krisnmikenkids

We are flying to Charleston, SC from Oregon in two weeks. We arrive at 5:30pm and would like to stay in Charleston (near the Historic District) that evening. The following day we will start staying at a home on the beach at Isle of Palms. Questions:
1. Is it a far drive from the airport to the historic district of Charleston?
2. Which hotel would you recommend for a family with two teens?
3. Which restaurant would you recommend?
4. Any other great suggestions for that evening/next morning?

We will stay at the beach for one week and then we need to stay another night at a hotel before flying home early on Sunday morning. I'm thinking we'll just stay at a hotel at the airport.
1. Any suggestions for hotels at the airport?

Thanks!

suewoo

Welcome.

1. It's @ 18 miles straight down I26.
2. The Harborview, Miss House, Holiday Inn Historic District and King Charles all get great reviews. (Sorry, I haven't stayed in a hotel here in a long time).
3. Your restaurant choice will depend on your preferences. I like High Cotton, SNOB, FIG, and Blossom's. Jestine's is a little less upscale, but there's usually a wait and you wait outside.
4. Take a carriage ride first thing. You can familiarize yourself with the city and see what you'd enjoy revisiting.

The nicest hotel neat the airport is the Aloft.

Have fun. You'll enjoy both Charleston and IOP.

suewoo

I meant MILLS House-cat is helping me type.

cd

We went to Hanks Restaurant as it was recommended and it was closed http://hanksseafoodrestaurant.com/ We ended up at SNOB and did enjoy our meal. It is small and the tables are very close but the food was very good.

suewoo

cd, it'd that way with many of the places in the HD. Real estate is expensive so they jam us in! But it's worth it, and you can meet some nice people that way. My friends love Hanks, but I haven't been and I won't recommend anything without trying it first.

swalter518

We stayed at the Best Western on Meeting St. a few years back and liked it. It's in a good location and not too expensive.

bakerstreet

Definitely take a carriage ride tour -- a friend gave me that advice on my first trip (saying "I know it sounds like a cheesy tourist thing to do, but") and I was very glad we took that advice. It will add a lot of interest to your stay in Charleston.

Brian_in_Charlotte

The Best Western on Meeting Street = The King Charles Inn. A very good hotel for the price.

When we were last at SNOB about a year ago, I didn't think the tables were that close together, but maybe I was expecting them to be really tight due to what I had heard here. It was really quite comfortable. Food was great too.

suewoo

bakerstreet, I know! It does sound cheesy but it's really the best way for newcomers to get their bearings and see what they want to revisit.

Smokyboy

I went on this trip a couple weekends ago with my 17 year old son. We stayed in Mount Pleasant, which is just like staying in downtown Charleston without the expense. It is right over the new bridge they just built. We walked up the bridge in the evening and my husband walked to watch the sunrise, it was a nice walk. We stayed in the Quality Inn. It did not get great reviews on Trip Advisor but since we went over Memorial Weekend we did not have many choices. We found it a great deal and so close to all the attractions, it was clean and adequate. There are other hotels in that area which is just as good as staying downtown. We went on the Thriller boat ride because it was rated the #1 attraction on Trip Advisor. My son absolutely loved it and so did I. It was the favorite part of his trip. We ate at TBonz, A.W. Shucks and Shem Creek and they were all average, Shem Creek was the best of the three. We had a GPS so it made finding everything easy. Negotiate with the carriage tours they will all take $2 off. We also went to the beach at Folly. It was very close to Charleston. It might be interesting if you are from Oregon but it was very crowded that weekend. There looked like there was a couple of good seafood restaurants there. Hope I helped.

suewoo

The Tripadvisor experts are not nuts about the Thriller ride. Go to that site to see why.

I love Mt Pleasant. Heck I LIVE in Mt Pleasant! But I recommend that first timers stay in the HD, especially in summer. When it's hot people need frequent breaks. It's nice to be able to pop into your room to cool off.

The beach at Folly is always crowded on the weekend. Recent graduations and Folly being the only beach where it's legal to drink ON the beach is the reason for that. The beach closest to Charleston is through Mt. Pleasant to Sullivans. It's mostly residential so the beach is not as crowded as Folly or IOP, even in summer.

For upscale seafood choose Hanks. For fun and funky not upscale go to the Wreck in Mt Pleasant.

Be aware that the carriage tour companies are on a lottery, meaning they draw to see which route they'll get so they aren't all on the same one. You can get a Heritage Pass at the Visitor's Center for discounts.

topcoat

We are going to Charleston 4th of July week. We will be staying at the Anchorage Inn and be childless for the first time. When we took the kids to Charleston we stayed at Embassy suites and Doubletree. Embassy suites is way to expensive now. I noticed Doubletree was running a special for $111.00 I don't know if they sold out. I would stay in the historic district to get the feel of Charleston. Hope you have a great trip.

swalter518

I second (or third) the carriage ride. I've done it twice now and learned something new each time, even the last time with my 1 yr old hanging over my shoulder and throwing his paci overboard on Broad St. yelling "uh, oh".

krisnmikenkids

Thank you all for your great advice! We're really looking forward to seeing Charleston and having some warm weather, as it still seems like spring in Southern Oregon and we're ready for summer!

suewoo

topcoat, I will let you in on a secret. The best place to watch fireworks is on the Old Pitt St bridge in Mt Pleasant. You can see them on IOP, Sullivan's Mt Pleasant, Charleston and James Island all from one place. Shhhhhhh.

Deb15July

It was years ago...but we stayed at Lodge Alley Inn and loved it. No clue if it is still there but my family is considering visiting the area again so I will find out soon!