We are planning to go to Charleston for a few days soon. We had planned on driving down in the evening (about a 5 hour drive), then stay for three full days and 2/3 of another day before heading back. We don't want to be gone too long, since we have a 6 month old, and this our first time apart for more than a day. Our plans are Day 1: Historic Charleston - city walking tours, Day 2: beach day, depending on weather (we need some rest), Day 3: plantation tours - 3 locations (Middleton Place, Drayton Hall, and Boone Hall - we are staying in Mt. Pleasant), Day 4: Patriots Point and drive home. We are very seasoned travellers and tend to be able to do a lot in a day, but I am also an avid photographer and tend to slow us down a bit with taking pictures. I have been debating adding a fifth day. Is this advisable, given my goals? We would like have a more relaxed pace than usual, but we are not big into shopping or anything.

I should have added that on the beach day, we may also spend part of the day in Charleston itself.

You've got a solid basic agenda. Of course, you could easily spend days exploring historic Charleston. While you might not catch everything in one day, you'll certainly get a feel for the city. (You might even give up your beach day to spend more time in the city!)

Hi Dan - You certainly have an aggressive, but doable, trip planned. What'll help is that you won't have the summer heat/humidity to deal with, which can really slow you down.

While in Charleston, you might consider taking a carriage ride, and doing a ghost tour at night - both should last just over an hour-and are both well worth what they cost. Your suggestion of combining some other city activity with your beach time is a good one. If you want a nice place to just relax, stop and visit the Waterfront Park. If, after all your sightseeing, you're in the mood for some sinfully rich, calorie laden desserts, stop at Kaminsky's, which is near the Market in downtown Charleston. At the Market, stop by to admire the hand made straw baskets-they're exquisite-and expensive.

If you're visiting the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point, plan to spend about 4-5 hrs there-they have about 8 areas available to tour (including the flight deck and hangar area). These are self-guided tours - allow about 45 minutes min for each area. Besides the Yorktown, there's a submarine and 2 other ships available to tour.

In Mt Pleasant, a good place to eat is The Trawler. Both the food and service were excellent.

Enjoy your trip-Charleston is a very beautiful city.

Thanks for all the advice. We decided to take an extra day off. Instead of going down in the evening we will go first thing in the morning and thus have another whole afternoon there.

Dan,

The only thing I think you're over-extended on is 3 plantation tours in one day! I've read (on this site) that the Boone Hall tour was not worth the $$$$. I live just 10 miles away and think it's overly expensive for what you get!

Our ocean water is going to be chilling out soon, but the beaches should be fantastic--not too crowded, cool breezes.

If you want to check out everything that's going on when you get down here, go to:


http://www.charleston.net/

Click on the Tips for Tourists hyperlink and you'll find out all there is to do and what it will cost.

Post to me directly if you want more info! (PS: I live at Isle of Palms).

Have fun, Carol

Carol, I do have a few of questions for you. First, you mentioned that the Boone Hall Plantation tour is overpriced. Do you think it is worth visiting though for photography purposes? Second, of the houses to tour in Charleston, which would be your top 5? Third, I have asked on here before about beach access and photogenic spots. Since you live on one of the islands, maybe you can add to my knowledge on this. I want access to photogenic spots for sunrise photography - beaches primarily. I know a lot of the parks open way too late in the morning for that, and many other areas are private. Can you suggest good spots? Fourth, what is a great beach to spend the day, with chair rental preferably, and photography possibilities?

Carol, I do have a few of questions for you. First, you mentioned that the Boone Hall Plantation tour is overpriced. Do you think it is worth visiting though for photography purposes? Second, of the houses to tour in Charleston, which would be your top 5? Third, I have asked on here before about beach access and photogenic spots. Since you live on one of the islands, maybe you can add to my knowledge on this. I want access to photogenic spots for sunrise photography - beaches primarily. I know a lot of the parks open way too late in the morning for that, and many other areas are private. Can you suggest good spots? Fourth, what is a great beach to spend the day, with chair rental preferably, and photography possibilities? Thank you.

I would plan on taking a while for the plantation tours. The Plantations are kinda out of the way and far apart from each other.

The carriage tour is a must. You should probably start you visit with that. The guide will be able to tell you a lot about the historic areas and it will give you a better idea as to what to see downtown. Don't miss the market area as well.

Have a great trip!
Jim McIntosh;webmaster/HerehuGo.com
The Travel Search Engine

More great advice. I am going to take it and visit Middleton Place and Drayton Hall. I will only go to another plantation if I end up with extra time on my hands. We will definitely consider the carriage tours too. Thanks.

Dan, one final thought: I don't think any of us have stressed that you should do a lot of "just walking around" Charleston. As an avid photographer myself, I can assure you that you'll find a lot(a very lot) of subjects to shoot. Bring lots of film!

Thanks Howard. No problem there. I am taking two cameras, a tripod, and about 25 rolls of film - color, b&w, and slide. And a compass to set up for sunrises and sunsets.

Do you think I would be better off using my time for self-guided tours or paying for a tour - and which tour? I will have at least 1 1/2 days for the historic areas of town. Really into history and enjoy architecture.

Dan,
Hope you enjoyed your trip to Charleston. I plan to go the first of March 2000. Staying at Edisto Island. What did you find to be the highlights of your trip?
Thanks for the info.

Janice, hope you see this. I have been away from the site a lot lately and missed your post.

The best thing in Charleston is to walk around the historic district, which is quite large. I was very impressed with the number of beautiful old buildings. Meeting St., Church St., Tradd St., and the Battery were four of my favorites. You can get good walking tour maps at the visitor center or the homes open for visits. We also visited three homes: Aiken-Rhett largely unrestored condition now - the slave quarters on site are unique and worth a visit; the Edmundton-Alston House - on the battery - very impressive - fully restored with mostly original furnishings, books, etc. (this is not common); Nathaniel-Russell House - undergoing major restoration as they decided that most of furnishings were not authentic to period, so not very furnished now; nice staircase, interesting architecture, and a nice garden. The latter two tours can be purchased on one ticket with Drayton Hall and Middleton Place plantations at a pretty good savings.

A walk on the grounds of the College of Charleston is also nice. I didn't think it was as attractive as UNC-Chapel Hill (but then again I am a little biased), but it is a very beautiful campus area and very southern.

The plantations are definitely worth a trip, and two can be done in half a day to 2/3 day if you start very early. We went to Drayton Hall and Middleton Place. Drayton Hall is well-preserved, but not restored. There is no furniture, but it is worth it for the architecture and information on plantation life. It was the only plantation house on the Ashley River that survived Sherman's troops. I found the house and property fairly good for photos. Middleton Place's best feature is the gardens, which are quite large and varied. I also recommend the small restaurant on site for some good low-country cuisine. Didn't tour the house there because it was closed that day. They also have lots of craftpeople (blacksmiths, etc.), but most were not operating when we went.

If you are into military history at all, the Patriots Point naval museum is superb. The aircraft carrier Yorktown serves as a large museum. There is also a submarine, a coast guard ship, and a destroyer that participated on D-Day. The National Medal of Honor Museum is on the Yorktown as well. You can tour all the ships in about 5 hours. Ft. Sumter is worth it if you like history, although there isn't much left of the structure. The national park service presents a 15 minute talk on the battle during the time there. The rest of the hour you are free to wander. The boat ride out is nice for viewing the harbor and the city from the water.

Shopping around the city market is a lot of fun. In addition to the covered market itself, there are many small shops nearby.

We ate at several good restaurants. The best seafood we had was at "The Wreck." It is a pretty nondescript building located at a shrimping dock over in Mt. Pleasant. It does not advertise and is very hard to find without explicit directions. Let me know if you want the directions. Not fancy by any means but good fresh seafood. Hymans was also pretty good, but the wait can be long. The good thing is that you can put your name on the list and walk around to the shops while you wait (there is a large bookstore nextdoor). We also ate at a French restaurant one evening. I have seen reviews from other travellers that were quite mixed. However, we thought the steak au poivre was very good. It was a little high priced though. I also can tell you where to get good pizza and ribs if you are interested - just don't have the names with me.

On the whole, I enjoyed Charleston a lot. We generally do a lot of international traveling, and even though I had heard a lot of good things about Charleston, I didn't know how much I would enjoy it compared to say Italy. It turned out to be a great experience, and I highly recommend it. I plan to return. Of course, if you are into history like I am, all the better.

Let me know if you have specific questions.

Dan, thanks for the info. Looking forward to the trip.