Guide to Visiting Charleston

The city of Charleston, situated on a peninsula bordered by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers and Charleston Harbor, was founded in 1670 as Charles Town for King Charles II of England. The city quickly grew in size and wealth, becoming the fifth largest city in North America at the time, largely because of its role as a hub for the slave trade. Today you can wander a city untouched by time – the city’s mix of colonial, antebellum, and Victorian architecture have been well-preserved through the years.

Accommodations & Getting Around

I found a great rate on a bed and breakfast called the Barksdale House that is located in downtown Charleston. The B&B was fabulous – it’s in a charming historic house and the employees were extremely hospitable and welcoming. Going in I had no idea what to expect since I had gotten such a low rate on a downtown B&B, but I would stay there again in a heartbeat! Aside from using my rental car to go out to Boone Hall Plantation, I was able to leave the car parked the entire time I was there. Charleston is an extremely walkable city – and really one that’s best enjoyed on foot.

Downtown Charleston

Walking around downtown Charleston aimlessly is arguably the best thing that you can do while you’re there. Charleston is a city full of historic homes and gorgeous architecture. You’ll stumble upon picturesque alleys and plenty of palmettos, the official state tree of South Carolina. The most photographed street in Charleston is the stretch of East Bay Street known as Rainbow Row for its pastel-painted rowhomes.

The city is also known as “the Holy City” because of its skyline of steeples. One of my favorite was St. Philip’s Church, most beautifully viewed by a walk up Church Street that will take you past the pastel Gothic Revival Huguenot Church and gorgeous Dock Street Theatre.

I also couldn’t get enough of the vibrant streetscapes of Broad Street. And further down Broad Street I found my favorite building in Charleston – the 1763 John Rutledge House which once saw George Washington as a breakfast guest on his presidential visit to Charleston .

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Charleston Waterfront

Along the east side of the peninsula there is a walkway that gives you some great views of Charleston Harbor and the magnificent mansions that line the waterfront. There you’ll also find Waterfront Park with its iconic pineapple fountain.

Fort Sumter

Charleston is home to Fort Sumter, the site of the first shots fired in the American Civil War. The fort sits on an island only accessible via ferry service operated by Fort Sumter Tours. I took the first tour boat in the morning, and because of this was afforded the experience of watching the flag raised over the fort, which gave me chills thinking about the history of the ground I was standing on.

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Boone Hall Plantation

In nearby Mount Pleasant you can visit Boone Hall Plantation, one of the oldest working plantations in the country. The entry road into the plantation is the famous Avenue of Oaks, a photographic road lined with oak trees planted in 1743. The plantation was founded in 1681 and primarily produced cotton and pecans. The elegant mansion, not original to the plantation, was finished in 1923. You can tour the first floor of the house, but one of its owners still lives upstairs.

The grounds of Boone Hall may look familiar to you, as they’ve been used as the backdrop for a number of TV shows and films, most notably The Notebook. The plantation also hosts weddings – this is where Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds tied the knot!

One of the most interesting parts of my visit to the plantation was touring the slave quarters and attending a riveting lecture on the Gullah people – a lineage of African Americans living in the Lowcountry region, brought to the region as slaves to work on plantations like Boone Hall.

Angel Oak Tree

A short drive outside of Charleston on Johns Island is another old oak tree that will take your breath away. This sprawling oak is estimated to be at least 400-500 years old and measures in at 66.5 feet tall and 28 feet in circumference.

Shopping

King Street in downtown Charleston is a shopping mecca, lined with high-end boutiques, art galleries, and trendy restaurants. Or, if you’re searching for the perfect souvenir, head over to the Historic Charleston City Market for four blocks of indoor-outdoor marketplace featuring local artisans and entrepreneurs.

Good Eats & Drinks

Charleston is known for its seafood scene, and I tried a few different places. At Pearlz Oyster Bar I downed a delicious bowl of shrimp and grits. They have a featured shrimp and grits dish everyday, and the day I went it was buffalo shrimp served over grits with blue cheese mixed in – amazing! I’ve never been very adventurous when it comes to seafood so I had never eaten oysters before, but at the rustic Leon’s Oyster Shop, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and enjoyed a fried oyster roll. At Charleston Crab House I had a hearty Palmetto Crab Burger – topped with crab meat and pimento cheese.

Poogan’s Porch on Queen Street serves up quality southern cuisine in a historic Victorian-era house. It was out of my price range for dinner, but I stopped in for a drink because I heard that the place was haunted and I’m a sucker for an old charming house. I didn’t find any ghosts, but enjoyed the warm and welcoming atmosphere.

My next stop was another supposedly haunted pub, the Blind Tiger. I loved the swanky old-timey feel of this bar, and although I only had the chance to stop in for a drink, their food looked really good. Next time!

One thing that you have to do in Charleston is go to a dessert bar. The famous one in town is Kaminsky’s, but a local told me to go to the less-touristy Carmella’s for a dessert martini. Well, I ended up trying both during my time in Charleston. I enjoyed my dessert martini at both places, but I will say they definitely pour them stronger at Kaminsky’s.

Another great recommendation from a local (always listen to the locals!!) was lunch at One Broad Street. Located in a beautifully renovated antebellum bank building on East Bay Street, this cafe serves up a delightful eclectic menu.

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Along with a few days in Savannah, GA, my visit to Charleston made for a great trip and I enjoyed exploring this quaint city and getting a taste of Lowcountry history and culture. Visitors beware – you’re guaranteed to leave wishing you could own a charming residence in this city!