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Visiting Charleston, SC


Reigert2008

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Hello,

    My wife and I are getting impatient and have decided to go visit Charleston on our own and not wait to finally get on a Southeast cost cruise which would stop there for a day.  Our original intent with many cruises was to use a cruise as a way to visit a new location and then we could always visit again for a longer time in some places (we see you Victoria, BC!), but with the current stoppage, we really need to get away for any trip!

Looking for any "Must Do's" so we can add them to our list for land based and sea based trips in the future.  Thanks!

 

Stay Safe

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Hi, I live a few hours from Charleston and it is a great long weekend getaway.  Very walkable and so much to see and do.  Our favorite way to spend time there is to split a stay between country and city. 

Middleton Place is an old plantation a bit out of town that has a rustic but cozy hotel attached.  There is a walking path between the guest area and the living history museum on the old plantation.  Wonderful way to relax for a couple of nights, and the restaurant at MP is top notch.  There are other old plantations nearby that you can visit and walk nature trails - the birding is awesome if you're into that.  This area is also near (by car) to the outskirts of Charleston where there are fun  breweries and cute little shopping areas.  There is a working tea plantation a short drive away that is fascinating if you are interested in that kind of thing. 

After a wind down in the country, we like to move in to stay at Charleston Place, a luxury hotel right on Meeting Street.  From here you can do walking tours, wander the shops, stroll the Straw Market, visit the art museum, walk the Battery, and dine in splendor without ever getting in your car.  The food alone is worth a trip.  Google "best places to eat in Charleston" for lists.  We personally won't visit without eating at Slightly North of Broad, and everyone should at least once eat at Poogan's Porch.   There are so many good oyster bars, seafood and bbq places, it's hard to go wrong.  I hope this helps a little.  There are lots of tours you can book, and city guides available by app or on TripAdvisor.  But wandering is our favorite.  

 

Oh, forgot to add - if you like civil war history, the Hunley museum is very interesting.  If you like active nature, you can book kayak tours through the cypress swamps.  If you want beach, check out Folly Island.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/24/2021 at 7:18 AM, fa-li said:

Hi, I live a few hours from Charleston and it is a great long weekend getaway.  Very walkable and so much to see and do.  Our favorite way to spend time there is to split a stay between country and city. 

Middleton Place is an old plantation a bit out of town that has a rustic but cozy hotel attached.  There is a walking path between the guest area and the living history museum on the old plantation.  Wonderful way to relax for a couple of nights, and the restaurant at MP is top notch.  There are other old plantations nearby that you can visit and walk nature trails - the birding is awesome if you're into that.  This area is also near (by car) to the outskirts of Charleston where there are fun  breweries and cute little shopping areas.  There is a working tea plantation a short drive away that is fascinating if you are interested in that kind of thing. 

After a wind down in the country, we like to move in to stay at Charleston Place, a luxury hotel right on Meeting Street.  From here you can do walking tours, wander the shops, stroll the Straw Market, visit the art museum, walk the Battery, and dine in splendor without ever getting in your car.  The food alone is worth a trip.  Google "best places to eat in Charleston" for lists.  We personally won't visit without eating at Slightly North of Broad, and everyone should at least once eat at Poogan's Porch.   There are so many good oyster bars, seafood and bbq places, it's hard to go wrong.  I hope this helps a little.  There are lots of tours you can book, and city guides available by app or on TripAdvisor.  But wandering is our favorite.  

 

Oh, forgot to add - if you like civil war history, the Hunley museum is very interesting.  If you like active nature, you can book kayak tours through the cypress swamps.  If you want beach, check out Folly Island.

Good information.  We are also going to Charleston first week in May for a get away.  Although it is a long trip from Montana, but I need to travel.  I have never been to Charleston and can hardly wait.  We are staying  at  Two Meeting St Inn  and Andrew Pickney Inn.  Both are bed and breakfasts.  Both in downtown area and we are not renting a car as we can pretty much walk everything.

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In charleston:

Straw Market

Waterfront Park

Fort Sumter and/or Fort Moultrie  if history buff

Dolphin tour

Patriots Point again if you like Military History

Stroll on battery, go down rainbow row on east bay, 

Ghost Tours

Carriage Tours

Colonial Lake

 

Food Tour. Be sure to eat local while in Charleston. 

Within an hour of charleston

Angel Oak

Botany Bay

Head out to one of the beaches. I would recommend Kiawah but Isle of Palms is very nice as well. Folly Beach has a more eclectic vibe

 

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We had a day stop a couple years ago and loved it.  We just wandered and had such a good day.  Definitely a city we want to go back to. 

I can add to the above with a couple places to eat:  Jestine's Kitchen at the Corner of Wentworth & Meeting Streets

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Peace Pie for a custom made ice cream sandwich.  223 Meeting St was the one we went to, but I think there are two locations. 

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Sorry, but Jestine's is closed.

There are a lot of "established" eateries around Charleston that have had to shut down, 

and that is super sad.   I live here and the new restaurants just keep popping up everywhere.

One of the best restaurants in Charleston is called Edmund's Oast (the restaurant, not the brewery).

LOTS of breweries here, many of which are within walking distance.

Fanatik has some excellent suggestions above.  The USS Yorktown is a wonderful piece of history

that needs to be experienced.  There is also a mock-up of a US Army camp during the Vietnam war.

So much to do here, it really is overwhelming.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi! We live in Myrtle Beach, and have been to Charleston a couple of times. If you like ships, the aircraft carrier is really cool. Also, the aquarium is nice, and more educational that the one in Myrtle Beach. Also, try Jeni's Splendid Ice cream, the name says it all!

Haven't seen much of the historic parts, as the kids were interested in other things. My husband and I will go in a couple weeks alone, and hope to see the museum, market, etc.

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I went to the market downtown yesterday in hopes of finding a proper Mother's Day gift for my wife.

Lemme tell ya - if there is a pandemic, you can't tell.  It was packed, and very few masks.  People were 

in much closer proximity than practically anywhere on a cruise ship.  Frustrating that we can't sail.

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On 4/6/2021 at 9:24 PM, Floski said:

Sorry, but Jestine's is closed.

There are a lot of "established" eateries around Charleston that have had to shut down, 

and that is super sad.   

I'm way late in checking this thread - so sad - I loved Jestine's!!! 

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Funny thing about living in a historic, trendy town like Charleston - as long as I've lived here, I've seldom gone to 

the places where people want to visit.   I've never been to Jestine's  ?

I did go down to the market on Friday in a futile attempt to find a certain thing for my lovely wife for 

Mother's Day, and it was packed!  Charleston is still under a mask mandate in public buildings, but I 

was thankful that a number of folks at the market were wearing them.  It was much more crowded in

the market than anyplace I know of on a cruise ship, except maybe when a show lets out.

 

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Just went to Charleston for a week.  Loved it.  Some of the places mentioned here have closed down.   Justines, Peace Pie, Blossom, etc.  But found plenty of great food. Slightly North of Broad, High Cotton, 82 Queen were all fabulous dinners.   We did many things and enjoyed every minute.    Might just have to go again!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, we made it back from Charleston!  Had a great time and can highly recommend the following (it appears some places may have re-opened recently)

 

Hyman's Seafood -- https://www.hymanseafood.com/

Callie's Hot Little Biscuit -- https://calliesbiscuits.com/ 

Glazed Gourmet -- https://glazedgourmet.com/

Bitty and Beau's -- https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/

Peace Pie -- https://peacepieworld.com/

Juanita's Greenberg's Nacho Royale -- https://juanitagreenbergs.com/

Charleston Water Taxi -- https://www.charlestonwatertaxi.com/

 

Of course, Fort Sumter, Patriot's Point

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  • 1 month later...

I live in North Charleston.  I haven't taken as much advantage of Charleston as I should, but a few recommendations I have:

82 Queen for lunch or dinner

Husk for dinner (definitely make reservations)

Hyman Brothers Seafood

I think the downtown market is an overpriced overcrowded tacky tourist destination, but if you are a tourist, it may be worth checking out.  

I'd recommend checking out the visitor center on Meeting Street as a first stop. https://www.charlestoncvb.com/travel-support/visitors-centers/

I love Joe Riley Waterfront Park -- I think it's a requirement that you have to take a photo at the Pineapple Fountain when you visit.  https://www.charleston-sc.com/charleston-waterfront-park.html

The local beaches are nice but you will need a car to visit.  Each has a different vibe.  

Ditto on the local plantations.  

Bulldog Tours offers great walking tours, but you could also walk around on your own.  https://www.bulldogtours.com/

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A lot of people who live here call Hyman's a huge "tourist trap", but I've always enjoyed it.

So they hit up every pair of shoes that walk by; that's just good, smart, marketing.

 

I've lived here since '71 (save for military time) and really, really miss the old downtown.

There are so many new buildings, that Charleston looks more like Charlotte.

Still a great place to visit, though.

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