Brookgreen Gardens
 

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who knows Brookgreen Gardens and has also been to Magnolia and Middleton Gardens. We've been to M&M a number of times (love them!) and wonder whether it's worth our while to make a side-trip from Charleston on up to Brookgreen. If yes, are there any great places to stay near Brookgreen? Thanks very much.

I have been there once. We loved it. It's entirely different from either of the other two. We got there at opening time, spent two or three hours just roaming and oohing and ahhing, had lunch at their restaurant. I had a great quiche. Then two or three hours more and we had to leave for home. I could have gone another whole day and not seen everything.

Any place along the Pawney Island/Murrills Inlet area would be the most convenient. There are also a number of good restaurants there too. Next would be a little further north at Garden City or Surfside City. Of course, there is always the Myrtle Beach motels/hotels.

Brookgreen is definately one of our favorites. We've been there several times over the years. Make sure to go when everything's in bloom.
There is also a neat little boat ride, and I'd highly recommend that, too.

I enjoyed both gardens but they are quite different. Middleton - more expansive but houses the oldest living Spanish Oak -- a massive tree -- and gives you more insight from an historical perspective. Very nice lunch facilities. Brookgreen gardens was very scenic -- we toured on a hot August afternoon. The sculptures are superb and really enhances the floral display. Very nice to stroll through -- they charge by the car. I have pictures with links to their websites at: http://www.camsoft.us/personal2/p_page5_a.htm#SC

Brookgreen is entirely different. It is not a plantation, per se. It was the gardens of the Huntington family and a setting for Mrs. Huntington's rather prodigious bronze sculptures. They actually lived across the road at Atalaya, in the Huntington Beach State Park land--also very interesting. The gardens are truly beautiful and extensive.
Great places to stay--amen. Look at the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort site. AND incredible places to eat great seafood.

Thanks very much! We'll definitely make the trip to Brookgreen; sounds lovely (and no more expensive than Middleton and Magnolia). If we leave Charleston after a leisurely breakfast, we can go up the road to the gardens and plan to spend a couple of hours there-- and then hit the road again on up towards Maryland. I'd prefer not to just eat at Brookgreen-- would rather get lunch at a good seafood place. any suggestions going north towards Wilmington , NC? Many thanks.

Just go up the road a few miles from Brookgreen and choose a seafood restaurant in Murrell's Inlet--take a right off the bypass. Russell's is good. Hot Fish Club (not sure it is open for lunch). Flo's (all the way down the road on the right). Bovine's or Wahoo's. Or go a few miles south and eat at either Island Deli and Restaurant (NOT a deli!!) or Bistro 217--all in a strip of shops. Or Roz's in the Hammock Shops--very good but won't have much seafood. Or head on up 17 to Tyler's Cove--on the left (west side) in a big old rambling low country house.