StantonHyde

DH and I will be going to Charleston and Savannah for a week this fall--end of October/beginning of November. We love history and museums and are big foodies. We tend to go strong from 9-4 ish and then go back to rest up before dinner. We can manage about one house tour per city. We don't do shopping for the most part. We have lodging in VRBOs so we are good there.

Sunday--fly into Charleston and rent a car. Lodging has parking option. Our flight gets in at 6 pm, so I think we will get to the lodging and then just go to dinner.

Monday--Fort Sumter. My goal is to be on the 9:30 ferry or which ever one gets you there when it opens at 10. I can easily see us spending 2 hours there and then add on the ferry time and I am thinking we might be back in the city at 1:00??? For the afternoon, I was going to hit the Visitors Center and buy a self-guided walking tour of Charleston book. And then we can do that--just looking at the outsides of houses and going into any churches that are open. I am really interested in the French Huguenot Church.

Tuesday: Old Slave Mart Museum, Old Exchange and Dungeon, Joseph Manigault House. That should easily be 4-5 hours. We really take our time in museums and enjoy learning. Then maybe do some more of the walking tour???

Wednesday: Start the day with a kayaking tour through Charleston Kayak Company that leaves from the Middleton Place Plantation. That will take the whole morning. Then have lunch there and tour the Plantation. Then drive to Savannah.

Dinner--so we have 3 dinners--Sun/Mon/Tues We are looking at:
Fig
Charleston Grill
The Ordinary American
They all sound great and we can get yummy, not fried, seafood. We really enjoy tasting menus and Charleston Grill supposedly has a good one.

Lunches--we are sandwich on the go types of folks for lunch--saving room for dinner. But Martha Lous Kitchen sounds awesome. And maybe the Bull Street Gourmet Market?

Any other ideas? Any modifications you would make based on what we like to do? Thanks in advance!!

bachslunch

All three of the Ashley River Road plantations are well worth a visit. Middleton Place has the best grounds and gardens of the three, while Drayton Hall has the best plantation house. Magnolia Plantation is good on both but not the best at either. When I was there, one could also get lunch at Middleton Place, and if memory serves it was good. But you really can't go wrong with any of them.

bachslunch

Just saw your Savannah itinerary. If you like local history museums, the Charleston Museum is excellent. It's good sized, though, and given the leisurely pace you prefer, it would likely take you the day. It's also close by the Manigault House.

Savannah's history museum is smaller, though still not that small.

vincenzo32951

I'd recommend joining one of the guided walking tours. We used Tommy Dew, but your hotel probably can recommend one. You'll learn stuff that you won't get from self-guided, including the French Huguenot church.

WickedGood

If into sandwich style for lunch I would suggest Cru Cafe

StantonHyde

I will add the Charleston Museum-sounds good! We can look at the other options and do it at the end of the day so they have to kick us out at 5!!

We really aren't tour people--don't like having to make a departure time and stay with a large group. But sometimes we make exceptions. So I might check out some of those.

Gretchen

Don't forget the Hunley exhibit. That has to be the most unique!! And while it may be sacrilege in a Low Country cuisine town like Charleston Xia Bao Biscuit is our foodie kids favorite!! Maybe at least for lunch.
http://xiaobaobiscuit.com/
Your tour really is a great one, IMO. I REALLY like the idea of Middleton Plantation and the kayak trip.
Weather should be LOVELY.

StantonHyde

I see conflicting reports about the state of the Hunley exhibit. Are they currently restoring the Hunley? Can you go inside it? If not, are you able to see what they are doing with it? Lots of good info on it at the site?

I really wonder what our chances are of seeing a gator on the kayak trip? (at the end of October??) I really want to see one--like 50 feet away, sleeping on a bank, minding its own business and not caring about me as I drift by trying not to wet myself!

Gretchen

The Hunley is being restored, and you can't go in (it was pretty small!! Not sure that will ever be possible). It is an excellent exhibit according to son and grandson.

Gators hibernate with cold weather--not sure when they begin to detect that. We have gators in our lagoon at Litchfield--and definitely up the road at Huntington Beach State Park.

RoamsAround

We really enjoyed The Hunley Museum - quite unique and very well done. Like Gretchen said you can't go inside it - way too small and confining to make it practical.

vincenzo32951

Here are my restaurant recs from a trip report:

We had lunch one day at Jestine's Kitchen. It advertises itself as "old-school Southern," and that's on-target. Features staples like fried chicken, shrimp and grits, catfish, all for $15 or less. The food and service were good. Good place to go to for a nothing-fancy Southern meal where your bill will be less than $50 for two.

Similarly, we went to the Hominy Grill for a Southern dinner. (Yes, we were on a mission to eat Southern cooking.) Comparable to Jestine's. Good, basic food; good service; nothing too fancy; reasonable prices.

We tried the Magnolia Grill one night for a more upscale version of Jestine's and the Hominy Grill. Good food, good service, nothing remarkable. Our waitress forgot to bring our salads until we reminded her, which was no big deal. Surprisingly, they deducted the price of the salads from the bill. Total: About $100, including a glass of wine for each of us.

For sunset one night we went to the rooftop Pavilion Bar of the Market Pavilion Hotel, overlooking the city and harbor. Drinks are a little expensive, but the experience is well worth it. Tip: Don't wait till sunset to show up and try to get a table. That's when the rush hits. We arrived about an hour before, and had no problem getting a table. Then the crowd arrives. As we were at a table for four, we offered to share it with another couple.

Also had drinks at Gentry's, a cozy bar on King St. The bartender was quite friendly and accommodating, They didn't have in stock the wine my wife wanted, so he poured several samples of similar wines for her to try before making a choice.

Gretchen

I think the Hunley was a two man sub!!!

StantonHyde

Rats--the Hunley is only open on the weekends.

vincenzo--I did see your trip report. We are not on a hunt for traditional southern food. I chose the restaurants I did because they are known for taking a modern twist on southern food. I love a good poboy for lunch or some fried chicken but we don't eat really heavy food in general.

Gretchen--I figured the gators don't like it when the air gets chilly at night. Oh well. It will still be a good kayak trip and who knows, maybe there will be a late hibernator hanging out!

HotWheels

We also have enjoyed the rooftop Pavilion Bar for drinks, and enjoyed a nice conversation while sharing a table. It has a very nice view of the harbor.

For historical content, we much preferred Drayton Hall Plantation. Very authentic, with knowledgeable staff on site. The Hunley exhibit is quite interesting. The actual Civil-War era submarine is being preserved (you are able to see it), but they have a replica to show the actual size, where the six or seven men would sit, why it sank, etc.

A horse-drawn carriage tour is a nice way to get a relaxed lay-of-the-land first, without all the walking. There are different street routes, as determined by the carrier, and sites along the way are pointed out. One evening after dinner we also enjoy a "Ghost Walk", which actually was quite pleasant, telling local history, etc. Perhaps in the spirit of Halloween?

Even though you aren't shoppers, stop in a local candy store to sample the Pralines (yum!!). And seek out local artisans' making/selling Sweetgrass baskets, which is an historical art passed down thru generations in the area - they're quite unique.

progol

My husband and I went to Charleston in June for a brief trip; here is my report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...charleston.cfm

We loved our trip to Charleston and found it a wonderful place for strolling, sightseeing, and of course, eating. I understand that you're not big on tours but we did enjoy the historic walking tour a lot.

Fort Sumter is a set time frame -- it's under 2 1/2 hours from time you depart to the time you return. You travel as a group - the ferry ride is about a half hour, the time at the Fort is about an hour and then you return as a group on the ferry. There's not really a lot to see on the island -- the Fort itself is essentially a shell, there's a small museum -- but it's a powerful experience to be there. An important piece of history.

I'm glad you have the Old Slave Mart museum on your list -- it's another must-see for its sobering history. We never did get to a plantation out of town but enjoyed the Rhett-Aiken house (an old, unrestored house) and the beautiful Nathaniel Russell house (special for its staircase).

Our favorite restaurant was Amen Street - much preferred this result Magnolias, even though the latter is more well known.

Sounds like you'll have a wonderful trip!

StantonHyde

Good to know about the set time frame at Ft. Sumter--thanks!

Gretchen

We were just in Charleston and wanted to eat at 39 rue Jean, where our kids went to eat on their honeymoon and said they had the best mussels they had EVER eaten (and that really includes a lot). Night before the eclipse and it was a 3 hour wait!!
We went up the alley (of restaurants, including Coast, where they also ate) and at the end was Vincent Chicco's. We had an exemplary authentic Italian dinner in a WONderful "room" from the old indigo warehouse that entire block used to be.
So, you might add that to your possibilities. Charleston is not all low country food, good as that is.
If you are up for a day trip up the coast I really recommend Georgetown and Pawley's Island (which has an historic district where the rice planters from Charleston came in the summer to escape the malarial mosquitoes). Georgetown is an utterly charming town, with a wonderful waterfront and Revolutionary War era homes. It is a gem.
And if you do go up route 17, the sweetgrass weavers have small litttle "booths" on the side of the road. The price is a little better and the workmanship is equal. It is a true and vanishing art. I have a basket my mother bought (probably for $5!) probably 80+ years ago--an intricate and lidded sewing basket with a handle.

progol

Glad to help! I've gotten so much from these boards and I feel pleased to be able to help others here, however limited my experience is.

And I feel compelled to fix my typo, or rather, correct my autocorrection error:

>

Should read "....much prefer this to Magnolias."