bogger

Hi, husband and I are planning to visit Charleston and Beaufort and will be staying at the deTreville House on the Marine Air Base in Beaufort. We hope to make day trips to do some house and garden tours in Charleston and spend a little time in Beaufort. Any suggestions for dining in the area of the Base and Beaufort? We have read many threads on Charleston so that shouldn't be too difficult. Also we thought the carriage tour in Charleston would be fun and maybe a walking tour as well. Thank you for your input.

JimF

If you've never done Savannah, consider spending time there. Beaufort is a wonderful location: near to Charleston, Savannah and Hilton Head. Besides, it's a great little town, as well.

Savannah and Charleston are uniquely charming. There is sufficient difference between the two that it's worth visiting both.

Enjoy the Lowcountry!

Jim

bogger

Thanks Jim, we have spent several vacations in Savannah and will probably concentrate on Beaufort and Charleston this time. Any suggestions for either?

cmcfong

Beaufort is fairly easy to navigate. Park in the historical area and walk around. There are several good restaurants, I like Plums for dinner and Blackstone's for breakfast. The Rhett House is the premier b and b there. All the shopping worth seeing is in the historical district. Lovely walks on the waterfront there.

cmcfong

PS as to Charleston did you see the thread posted by GoTravel? Excellent coverage of hotels and restaurants there. By the way there are carriage tours offered in Beaufort as well.

leahinsc

As cmcfong pointed out Beaufort has carriage tours - as long as temps aren't too high. I would go out to Hunting Island Park and walk around - head out toward Fripp Island. There used to be a Gullah and local artist studio - on the left - but I'm sure there are more as well.

JimF

If you are staying at MCAS Beaufort (I used to live there), I'd drive to Charleston and park the car somewhere near the old Market. I'd meander the Market and the shops flanking it, from east to west.

Then venture south on Broad, Church, Meeting, or King Streets. You can do this with a healthy walk, or a combination of driving and riding in a carriage. The rule is if the home has the gate open, that's an invite to step into the yard and look around. Charlestonians are very open to visitors.

There are scores of old homes open for visit (fees), carriages roaming for a good historical narrative overview, and free viewing (off the Battery, White Gardens, etc., etc.

If you tire, a good place to take a break is in Charleston Place. Buy a glass of wine in the lobby bar and people watch to your heart's content.

You can carve out a great day or two, end it with dinner, and head back to Beaufort.

Have fun!

Jim

bogger

Thank you again, for all your helpful suggestions. I printed out GoTravel's trip report and I'll read it over on the plane. Thank you for the Beaufort suggestions and all the "insider" tips on navigating Charleston. I love this site and I am always grateful for the knowledge of fellow travelers and natives.

Jim, did you live at MCAS? My husband is retired military so we are very fortunate to be able to stay at the base inns and we are really looking forward to trying this one out. We will also try to stay at the air station in Charleston.

JimF

No, I worked for the local newspaper for about a year when I lived in Beaufort, eons ago. For a time, my father-in-law was head of maintenance for Laurel Hill (I think that was the name -- Laurel something), the housing project for military personnel.

I have a cousin who is retired Air Force, who now lives in Beaufort at least partially because of the excellent medical facilities there.

Beaufort has a great deal of history worth investigating, so you might want to stop by the Chamber of Commerce and ask for suggestions.

Have a good trip.

Jim