Don't miss Charleston if you have the opportunity! Less than 2 hours drive up Hwy 17. We took some friends who have never been to Charleston to visit it one day last year and tried to give them the "highlights" tour. It was a wonderful day! Here are some of the things we did (we had two 6-yr olds and two babies with us, so this list also includes a few things we didn't get to...but truthfully, we did most of them. we just didn't eat at all of these places
):
Drove down the battery to marvel over the gorgeous homes and gardens. Parked to walk along the sidewalk on the battery, take pics, walk through White Point Park (from which first shots of Civil War were fired). Walked through the old "Slave Market" downtown. Take the time to talk to some of the gracious ladies weaving the gorgeous sweetgrass baskets, and get one for a souvenEAR! Stop by the Visitor's Center. Continue your walk down King Street into the amazing antique stores. Find a "joggling bench", try it out, and let me know whether or not you can live without one now! I couldn't!
We took a carriage tour...great for day trips when you want an overview of the city. We ate lunch at Hyman's Seafood on King Street, which is one of the "touristy" places to eat, but great atmosphere and good food. We like to include 82 Queen (claim to fame is inventing she-crab soup), Magnolias on East Bay St (killer shrimp & grits), and Jestine's Kitchen (southern soul food), as some of our other faves. Stop in some of the art galleries to see if you can get out without spending anything! Walk down the cobblestone streets off East Bay toward the water, and enjoy the beautiful fountains. Sit in a chair swing off the dock and watch the children play in the fountain and the container ships come and go. Drive across the "new" bridge to Mount Pleasant, and if you are still hungry, stop at Shem Creek for some of the freshest shrimp ever! Drive through the historic district of Mount Pleasant, and stop at the original drug store soda fountain for an ice cold milkshake before you travel across the causeway to Sullivan's Island. On the island, take a walk around Fort Moultrie, take a walk on the beach, and stop at Poe's Tavern for a "snack" and the atmosphere. Edgar Allen Poe lived on Sullivan's Island for a time. Drive back through Charleston, and if you have time, drive over to James Island on out to Folly Beach, where the locals hang out to surf. Watch them from the pier. Or drive to the end of the island, park your car and walk on out to the Morris Island Lighthouse. There's much, much more! I haven't mentioned Yorktown (air craft carrier at Patriot's Point), and all of the gorgeous plantations - Middleton Place, Magnolia, Boone Hall....I'm only a "touron" as my cousins from Charleston like to remind me, so I know there is more to recommend that I've not shared. I'm just a wannabe who has adopted Charleston as the city in which I should have been born!
Finally, stop at a bookstore and buy all of Dorothea Benton Frank's books, take them back to HH to read on the beach, and start planning your next trip to Charleston!!! I hope you have a wonderful time!
