Charleston trip Suggestions
 

We will be in Charleston 6 days the first part of August.I know it will be HOT. I' d like some trip itinerary suggestions-what to see, restaurants, etc. We will have a car . Is a day trip to Savannah a good idea? Thanks!!!!!

The restaurants I remember enjoying the most are Ansons, Magnolias, Carolinas and Hominy Grill (brunch)
It's good to make reservations and to ask for the no-smoking area if you don't smoke. The city of Charelston Museum (just outside of the historic area) is a good way to spend 1-1/2 hours. Next time I hope to go the minor league baseball park and the Art Museum.

Pull up GoTravel's excellent report on Charleston as a reference point for starters.
To TKT's suggestions, Add Patriots' Point, the Yorktown and the historical section of town to your itinerary. Go to one of the plantations for a day. There is plenty to do in Charleston and a day trip to Savannah is probably not a good idea. If a day trip is something you think you want to do go to Beaufort, SC, a charming small town. Me, I'd stay in Charleston and see it all! Happy travels.

I'll agree with previous post, day trip to Savannah not necessary. I would also focus on Charleston, I am the kind of person who can sit in restaurants and coffee shops for hours eating and drinking and chatting, but it is not the same for everyone.

I wouldn't go to Savannah either. If you want a day at the beach it would work out.

The link to
Go Travels Most Excellent Weekend in Charleston is
http://tinyurl.com/lb3rg
I had it bookmarked it is fabulous - really checked out a ton of things and gave excellent reports on lodging, eating, etc.

I used a lot of her info when I went, and my report link is
http://tinyurl.com/polv9

Of course, I wasn't there in the heat of August, but there might be some info that helps you in planning.

Savannah is a little far for a day trip unless you somehow manage to get terribly bored with Charleston, which I don't think will happen.

One solution would be, if you really want to see Savannah, would be to leave Charleston the afternoon before your last day, go to Savannah, spend the night there and have a longer visit before you had to go back home.

Savannah is worth seeing. It's just not the sort of visit that you could squeeze into a few hours and find enjoyable. Be sure to come see us some time if you can't make it this time.

And it would be just a hot as Charleston!!

You don't need a car. Don't head out to the plantations during the day because it will be unbearable. If you must go, go early early morning and leave by 10AM.

Downtown will be a couple degrees cooler because of the constant breeze off Charleston Harbor.

Definitely have drinks on the rooftop of The Vendue Inn.

Take in the waterfront park. I love the pinapple fountain!

Take the boat ride to Ft. Sumter.

I agree with the recommendation of a visit to Patriot's Point and the USS Yorktown, but be sure to do it EARLY in the day, because things get very warm on the ship, particularly up on the flight deck! We visited at the end of June last year and I think you could have fried an egg up on the flight deck surface.

Personally, I would try to squeeze in at least one plantation visit in a 6 day stay. If you go early, the heat will be more tolerable. My personal favorite is Drayton Hall, just because the house has been preserved, but not restored or remodeled, so it looks pretty much the same as it did when it was built in 1742.

I would also go over to Sullivan's Island or Isle of Palms for a day. I just love the laid-back beachy feel of those communities, plus the ocean breezes are nice on hot days.

Something you might want to check into if you are interested in visiting the museums and historic homes is the Charleston Heritage Passport, available from the Visitor's Center. The Passport is good for about 12 different attractions. Since you will be there 6 days, you will have time to visit quite a few attractions and if you plan on visiting more than about four attractions, the Passport will save you money. My favorite downtown homes to tour are the Aiken-Rhett house, the Nathaniel Russell House, and the Edmonston-Alston House.

Have a great trip!

I agree with previous posters; Anson's to eat and Drayton Hall to visit. We took a harbor boat tour that went by Fort Sumter but we did not disembark; it was fun and full of history info and cool breezes. The Old Market is worth a visit.

Don't forget the coconut cake at Peninsula Grill - if you don't wish to stay for a whole meal, you can purchase a piece (or two or three...) to go at the bar. Awesome!!
- Actually good for breakfast with a strong cup of coffee if you can make it last thru the night! :)

Drayton Hall, for the reasons Betsy enumerates and because the setting is so lovely and the guides so interesting.

My two favorite house museums in town were the Nathaniel Russell house and the Heyward-Washington house.

Shopping in Charleston is also wonderful - DH says a little too wonderful ;-)

Will you have kids with you? Mine love the aquarium. Visit the beaches one day and eat at the Boathouse on the end of Isle of Palms.

The South Carolina Aquarium is an excellent attraction. It is next to the origination point of the Fort Sumter Tours.

Don't miss the Coca-Cola cake from Jestine's Kitchen.

We had a good meal at the Boathouse, too!!

A great way to "beat the heat" and have a terrific tour of Charleston is to take the Gullah Tour (check with the visitor's center) on the a/c mini bus. Excellent guide, fun facts, and you're not staring at the back end of a horse!

If you visit the plantations, bring mosquito repellent. At least one of them has swamplands on the property and we got bit.

Amazing! Thanks for all the tips & suggestions--keep 'em coming!

I bought a sweetgrass basket that I treasure.

If you want a sweetgrass basket the prices are somewhat better over the bridge on US 17 north of Mt. Pleasant (maybe south also). They are sold in little stalls along the side of the road. While you are over that way, eat at one of the fish places on Shem Creek for some local color. But do be ready for sticker shock on the baskets. There is not a doubt that they are an American treasure craft but very expensive.

Hi - we live in Charleston and love it! Here are some suggestions...

There is a hotel at the corner of Market St. & East Bay (sorry, can't think of the name) - they have a wonderful rooftop bar, perfect to stop and have a drink before dinner. (I prefer this over the Vendue Inn).

Poogan's Porch is a great place to go for breakfast or brunch. Great choices and yummy warm biscuits!

Garibaldi's on Market St. is a wonderful restaurant. They have seafood/pasta.

Blossom's on East Bay is another great place for dinner. A wide array of choices and nice sized portions.

If you are looking for places to stay...the Doubletree at the market is a great location if you aren't into staying in a B&B. You literally step outside your door and you are at the market in walking distance to all the shopping and restaurants you could hope for. I recommend staying downtown so that you don't have to get in your car all the time and can just park and walk.

King St. has more of the upscale shopping and some other unique boutiques.

I'm with everyone else - i wouldn't go to Savannah. Someone else suggested Beaufort, that is a nice little town and will take you approximately 1.5 hrs each way (it's 70 miles).

If you like to go the the beach, Isle of Palms is a great choice. It would probably take you 30 mins. from downtown depending on traffic and is very easy to get to. Also, near Isle of Palms is Sullivan's Island which has some good restaurants. Poe's is one we like - just a nice casual place for a beer and a burger. They also have yummy fish tacos!!!

As mentioned above, our aquarium is great and so is our minor league baseball park - the River Dogs.

Let me know if you have other questions!

That hotel would be The Market Pavillion.

Lovely rooftop bar.

We are thinking of a daytrip to one of the islands--I'd like to see Kiawah. Is there a public beach? Thanks for all previous suggestions!

All of our beaches in South Carolina are public and public access is usually plentiful.

No reason to drive all the way to Kiawah (an hour each way) when Isle of Palms/Sullivan's Island is 20 minutes away. Same coastline, same beaches.

Having been to Charleston many times and having just returned from there 3 weeks ago the first thing I would suggest to first time persons is take a carriage ride. This will be a good intorduction to the historical part of the city. Hopefully you will get the Battery tour which is my favorite.
My favorite restaurants are Magnolias and the Peninsula for night dining.
We had lunch this time at Mistral where I had never eaten before. Another favorite for lunch is Poogan's Porch.
Sure you will want to stay in the Historical area as that is the best for a visitor. Have stayed in The Church Street Inn, Hampton Inn-a little far,but good, and The Meeting Street Inn. If money were no object I would like to try The French Quarter Inn, Charleston Place, or Market Pavilion. Perhaps next time we will try The Andrew Pickney.
I always enjoy going in the churches and walking through the old graveyards.
As already given in that excellent post with all the websites of Go Travel the suggestions are excellent.
No, a trip to Savannah for a day trip is not a good idea. You need more time,but you might enjoy Beaufort-a very unique old town for a day.

topping the post for tede. Be sure and check out escargot's post here as it gives you a link to the excellent trip report on Charleston prepared by GoTravel.

Thanks again for all the helpful info. I've read here and in other Charleston posts. I've also been doing some reading preparing for our trip and have a few more questions:
Suggestions for waterfront dining -on one of the islands? somewhere nice- not gimmicky or a chain
Is a carriage tour or some other tour of historic district a good idea? We plan to do a lot of walking but is a tour good for the narrative, etc.
GoTravel- you mentioned somewhere the Patriot's Point boat tour--what is it?
Anyone been to Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge?

Thanks!!!

I also liked Mistral for lunch!!

Patriot's Point is a maritime museum where the USS Yorktown is stationed. Fascinating.

I meant to write that the Boat tour to Fort Sumter would be a cool (temp and activity wise) thing to do.

Fort Sumter is where the Civil War started and the Confederacy fired the first shot against the Northern Aggression. Fort Sumter is a fort in the middle of Charleston Harbor only accessible by boat.

Excellent advice above about Patriot's Point and the Ft. Sumter Tour. A carriage tour is a great idea ... we really enjoyed ours. We always come back from carriage tours with bits of info that we probably wouldn't have heard anywhere else! :-)

Magnolia's is still my favorite place to eat in Charleston.

I would save Savannah for six days of it's own sometime! Love both cities!

thanks again!! Keep the suggestions coming- we don't leave for a couple weeks!!

Just got back from our week in Isle of Palms and Charleston. The suggestions here were most helpful.

We stayed at the Doubletree and it was very nice stepping out the door and being right next to the Market, shops and restuarants. The service was excellent, too, as we had to make a last minute request to stay a few hours past check-out and they were more than helpful.

We ended up eating at Hominy Grill twice, so needless to say we liked it.

We took a carriage ride, which was a great way to see the architecture and learn a little about the city. Would've loved to do a plantation tour, but wasn't up to enduring the heat!

Isle of Palms was perfect for us. It wasn't crowded, it was easy to get in and out of (no bumper to bumper traffic), and the beaches were nice. For a change of pace, we took a dolphin tour on a sailboat. It was a nice way to spend the morning.

Have fun!

Do I need to make dinner reservations now for some of the restaurants that have been suggested here? We leave in 2 weeks. Thanks!

If you plan to eat at the Boathouse at Shem Creek between downtown Charleston & the Isle of Palms, make your reservations asap!! The Boathouse is on the water. You definitely want to do a carriage ride...I prefer to do one in the evening during the summer months so that it is more enjoyable and less hot. Be sure to tip your driver b/c they are paid similar wages to waiters & many people don't know that.

Here are my restaurant suggestions from my trip last year.

I thoroughly enjoyed Magnolia a couple weeks ago. Do try the Shrimp over Grits. For lunch you will enjoy Fast and French for a change of pace--it is a real funky place to eat but good food. You might also try Jestines for southern food with no frills.

Lots of good places to eat also include Poogan's Porch and 82 Queen and Rue de Jean. Enjoy, Margo

She crab soup!!!!!!

Anyone have any info on a Chefs/Restaurant tour?
Is there a dress code at any of the suggested restaurants--thought I read in a travel guide about dress code somewhere, but now can't find it again

No, no dress codes unless you call "Shirt & Shoes Required" a dress code.

It's too hot for us southerners to instill a dress code.

We had a wonderful time in Charleston --it is a beautiful and unique city.
We went to Drayton Hall which I would highly recommend.
Fort Sumter was also very interesting.
Take a trip across the bridge to Mt. Pleasant and Shem Creek to see the shrimp boats. We also saw dolphins!
Missed a few but ate at many recommended restaurants- Magnolias, Jestines,Shem Creek Bar & Grill,SNOB,Penisula Grill , Anson- my favorite.
Thanks again for all your suggestions prior to our trip.

Thanks for taking the time to post your report. I love Anson's as well, but haven't been in a couple of years. I will definitely go when I am in Charleston in two weeks.