Best Restaurants
Clicking the turtle or the name to take you to the Charleston Aquarium of South Carolina.
Click each picture below to show Sweet Grass basket and Roses sold in the Historic District.
St. Philip's Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina. It is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1836. 1860-65 St. Philip's steeple was targeted for shelling by the invading Union Army. One shell exploded in the churchyard during a Sunday service.
St. Michael's Church was built in 1751, and is the oldest church in Charleston today. It towers above other historic buildings along Broad Street in Charleston. George Washington once worshipped in this church and General Robert E. Lee worshipped in the same pew. Click both churches to enlarge.
Fountains are abundant in Charleston. Click the two below to enlarge.
Above: Beautiful old Marble Steps.
Below:
The two black bolts that you see on the house below are earthquake bolts. Charleston suffered two major hurricanes in 1885 and an earthquake in 1886. During repairs, workmen inserted long iron rods through the houses and tightened them with bolts against the outside surfaces to bring the buildings back into alignment. These houses and the ones below are part of Charleston's famous Rainbow Row.
Ft. Sumter, the scene of the opening engagement of the Civil War. After Sherman forced the evacuation of Charleston, the U.S. flag was again raised over the fort on on Apr. 14, 1865. Fort Sumter became a national monument in 1948.
You may wish to visit the Islands of Charleston. Kiawah, Isle of Palms, Seabrook, James Island and Johns Island are all an easy drive from Charleston/ Islands of Charleston.
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The Cooper River Bridge is North America's longest cable stay span, and features eight lanes of north-south traffic,
including a bicycle /pedestrian lane.
White Point Gardens near the famous Battery. This large grassy area is shaded by massive moss-covered oaks and fringed with cannons, monuments, and historical statues.
Click the pics below to enlarge. My friend
Bonnie shows off a large Magnolia! That's Bonnie again by the cannon, and I'm standing near the monument.
Memorial - USS Hobson
and USS Wasp.
Charleston City Market/ Daughters of the Confederacy Museum.
The City Market is a must to see. You'll find hundreds of vendors, Sweet Grass baskets weavers, local jewelry, art, candles, cookies and much more.
Click any photo on this page to enlarge to original size
Today's Charleston has so many things to do!
Stop by the Visitors' Bureau first (linked just below) or start walking. We've discovered that one one of the best ways to get acquainted with Charleston is on foot. It's not only good for your mind, it's good for your body. You can plot your own course with a map and a guide book. This is the best way to learn about the Confederate Homes and how the Civil War affected Charleston.
You could also join a guided group with Charleston Walks. Plan on about 3.5 miles to cover the Historic District. It's not strenuous, and you will be stopping often to view monuments, houses, historical markers, etc.
Charleston's Museum Mile is located along Meeting Street and runs from the Charleston Visitor Center to the Nathaniel Russell House. The Mile is easy to navigate on foot and with public transportation. You can use the DASH trolleys and CARTA buses to traverse the downtown area, travel to various sites and link with tourist buses at the Visitor Center. .
Charleston was founded in 1670 by English colonists and prospered as the seaport serving the area's planters. The Civil War quashed the plantation economy, but by the 1920s, the city had revived enough to inspire the dance craze named after it.
The art of basket making (click the photos on the left to enlarge) was introduced to the Lowcountry in the 17th Century by Africans, Today, Sweet Grass basket making is centered in the Mt. Pleasant community. Basket stands along Hwy 17 North allow basket makers to compete with retail markets, establish a direct contact between themselves and their patrons and develop new shapes from traditional baskets forms and ordinary objects. Basket makers living east of the Cooper River can also be found downtown Charleston, along Market, Broad, and Meeting Streets.
Looking for a beach?
Folly Beach and the Isle of Palms are both 12 ro 15 miles from the center of downtown Charleston.
My Folly Beach photos
My pictures from Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms
Charleston Local Information:
The Post and Courier
Historic Charleston Foundation
Charleston Convention & Visitors' Bureau
City of Charleston, SC
Cooper River Bridge
Charleston Best Restaurants:
You will not run out of good restaurants, no matter how many times you visit Charleston. Here are some the restaurants we think are the best, in no particular order.
(Be sure to check the link to coupons at the bottom of this page):
A.W. Shuck's - Seafood Warehouse Restaurant and Raw Bar
Charleston Crab House - Wonderful Southern Seafood
Tommy Condon's Restaurant and Pub - Historic Downtown
Peninsula Grill - Historic Downtown Area
Charleston Grill - in the Charleston Place Hotel
Bubba Gump - Historic Downtown Area
East Bay Crab Shack - Historic Downtown Area
Pavilion Bar & Grill - Rooftop dining!
Circa 1886 - 149 Wentworth St.
Robert's of Charleston - 182 E. Bay St. (Hear Robert sing!)
Slightly North of Broad - Voted Best Restaurant of the Year!
Hank's Seafood Restaurant - corner of Hayne and Church
Cypress Lowcountry Grille - 185 E, Bay Street
Basil Thai Restaurant - 460 King Street
Hyman's Seafood Restaurant - 215 Meeting Street
The Wreck of Richard and Charlene - Overlooking Shem Creek at 106 Haddrell Street in nearby Mt. Pleasant
Charleston's Famous Plantations:
Middleton Plantation
Magnolia Plantation (Our photos are HERE )
Take a Carriage Ride through Historic Charleston and the Battery!
Palmetto Carriage Tour - coupons on this site
Old South Carriage Company - coupons on this site
Visit Charleston's best things to do:
South Carolina Aquarium at Charleston
Historic Charleston Foundation
Visit Fort Sumter and take a Harbor Tour
HL Hunley - Watch history unfold!
Nathaniel Russell House
Cypress Gardens
Spoleto Festival (May 22 - June 7, 2009)
If you're driving, don't miss the Islands! Be sure to see the Angel Oak on John's Island. Visit Sullivan's Island, Kiawah and more:
The Islands of Charleston
Shopping in Charleston
Be sure to visit the City Market in the heart of the Historic District. Here's where you'll find the famous handmade Sweetgrass Baskets (sewn with longleaf pine needles and strips of palmetto leaf) as well as a multitude of crafts, souvenirs, jewelry, art, etc. on display inside the covered Market area. You'll also find many small specialty shops and restaurants. Charleston Place is located on the first floor of the Charleston Hotel in the Historic District. If you like shopping in style, then the Shops at Charleston Place are for you. Even if you buy nothing in the many boutique shops, you'll love the polished marble floors, columns, grand staircases and mammoth chandelier. There's something here for everyone including your most discriminating Aunt Tillie!
More Good Shopping
Citadel Mall
Northwoods Mall
Millennium Music
Earth Fare - The Healthy Supermarket
Looking For Free Coupons?
Tourist Pack of Charleston offers free coupons for Ghosts & Legends, Charleston Walk, the SC Aquarium, as well as plantations, restaurants and tours. Tourist Pack Free Coupons.
Hurricane Hugo:
My sister-in-law Sara was living in Myrtle Beach when Hurricane Hugo made its visit in Sept. 1989. If you came here looking for information about Hugo's impact on Charleston, here's a link!
Charleston Photos - (May 2005)
Charleston Pics - (March 2006)
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