RinaB1112

We will be traveling at the end of June for 3 days to Charleston with our three daughters. It is a road trip and we will be driving from Atlanta. We would like to make the most of our visit and woudl like some feeback on ideas of what to visit and where to eat. We will be staying in the historic districe.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

Ackislander

I assume that the three days are in Charleston and do not include traveling.

It sort of depends on the age of the girls, but I would suggest

Day 1
Morning: explore historic district and Battery on foot
Afternoon: visit an historic house in Charleston
Evening: carriage ride
Dinner: nice restaurant

Day 2
Historic plantation with gardens
Georgetown
Dinner casual seafood at Shem Creek

Day 3 beach
Dinner: nice restaurant
Stroll along Battery

Gretchen

Any chance you've done a search for the umpteen number of Charleston posts/threads? Just wondering. ;o) We could pare down or pump up from things you see you want to do.

suewoo

Ask yourself what is drawing you to Charleston in the first place. It's usually historic sites (if that's it for you visit a plantation and one of the houses in the Historic District open to the public. Take a walking or a carriage tour. For some people it's the beach. Folly and IOP have hotels since you're not staying a full week, and houses rent week to week in summer. If it's the food, look through some old posts here on the forum to get opinions of the many great places from which to choose.

BradleyK

Good post question. I have been to Charleston/kiawah Island area several times. I would recommend the following items:

1. Take a walking ghost tour.
2. Visit the "market"
3. Take a ferry to fort sumter. Where the "war between the states" all began.
4. Take a half day and visit one of the many plantations in the area. I recommend Boone Hall just across the bridge in Mount Pleasant.
4. Stop for dinner at Hanks, Hymens, or one of many other good local seafood restaurants.
5. If seafood isn't your thing, stop for some really good ribs at Sticky Fingers.

1Caroline

Charleston is wonderful anytime of the year though it gets hot in the summer. I don't know if you have any children or if you have particular interests, but I'll give you some generalities.

The best gardens IMO are Magnolia Plantation http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/ and Middleton Plantation. https://www.middletonplace.org/?gcli...FeHm7AodFSkAvA

Each of those will take the most of the day to adequately see. I prefer Magnolia because they have a small tram that takes you around the huge plantation. However, that said, Middleton is the more formal of the two and it's great too.

If you are interested in the the Gullah tours, which many people are, the one that I've heard the most about but was always booked up when I tried to go is guided by Alphonso Brown http://gullahtours.com/tour-information/tour-info

So, if that interests you, book a few weeks ahead to be sure. Also you'll want to see the old market place.

The carriage rides are great. I'd go to the 'garage' to start the tour and it really doesn't matter which one you take, IMO as most of the guides are very good.
http://www.palmettocarriage.com/

There are the walking tours but they can get long and hot so take the weather into consideration.

The Rutledge House is worth touring as is the battery and of course Rainbow Row. There are lots of tours that will take you to these if you don't want to drive. Of course, there are the ghost tours and the bar crawls, etc. too.

There are so many good places to eat in Charleston, but expect a fairly long wait at many of them. http://www.poogansporch.com/
Poogan's Porch got some national attention with a magazine article not too long ago.

Hank's Seafood is good too.
http://www.hanksseafoodrestaurant.com/

If you get a chance (which you will) try the grits and shrimp and you'll be surprised at how good they are.

Have fun.

BetsyinKY

The end of June will be hot! I know, because we have been going to the Charleston area for the last week of June for the past 8 years! If you're from Atlanta, you'll be used to the heat, but if you're from somewhere else and just driving from Atlanta, prepare yourself! That being said, you can still enjoy your time, with a little strategic planning.

I would do any downtown/Historic District activities early in the morning or after the sun drops in the evening. The Market is fun to prowl through, but not when it's hot and crowded. Go early when the vendors are just setting up. Part of the fun of staying downtown is being able to get out and walk before the streets are crowded in the morning, so take advantage of that. Walk down Meeting St. to the Battery. Come back up East Bay and stop off at the Waterfront Park.

Visiting Fort Sumter is a good idea. It's generally cooler on the water and the fort is very interesting to explore.

Visiting the nearby plantations is also fun, but again, I would do this in the morning, especially if you are going to tour the gardens. Drayton Hall and Middleton Place are my favorites.

Touring historic homes is another way to get out of the sun. My two favorites are the Aiken-Rhett House and the Nathaniel Russell House. One has been restored, the other preserved, so they are a nice contrast.

You could also beat the heat by spending an afternoon at the beach. There is always a good breeze out on Sullivan's Island, so even when it's hot, it's not as bad on the beach. Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms are both a fairly quick drive from downtown.

Have a great trip! We will probably be there at the same time!