iluvs2travel

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!

GoTravel

That hotel would be The Market Pavillion.

Lovely rooftop bar.

bwg

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!

GoTravel

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.

maryanne1

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.

cmcfong

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.

bwg

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!!!

AuntAnnie

I also liked Mistral for lunch!!

GoTravel

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.

bonniebroad

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!

bwg

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

fuzzbo

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!

bwg

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

barnumbailey

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.

Margo

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

AuntAnnie

She crab soup!!!!!!

bwg

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

GoTravel

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.

bwg

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.

cmcfong

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.