mt Pleasant or one of the surrounding islands (Daniel, Johns, ect). Hit the visitor's center for lots of coupons on places!

Things to do - if you want to do a dolphin tour, I can reccomend someone amazing!! Gresh will take you out on his boat, watch the dolphins then drop you off on Morris Island - complete with a huge, beautiful lighthouse - to go shelling for about an hour. You'll pick up more beautiful shells than you'll know what to do with! My mom picked up tons of sand dollars when they were here for Thanksgiving. There are also the plantations to check out and plenty of homes to tour. Another fun tour is the water tour or a tour out to Fort Sumpter to see Charleston from the water. There's a very cool open air market that's neat to walk through. I can always manage to find something I need there! I'd also reccomend Palmetto Carriage Company for amazing tours. If you can get Mark Jones to do the tour, do it for sure!! He works there by day and does ghost tours by night. He's also with a group that re-enacts pirate stuff and is a local author. Amazing guy and hillarious! I've learned more history from his tours than I did in school I'm sure!

A bit OT - DH and I began coming down on vacation once we were married with our DSs to Charleston for vacation and now we're living down here! It's so cold here - it's supposed to be 40 on Friday but hopefully will warm back up soon!

Feel free to PM if you need more info on anything!

 

[Mimi2angels]

Thanks for all the info - keep it coming! I can't wait for the trip.

 

[snoopywoodstockus]

Here is a good place to eat in Charleston, SC. www.wreckrc.com

We liked them when we were there last year.

 

[momminnie]

If you are planning to come to Charleston the 2nd weekend in May. You may want to book as soon as possible. All the colleges have graduation that weekend.All the places that have been named to eat at are wonderful. I've been to all of them.Make sure to do a walking tour,you'll love it. Do a carriage tour if possible,beware of the horses. They smell alittle in the summer.

 

[Kidnurse]

Stay at the Embassy Suites downtown. It used to be the old Citadel college before they moved it.

You MUST eat at the Peninsula Grille. Reservations are a must-it's pricey but SOOOO worth it. Oh yes, and if you go there, you gotta try the coconut cake-it's AMAZING!

Have a GREAT time in Charleston-My husband and I LOVE that place!!!!

 

[maleficentmom]

Queen Annes Revenge beside the Hampton Inn Daniel Island.Good food and lots of cool pirate stuff. Bubba Gump is fun and BEST onion rings EVER!Ghost tour is fun and aquarium is great!

 

[sharlon]

Here is a good place to eat in Charleston, SC. www.wreckrc.com

We liked them when we were there last year.

DH and I second this recommendation. We have been eating there on trips to Charleston for 13 years. It is a hole in the back of a neighborhood overlooking Shem Creek, but it is sooooooooo yummy. Note: they do not take credit cards.

 

[DisneeMommee]

Our vote for a place to stay is the Governor's Inn B&B. Not cheap by any means, but if you can swing just one night there, it is worth it. Their food was by far our favorite. All of the breakfasts were delicious and they serve afternoon tea with sweets, as well as wine and cheese. We also stayed at the Hawthorne Suites, (Nothing around there is cheap, even hotels that should be inexpensive.) We also enjoyed the home tours (Aiken Rhett was our favorite home) All 3 plantations were nice, each is totally different. Magnolia House - nice house; Drayton Hall - old and unfurnished - we had an excellent tour guide and it was my favorite; Middleton - the gardens were very nice. We did a carriage ride - we highly recommend. We took the Gullah tour - also a nice tour and completely different. Our favorite restaurant was a little French place just down the street from the Governor's Inn. The tour out to Fort Sumter is something to do once, the dolphin tour by a poster above sounds like we would have enjoyed that more. Have a great time. It was a wonderful place to visit. I went with my mom and college aged daughter.

 

[*Flower*]

Another great place for food is the Noisy Oyster. It's a local restaurant that's gotton so popular that they now have 3 locations around town.

The one downtown is on the corner of N. Market and Bay St.

http://www.noisyoysterseafood.com/menu.html

And if you're looking for a bit of atmosphere, try Carolina's. They just started a happy hour thing M-F from 5-7.

http://www.carolinasrestaurant.com/index.php

 

[daleswife]

I use to live in Charleston. I dont know what your budget is, but if you want a good rate, check out Mt. Pleasant. It is just across the bridge to downtown and its amazing. Check out Southend Brewery, great food. Ye Old Fashion Ice cream shop has good food and amazing ice cream. Sticky Fingers is a great rib place.

Check out the Markets while your there....they are great. Go on a carriage tour.

Honestly, I stayed away from downtown. Traffic is horrible and the roads are very narrow. If you can afford to get a room downtown, Id say do it, but if not, Mt. Pleasant is the closest....Stay away from North Charleston.

 

[RachelTori]

I'm going to add a place for a sweet treat! The guys from "Baked NYC" in Brooklyn recently opened their 2nd location in Charleston:

Baked Charleston
160 East Bay Street
Charleston SC, 29401
843.577.2180

Store Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 7am-7pm
Friday: 7am-9pm
Saturday: 8am-9pm
Sunday: 8am-7pm
Call for Summer & Holiday hours


http://bakednyc.com/page/about

They have some of the best chocolate (and non-chocolate!) desserts on the planet!!! They come to the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot every year.

 

[*Flower*]

My DH can't eat at Sticky Fingers because he's allergic to MSG. They use it in almost everything.

North Charleston isn't bad if you know where to go- I live there

 

[newtodis]

For those who are interested, the website for the dolphin tour is here: http://www.follybeachcharters.com/dolphinsfishing_001.htm. I cannot tell you how amazing it is! I would go every day if I could. We've seen dolphins every time and to hear my boys (4 and 2) get so excited that the dolphin "looked at me!!!!" is priceless. This is the one thing they ask to do every time!

At the market there's a little sweet shop too (I can't remember the name for the life of me this morning) but it's the first sweet shop on the left when leaving the open air market and going towards the enclosed stores (walking away from the water if that makes any sense). We always stop there for flavored lemonade and a cookie or other treat.

Drayton Hall was my favorite plantation by far just because you can stand on the front porch of the home and look down the loooooong driveway covered with oaks and it's just what I picture the south to look like in my head. It's so beautiful. We also went to the other two plantations but they were both similar to me.

This is the website to the carriage tours that we love: http://www.carriagetour.com/splash.asp. They also offer free parking if you're taking a tour.

One place I'd probably never go back to (maybe if I got really brave I would....) is Cypress Gardens. It's a VERY rustic - like walking on dirt paths next to the water with the big ol' gators swimming in it. They also had canoes you could rent (looked very old IMO) and check out the gators up close...no freaking way! I'm so glad we went once (I really wanted to see an alligator on that trip in the wild and boy did I!) but I don't know that I'd go back again.

I love Charleston and we'll be taking DH's family back next weekend while they're here. I don't know who's more excited - me or them! We've also got wonderful friends and the wife grew up in Charleston so I'll pick her brain this weekend. She's planning a trip for us to go to a thrift store that's amazing. Her sister's found so much baby furnature there for her for so cheap in great condition.

Have a super great trip! Feel free to PM or ask if you have any more questions. It looks like there are lots here from the area that can help you out!

 

[JoBird]

but miss my home immensely- we've been gone for 8 years, however, we still go "Home" to our parents houses two to three times a year.

Here are our favorites in our Hometown-

Restaurants:
~82 Queen- someone posted a link to this place. Ask to sit outside. It's wonderful and is our absolute favorite.
~ California Dreaming- the view and their food are great- the salads are humongous!
~Hyman's- good food for pretty inexpensive. Eat some boiled peanuts!
~Magnolia's- very very good food- lowcountry favorites with a twist! Order the Shrimp and grits!
~ Locklear's- this is in Mt Pleasant, but if you want to try a lowcountry specialty- She Crab soup--- this is the best--- and we've tasted them all!
~Kaminsky's- on the market- good desserts!
~Market Street Sweets- get a praline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best ones ever made.

Places to go:
~The Market- shopping right downtown. Fun things to be seen. jewelry, tshirts, silver--- you name it, it's there.
~Walk from the End of the Market across the street into The Charleston Place Hotel alllllll the way thru, passing the shops inside to King Street. Now the real shopping can begin.
Take a left out of that door to go towards antique shops. Keep walking all the way down- (it's a bit of a walk)- and you'll hit-
~The Battery- where the Civil War began- or as we Southerners sometimes refer to it- "The War of Northern Aggression"
~Or- outside of the Charleston Place Hotel onto King Street- go to your right- and you'll find the regular shops- Victorias Secret, Abercrombie, AnneTaylor, etc.
~Go to the Aquarium- neat place.
~ Take a carriage ride
~See a plantation- you'll need a car- Drayton, Middleton, and Magnolia are in West Ashley, Boone Hall- (it was in the movie The North and The South with Patrick Swayze in the 80's) is in Mt Pleasant. My fave is Drayton-
~ Tours of homes downtown- our personal favorites- The Aiken-Rhett- and the Calhoun Mansion... which was also in The North and South movie...
~ Make sure you see a Joggling Board before you leave- ask what one is and try it out.
~Waterfront Park- take a walk on the pier
~Beaches- Folly, Kiawah, Isle of Palms. You'll need a car for any of these.
~ Tour The Citadel- the south's oldest Military College. Dress parade is every Friday.

Places to Stay-
~Charleston Place- I once saw Prince Charles here!
~The Mills House Hotel-- My favorite- and wonderful breakfasts!!
~Embassy Suites Hotel- old Citadel College
~ B&B- The John Rutledge House Inn. Beautiful.

These are not cheap- but worth it to be in the middle of the action.


For any information- I suggest the Charleston Visitors Center- they can give you some really good tips.

Let me know if you need anything else!

Oh- and--
Welcome to the Holy City! Once you come once... you'll go all your life searching for a way to get back.

Jo

 

[bmartin1206]

Stay away from North Charleston.

I'd definitely second that. I lived in N. Charleston when stationed there in 85-87when it was still a Naval base. Went back last year for the first time since then. What a dump. I agree. Try to stay downtown if you can. Plenty to see and do.