Trip Report: Spring Break in Charleston with elementary-aged kids
Mar 15th, 2015, 09:19 AM
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Trip Report: Spring Break in Charleston with elementary-aged kids
Our family of 4 (mom, dad & girls 5 & 7) spent Spring Break in Charleston last week. We love history, good food and being active. It was our first time here and we were lucky to have fantastic weather for most of our trip. Knowing how helpful others' trip reports were to me while planning, I thought I'd share a recap of our adventures:
Mar 15th, 2015, 09:20 AM
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We arrived late Sunday evening on a SWA non-stop flight from Houston. I requested an UberX car while my husband waited on our bags and the driver was waiting for us when we walked out 5 minutes later. It was a $28 fare from CHS to our hotel, the Doubletree Inn & Suites on Church in the Historic District.
Given the late arrival, we slept in Monday and after having breakfast at the hotel, walked across the parking lot in front of the hotel for a carriage ride with Old South Carriage Company. I used a $2 coupon from their website which made the fare $23 for adults & $13 for kids. My girls loved the ride and we thought it a great introduction to Charleston. After the carriage ride we browsed the market for a bit before walking over to Husk where we had reservations for a delicious lunch.
From Husk we decided to walk to Liberty Square where we had 2:30pm tickets for the boat to Fort Sumter. The walk was a little over a mile, but it was a beautiful day and a nice way to see some more of the city. I'd purchased tickets online, but still had to wait in a rather long single ticket line when we got there to exchange the web confirmation for actual tickets. My girls signed up for the Junior Ranger program while they were waiting on me and then we walked through the museum before boarding the boat.
I'd read mixed reviews about visiting Fort Sumter with kids, but all 4 of us loved it - from the boat ride there and back, to exploring the actual fort, to the fun Junior Ranger activities. I'm glad we went and thought it a great way to spend the afternoon (particularly on a nice day).
After returning to Liberty Square we jumped on the CARTA free trolley and got off on John Street, just a block from King and walked a couple of blocks to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream for a sweet treat. Little legs were getting tired at this point so we decided jump back on the trolley and ride it to Waterfront Park. The trolley was great - convenient stops, ran on time and friendly drivers. We spent some time at Waterfront Park and then walked down to the Hazel Parker Playground on East Bay where the kids made some friends and enjoyed playing for a bit.
At this point we were all pretty tired and no one was hungry after a big lunch a late afternoon ice cream break so we enjoyed the leisurely walk back the hotel and then called it an early night. 8 thumbs up from my gang for our first day in Charleston!
Given the late arrival, we slept in Monday and after having breakfast at the hotel, walked across the parking lot in front of the hotel for a carriage ride with Old South Carriage Company. I used a $2 coupon from their website which made the fare $23 for adults & $13 for kids. My girls loved the ride and we thought it a great introduction to Charleston. After the carriage ride we browsed the market for a bit before walking over to Husk where we had reservations for a delicious lunch.
From Husk we decided to walk to Liberty Square where we had 2:30pm tickets for the boat to Fort Sumter. The walk was a little over a mile, but it was a beautiful day and a nice way to see some more of the city. I'd purchased tickets online, but still had to wait in a rather long single ticket line when we got there to exchange the web confirmation for actual tickets. My girls signed up for the Junior Ranger program while they were waiting on me and then we walked through the museum before boarding the boat.
I'd read mixed reviews about visiting Fort Sumter with kids, but all 4 of us loved it - from the boat ride there and back, to exploring the actual fort, to the fun Junior Ranger activities. I'm glad we went and thought it a great way to spend the afternoon (particularly on a nice day).
After returning to Liberty Square we jumped on the CARTA free trolley and got off on John Street, just a block from King and walked a couple of blocks to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream for a sweet treat. Little legs were getting tired at this point so we decided jump back on the trolley and ride it to Waterfront Park. The trolley was great - convenient stops, ran on time and friendly drivers. We spent some time at Waterfront Park and then walked down to the Hazel Parker Playground on East Bay where the kids made some friends and enjoyed playing for a bit.
At this point we were all pretty tired and no one was hungry after a big lunch a late afternoon ice cream break so we enjoyed the leisurely walk back the hotel and then called it an early night. 8 thumbs up from my gang for our first day in Charleston!
Mar 15th, 2015, 01:31 PM
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Hello joygerm
I too loved the boat ride out to Fort Sumter by the National Park Services. It's a great way to learn about American history while simultaneously admiring the beautiful Ashley & Cooper riverscapes along with the Charleston skyline. I'm glad you enjoyed Husk; it gets mixed reviews but I certainly appreciated my meal there also!
Best wishes, thanks for writing trip report on the venerable city of Charleston! Looking forward to reading more. Daniel
I too loved the boat ride out to Fort Sumter by the National Park Services. It's a great way to learn about American history while simultaneously admiring the beautiful Ashley & Cooper riverscapes along with the Charleston skyline. I'm glad you enjoyed Husk; it gets mixed reviews but I certainly appreciated my meal there also!
Best wishes, thanks for writing trip report on the venerable city of Charleston! Looking forward to reading more. Daniel
Mar 15th, 2015, 05:30 PM
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On Tuesday we woke up to another lovely day with a projected high of 80! After breakfast at the hotel we took the trolley to the Children's Museum of the Low Country on Ann Street and used a BOGO coupon from their website. We stayed close to 2 hours and the 5 year old loved it, but the 7 year old thought she was a little old for most of the exhibits (I should have listened to that same sentiment on this board).
After the museum we browsed the shops on King Street for a bit before grabbing lunch at Callie's Hot Little Biscuit. Oh my - what a lunch! They don't have much seating (only 4 bar stools), but everything we ate was delicious...especially the cinnamon biscuits shared for dessert.
After lunch we took the trolley over to the South Carolina Aquarium where we spent the afternoon, once again using a coupon (this time found on the Traveler of Charleston magazine website) that saved us $3 per person. We all enjoyed the aquarium, but thought the 4D movie was pretty cheesy. In addition, we enjoyed watching the many dolphins swimming in the harbor from and took advantage of a nice photo op with the Ravenel bridge in the background.
Tired feet brought us back to the hotel, once again using the trolley. After freshening up we walked next door for dinner at Hank's Seafood. We didn't have reservations, but were able to sit at the communal table next to the bar. The waitstaff was great with the kids and our waiter made sure to let us know that they did have a child's menu and could also do 1/2 portions of most items on the menu. All of us enjoyed our dinner there and mom and dad thought the cocktails were especially good!
After a visit to the candy store IT'SUGAR on Market we turned in. Another day with lots of walking meant 2 little girls were out in a flash. All in all, it was a great 2nd day spent in fabulous Charleston!
After the museum we browsed the shops on King Street for a bit before grabbing lunch at Callie's Hot Little Biscuit. Oh my - what a lunch! They don't have much seating (only 4 bar stools), but everything we ate was delicious...especially the cinnamon biscuits shared for dessert.
After lunch we took the trolley over to the South Carolina Aquarium where we spent the afternoon, once again using a coupon (this time found on the Traveler of Charleston magazine website) that saved us $3 per person. We all enjoyed the aquarium, but thought the 4D movie was pretty cheesy. In addition, we enjoyed watching the many dolphins swimming in the harbor from and took advantage of a nice photo op with the Ravenel bridge in the background.
Tired feet brought us back to the hotel, once again using the trolley. After freshening up we walked next door for dinner at Hank's Seafood. We didn't have reservations, but were able to sit at the communal table next to the bar. The waitstaff was great with the kids and our waiter made sure to let us know that they did have a child's menu and could also do 1/2 portions of most items on the menu. All of us enjoyed our dinner there and mom and dad thought the cocktails were especially good!
After a visit to the candy store IT'SUGAR on Market we turned in. Another day with lots of walking meant 2 little girls were out in a flash. All in all, it was a great 2nd day spent in fabulous Charleston!
Mar 16th, 2015, 07:03 AM
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On Wednesday morning we were up and at 'em early with a full day planned on the road. While we were eating breakfast, I called Enterprise at 8am when they opened to request that they drop off our rental car at 8:30am (as per their instructions). We hit the road shortly after for Middleton Place. The kids loved Middleton Place, especially the livestock demonstrations. We also added the carriage tour and lucked out with an engaging and informative driver who provided really interesting background information.
After spending around 3 hours at Middleton Place we left for Angel Oak and stopped en route for lunch at the Tomato Shed. The food was tasty and the service warm and friendly. On the way out we also picked up one of their mini-pies to share later for dessert. Angel Oak was just a few minutes from the Tomato Shed and Google Maps got us there just fine, but like I'd read here, there is little to no signage and the road is basically a gravel road. I'd seen pictures, but the beauty and magnitude of the tree took my breath away for a moment. It was awe inspiring and I'm so glad we stopped there. Sitting under the canopy of the tree at the picnic tables and enjoying the Tomato Shed pie with my family was a pretty great way to spend an afternoon.
From there we stopped at Charleston Tea Plantation where we took the last trolley tour of the day. Probably wouldn't do this again. The tea was just mediocre and the tour just ok. My transportation loving 5 year old was happy to ride in what she thought looked more like a real trolley. She kept telling us that the CARTA trolleys were really just buses dressed up like trolleys
Next stop was Kiawah Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island. It was really foggy and the water was super cold, but the kids didn't mind. They put on their swim suits and played in the sand and surf for a good hour. I'm glad we went ahead and stopped as it was windy and even colder the following day. After they showered and changed clothes we headed back to Charleston and stopped at Hominy Grill for dinner. They were not crowded and while the service was good, the food was just meh. Maybe we caught them on a bad night as I'd heard good things and we were looking forward to eating there.
After dinner we made our way back to the hotel where we valeted the car since we were keeping it another day. Our feet weren't as tired today since we'd driven a lot, but the kids were still out cold as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Another wonderful day behind us and one last full day ahead of us!
After spending around 3 hours at Middleton Place we left for Angel Oak and stopped en route for lunch at the Tomato Shed. The food was tasty and the service warm and friendly. On the way out we also picked up one of their mini-pies to share later for dessert. Angel Oak was just a few minutes from the Tomato Shed and Google Maps got us there just fine, but like I'd read here, there is little to no signage and the road is basically a gravel road. I'd seen pictures, but the beauty and magnitude of the tree took my breath away for a moment. It was awe inspiring and I'm so glad we stopped there. Sitting under the canopy of the tree at the picnic tables and enjoying the Tomato Shed pie with my family was a pretty great way to spend an afternoon.
From there we stopped at Charleston Tea Plantation where we took the last trolley tour of the day. Probably wouldn't do this again. The tea was just mediocre and the tour just ok. My transportation loving 5 year old was happy to ride in what she thought looked more like a real trolley. She kept telling us that the CARTA trolleys were really just buses dressed up like trolleys
Next stop was Kiawah Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island. It was really foggy and the water was super cold, but the kids didn't mind. They put on their swim suits and played in the sand and surf for a good hour. I'm glad we went ahead and stopped as it was windy and even colder the following day. After they showered and changed clothes we headed back to Charleston and stopped at Hominy Grill for dinner. They were not crowded and while the service was good, the food was just meh. Maybe we caught them on a bad night as I'd heard good things and we were looking forward to eating there.
After dinner we made our way back to the hotel where we valeted the car since we were keeping it another day. Our feet weren't as tired today since we'd driven a lot, but the kids were still out cold as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Another wonderful day behind us and one last full day ahead of us!
Mar 17th, 2015, 07:38 AM
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On Thursday, our last full day in Charleston, we got a little later start. The girls and I walked across the street to the Market after breakfast to buy a Christmas ornament (one of our travel traditions) and then headed out for the Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw.
We had tickets for the 10:30am tour and then watched the 11:30am flight demonstration. We all really enjoyed learning about their conversation efforts and the kids thought it was cool that the bald eagle we saw at the aquarium was one of the birds the Center had rescued and rehabilitated. I would highly recommend this if time permits. After the one hour flight demonstration, we drove down the street for lunch at SeeWee Restaurant. It was recommended several times on this board and was exactly what I expected - a dive with really great food.
Once we finished our lunch we drove out to the Isle Palms County Park hoping to spend some more time on the beach, but it ended up being too cold and windy to stay long. The girls did find some sea shells while we were there and stopped to play on the playground for a bit. We enjoyed the drive from the Isle of Palms to Sullivan's Island and stopped briefly at Fort Moultrie before heading back to Charleston. We took advantage of having the rental car and drove down to White Point Garden where there was ample free street parking. The kids played on the cannons while the adults enjoyed the views.
After my husband returned the rental car we all spent some more time in the market and then picked up pralines to bring home at River Street Sweets and walked down to see the Custom House. From there, we took Uber to Xiao Bao Biscuit for dinner. The Asian soul food may have been our favorite meal on this trip. We stuck with shared plates/appetizers and the lamb belly stir fry was a hit with the kids and the adults. The cocktails were great as well (and much more reasonably priced than anywhere else we went). Uber brought us back to the hotel where we talked about our favorite parts of the trip and called it a night.
The next morning we had Uber take us to the airport for a 10:30am flight. It was again right at $28 for the 4 us. SWA was celebrating their 4th birthday at CHS so we enjoyed cookies and lemonade before saying goodbye to Charleston and heading home to Houston.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip - certainly not the trip we would have made without kids or even kids that were a little older and had more knowledge of the Civil War, but perfect for the stage of life we're in now. Charleston has so much to offer and I look forward to returning in a few years to see and do even more!
Thanks for sticking with this lengthy trip report. Maybe it will be helpful for someone else planning a trip with kids. I'm so appreciative of all of the information I found here and on the TA forums. Thank you!
We had tickets for the 10:30am tour and then watched the 11:30am flight demonstration. We all really enjoyed learning about their conversation efforts and the kids thought it was cool that the bald eagle we saw at the aquarium was one of the birds the Center had rescued and rehabilitated. I would highly recommend this if time permits. After the one hour flight demonstration, we drove down the street for lunch at SeeWee Restaurant. It was recommended several times on this board and was exactly what I expected - a dive with really great food.
Once we finished our lunch we drove out to the Isle Palms County Park hoping to spend some more time on the beach, but it ended up being too cold and windy to stay long. The girls did find some sea shells while we were there and stopped to play on the playground for a bit. We enjoyed the drive from the Isle of Palms to Sullivan's Island and stopped briefly at Fort Moultrie before heading back to Charleston. We took advantage of having the rental car and drove down to White Point Garden where there was ample free street parking. The kids played on the cannons while the adults enjoyed the views.
After my husband returned the rental car we all spent some more time in the market and then picked up pralines to bring home at River Street Sweets and walked down to see the Custom House. From there, we took Uber to Xiao Bao Biscuit for dinner. The Asian soul food may have been our favorite meal on this trip. We stuck with shared plates/appetizers and the lamb belly stir fry was a hit with the kids and the adults. The cocktails were great as well (and much more reasonably priced than anywhere else we went). Uber brought us back to the hotel where we talked about our favorite parts of the trip and called it a night.
The next morning we had Uber take us to the airport for a 10:30am flight. It was again right at $28 for the 4 us. SWA was celebrating their 4th birthday at CHS so we enjoyed cookies and lemonade before saying goodbye to Charleston and heading home to Houston.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip - certainly not the trip we would have made without kids or even kids that were a little older and had more knowledge of the Civil War, but perfect for the stage of life we're in now. Charleston has so much to offer and I look forward to returning in a few years to see and do even more!
Thanks for sticking with this lengthy trip report. Maybe it will be helpful for someone else planning a trip with kids. I'm so appreciative of all of the information I found here and on the TA forums. Thank you!
