Brendaann

We will be staying at Isle of Palms for three night beginning Oct. 2nd. Being on the beach is our first priority, but of course we want to do some sight-seeing in and near Charleston and eat at good/unusual restaurants that are not too high in cost. Could you give us ideas of what to see for spending half of our time doing, with the rest of the time at the beach???
We are in our late 50s. Thanks a lot!!!

bachslunch

Charleston is actually pretty well covered on this forum -- a board search is recommended.

Note that restaurants in Charleston tend to be pricey.

For attractions, it would be nice to know what appeals to you. Charleston has some museums, an aquarium, historic sites, great architecture, and plenty of historic homes and plantations.

Gretchen

A search of the forum for the innumerable posts about Charleston, and THEN a question might be a better approach. Note--seafood on the coast is expensive. Good but expensive. Don't count on bargains anywhere but Captain D's.

BetsyinKY

If it's your first trip, then you definitely want to see downtown. Walk down Meeting Street to the Battery and then back up East Bay to see Rainbow Row. Take a right onto Vendue Range and visit the Waterfront Park. When you get tired of the gorgeous view, head back to East Bay and then up to the Market area, where you can check out all the touristy fun. If you have time and are in the mood, walk over to King St. for fabulous shopping (and window shopping).

Historic Homes:
My favorites are the Nathaniel Russell House (which has a gorgeous cantilevered staircase), the Aiken-Rhett House (which was an urban plantation and has a really informative tour), and the Edmonston-Alston House. My favorite plantation is Drayton Hall, because the tours are so fabulous. I also like exploring the grounds at Middleton Place, but there may not be much to see in October, as far as things blooming.

Military History:
Fort Sumter is definitely worth seeing. Not only is it interesting from an historical perspective, but you get to ride the boat out into the harbor, which is very cool.
Since you're on Isle of Palms, you can also head over to Sullivan's Island and see Fort Moultrie, if you're interested in forts and Revolutionary/Civil War history. The USS Yorktown might also be of interest. My dad and husband both liked touring it. I would go early, though, because the interior gets very warm later in the day.

Food:
Some people think it's overhyped, but I love Hominy Grill and don't consider it that expensive, especially at lunch. Boulevard Diner in Mt. Pleasant is great and very moderate in price. If you are craving a great burger, you can't beat Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island. The Mustard Seed (owned by the same people as Blvd. Diner) is another great choice. SNOB downtown has lunch specials that are very moderate. Sermet's Corner downtown is another good choice that's not super pricey.

Have a great trip!

Brendaann

Thank you SO MUCH!!! This was very helpful!!!

lovncharleston

You might find this site helpful for ideas:

http://www.things-to-do-in-charleston.com/index.html

Have fun!