Best Things to do in Charleston SC

Best Things to do
in Charleston, S.C.

Best things to do! Best things to see and do in Charleston! Best Charleston Resntaurants, Plantations, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, The Battery, Folly Beach, Shopping in the Historic District, Sweet Grass Baskets - Ft. Sumter - plus many photos!

Don't miss the best Charleston events and festivals including:
Spoleto, Oyster, MOJA, Arts and History

Photos by Patricia Blackstock
All photos enlarge when clicked

Charleston voted #2 of 15 " Cities of the World"
by Readers' Choice Awards Condé Naste Traveler

* Map of tthe Historic District, Charleston, S.C.*

I hope you will enjoy our suggestion for the
best things to do in Charleston, S.C.

For Hurricane Irma's wind effect on Charleston

For Hurricane Matthew's effect on Charleston Please view the Charleston cam page for webcams, drones and panos

The Cooper River Bridge (above) is also known as Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. It is North America's longest cable stay span boasts eight lanes of 2-way traffic, plus a bicycle/pedestrian lane. This bridge opened on July 16, 2005.

On April 12, 1861, the Confederate artillery opened on Ft. Sumter in the Charlerston Harbor. Ft. Sumter was the scene of the opening engagement of the Civil War. (Photos above.) After Sherman forced the evacuation of Charleston, the United States flag once again raised over Ft. Sumter on Apr. 14, 1865 Fort Sumter became a National Monument in 1948. This large grassy area hosts the monuments and historic statues. My friend Bonnie shows off a Platter Magnolia, and I'm standing near the monument. Charleston City Market/ Daughters of the Confederacy Museum. The City Market is a must for anyone visiting Charleston. You'll find hundreds of vendors selling sweetgrass baskets and other sweetgrass designs, real Southern candies, hand-crafted jewelry and much more.

Best of Charleston Shopping - The Historic District
For your best shopping experience in Charleston, be sure to visit the City Market located in the Historic District. This is where you'll find the famous hand made Sweetgrass Baskets (sewn with long leaf pine needles and strips of Palmetto leaves) as well as a multitude of crafts, souvenirs, jewelyy, local candy, local honey and other items on display inside the covered Market area You'll find the best of Charleston shopping in the Charleston Hotel (located in the historic district.) If you like shopping in style, you will love the Shops at Charleston Place! Even if you don't purchase anything, you'll love the polished marble floors, columns,grand staircase and a mammoth chandelier. there is something for everyone...incuding your most discriminating Aunt Tillie!e best kept secrets of Charleston!

Guide to the Shopping! It is still one of the best (and fun) things to do in Charleston. After you leave the Historic Downtown area, you'll discover plenty of good shopping in Charleston.

Citadel Mall
Northwoods Mall
Earth Fare - The Healthy Supermarket
Trader Joe's -Mt. Pleasant. Sometimers we drive from Myrtle Beach just to shop at Trader Joe's
Whole Foods - Mt. Pleasant
Freshfields Village Shops and and restaurants at the crossroads of Kiawah, Seabrook and Johns Island
Mr. Pleasant Towne Center - check the Directory for special hours of happy shopping!
Tanger Outlets North Charleston, S.C.

I often tell people one of the best things to do in Charleston is to check out the Islands of Charleston. Kiawah, Isle of Palms, Seabrook, James Island and Johns Island are all an easy drive - and in many cases just a few minuttes from Charleston. Eachisland has something unique to offer visitors, and it is one of the best things to do in the Charleston area.

The art of basket weaving was introduced to the South Carolina Lowcountry in the 17th Century. Today, Sweet Grass basket making is centered in the Mt. Pleasant community area. you'll ee basket stands along Hwy 17 North, allowing basket makers to compete with retail markets and establish direct contact between themselves and their patrons. Watching these baskets as they are being made is one of the most interesting things to do. You can watch as as they develop new shapes, such as roses and picture frames. The basket weavers can be found in the downtown area of Charleston, along Market, and Meeting Streets, andnon 17 Bus. leading into the city of Charleston.

Charleston in has so many things to do! Stop by the Visitors' Bureau to see the best things to do in Charleston. Orient yourself and learn about the best tours of Charleston that are available to you. Or just start walking! We've discovered that one of the best way to get acquainted with Charleston is on foot! It's not only good for your mind and body, it's one of the best things to do in Charleston! 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.

Let your feet be your guide! You can join a guide for the Charleston Walks. Plan on about 3.5 miles to cover the best of Charleston - the Historic District. It's not strenuous, and you will be stopping often to view the many Charleston monuments, old homes, historic markers and much more.

Another option for walking is the Free Tours by Foot. They rpovide a platform for licensed, professional, freelance tour guides to lead yours at no upfront cost so you can enjoy a quality sightseeing experience, no matter your budget. Everyone should be allowed to take a guided tour you feel is worth it - even free!

Charleston Guide for Savings, Discounts and Coupons
Savings, locations, and complete information available at Tourist Pack
Discounts coupons to the best local restaurant and attractions Charleston Coupons and Discounts
Charleston, SC discount for Tours, Restaurants and Attractions. Charleston Ticket
Coupons and Discount Tour, Attractions and Dining Charleston Coupons

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 bnavigate 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 up with the tourist busses at the Visitor Center. .

Take a Carriage Tour through Historic Charleston and the Battery, or hop on the Gray Line!

TIP: If you do a carriage tour FIRST, yoy can park your car free (included in carriage ride price) in the lots of the various carriage companies without paying a parking meter while on the carriage.

Palmetto Carriage Tour - Charleston Guide discount coupons on the website.
Old South Carriage Company - Charleston Guide discount coupons on the website
The Gray Line of Charleston offers a choice of Charleston guided mini-bus tour guides of the historic, charming city of Charleston, designed to give you an informative look at the Holy City and its well-preserved past.

Click here to view my short photo gallery of Folly Beach!

Tour some of the Best Historic Homes and Gardens in Charleston

South Carolina Aquarium at Charleston	Historic Charleston Foundation
Fort Sumter and take a Harbor Tour	Cypress Gardens
H L Hunley (limited dates/times)	Spoleto Festival (dates on website)
Middleton Place	Magnolia Plantation

A Few of Charleston's Best Restaurants:
You will not run out of good restaurants, no matter how often you visit Charleston.
Here are a few that we think are the best restaurants in Charleston, in no particular order.
Be sure to check the link above for Charleston discounts and Coupons)

Cooking Channel: Hook, Line & Dinner (Charleston, South Carolina)
Ben discovers the foundations for Charleston's current culinary renaissance is the region's rustic Lowcountry cuisine, and its seemingly timeless union with all things fresh and aquatic. The host of Hook, Line & Dinner experiences first-hand the essence of that union in rustic institutions like Bowens Island Restaurant, a local marsh-side oyster house where it's a monumental understatement to say the amenities are sparse. Whether pan-searing sheepshead fish at Husk in historic downtown Charleston, or preparing stuffed Blue Crab at T.W. Graham & Company in nearby McClellanville, Ben's ingredients are nothing if not local.

Charleston Crab House - Wonderful Southern seafood	Tommy Condon's Restaurant and Pub - Historic Downtown
Peninsula Grill - Historic Downtown	Bubba Gump Historic Charleston area
The Crab Shack Historic Downtown	Wild Olive John's Island
Pavilion Bar & Grill Roof top dining	Circa 1886 149 Wentworth St.
FIG 232 Meeting Street, Downtown	Slightly North of Broad Voted Best of the Year
Hank's Seafood Restaurant corner Hayne and Church	Cypress Lowcountry Grille 185 E. Bay Streett
Hominy Grill 207 Rutledge Ave. Charleston	Caviar & Bananas 41 George St. Charleston, SC
Cru Cafe 18 Pinkney St. Charleston	Poogan's Porch 2 Queen St. (recent photos on left)
Hyman's Seafood 215 Meeting St. Charleston	Coast 39-D Charleston, SC
Boathouse 101 Palm Blvd. Isle of Palms	Fish 422 King St.
The Macintosh 479B King Street	McCrady's 2 Unity Alley
The Ordinary 544 Kings Street	Five Loaves Cafe 43 Cannon St.

St. Philip's Episcopal Church is an Historical Episcopal church. It is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1836. Between 1860 and 1865, 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. The two churches are known as some of the best landmarks in Charleston.

The two black bolts pictured on the house to the left 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. The houses above are part of Charleston's famous Rainbow Row. Rainbow Row is the name for a series of colorful historic houses in Charleston, S.C. The houses are located north of Trade St. and south of Elliot St. on East Bay Street. It is referred to as Rainbow Row for the pastel colors used to paint all of the houses. Iy is a common tourist attraction and is one of the most photographed parts of Charleston.

Don't miss: Sweetgrass Baskets at the Charleston Market! Arthur Ravenel Bridge, inside and outside of the Charleston City Market, our brunch at the Palmetto Cafe, tours with one of the Charleston Carriage tours, churches and cemeteries, cobblestone streets, fountains, historic homes, and more! Charleston is known as The Holy City, due to the prominence of churches and steeples which dot the city's skyline, I've added some new photos of both churches and cemeteries.

I've recently discovered one of the Best Kept Secrets of Charleston - Consignment Shops! I could spend days in these consignment stores which offer some mazing bargains for the savvy shopper!
Butterfly Consignmenb Shop
Consign Charleston
Low Country Consignments
Second Hand Love
Yoogi's Closet

Below, left to right row 1: Marble staircase in down town Charleston, Daughters of the Confederacy, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Bubba Gump's in Charleston for lunch with my sister-in-law, Granddaughter.
Below, left to right row 2: Charleston's public fountains are free and open all summer long. Cobblestone Street, Historic Charleston harbor, Paula and Wally look at the bark of a Crepe Myrtle
Below, left to right row 3: Be sure to visit some of Charleston's historic cemeteries. Wally at the Charleston Aquarium of South Carolina, ancient moss-covered oaks near the Battery.

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