Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a very picturesque city, and we were delighted to explore  with our friends who live there.  There are so many places to see and restaurants to eat at, we couldn’t decide  where to go to first!     

The featured picture is the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which is a cable-stayed bridge over the Cooper River.  It was named for Arthur Ravenel Jr,  a businessman and state representative from Charleston. 

The first time we visited we couldn’t decide where to go or where to eat since there were so many good choices.  When we realized we were going to come back, it made our decision even easier.  What we don’t see now, we will see later.    

The main street in Charleston is King St., with plenty of shopping, hotels and restaurants. This is a great place to start and see a part of Charleston. We walked from one end to the other and it reminded me of a small town with a big city feel with a ton of cafes, coffee shops, local restaurants and cute boutique shops.  I will do another post on King Street later – be on the lookout for that!

There are other areas of Charleston, such as Daniel Island, Kiawah Island, John’s Island, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palm, Mt Pleasant, West Ashley and many more. Each has their own unique vibe, and you can have a vastly different experience in each one. 

Some interesting facts about Charleston:

• It’s nickname is the Holy City, because of the number of places of worship here. There are over 400 steeples here (I didn’t count!) and many different religions are practiced here.
• Charleston was named for England’s King Charles II, who rewarded eight friends of his with the Carolina territory. When they arrived, they named the first settlement, Charles Town, in honor of the king. It was changed to Charleston after the American Revolution.
• The buildings must be no taller that Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church steeple, which is the tallest church steeple in Charleston.
• The first organized golf game is thought to be in Charleston on Harleston Green, an undeveloped pastureland near the corner of Pitt and Bull streets. 
• The first museum in the United States is considered to be the Charleston Museum. It was founded in 1773 and opened to the public in 1824.
• Dock Street Theatre is the site of America’s first purpose-built theater building and opened in the 1930’s.  It is now home to the Charleston Stage Company, South Carolina’s largest professional theater company.

We visited the following places:

Charleston Tea Garden           

We did a trolley tour of the tea garden here and it was amazing. Driving down from the entrance you are surrounded by beautiful trees as you enter the visitors parking lot.    

The trolley tour around the property is about 45 minutes long. The tour guide explains how the company got its start and prospered into one of the leading tea companies in the US. The rows and rows of plants are carefully cultivated until they are ready for cutting.   

 

We stopped at the greenhouse and he showed us how they begin new plants from cuttings.  It takes about 4 years for a plant to grow before you can cut the leaves for tea.   

There is a gift shop which contains delicious samples of hot and cold teas.  Many items are available for sale including teapots, tea cups and teas for you to enjoy at your own home, as well as other souvenirs. 

There is also the “first flush” tea, which is made from the first cuttings of the plant. It makes the freshest tea cup of tea. I could not wait to try it!

https://charlestonteagarden.com/

Angel Oak   

Angel Oak is a beautiful tree that is a must stop on your tour of Charleston. It is estimated to be about 400 years old, and it’s sprawling limbs make it even more stunning. Some of the limbs are hallowed out, but you can’t tell because of condition of the bark on the tree. It makes for a great  picture!

Boone Plantation

Boone Plantation takes us back in time to how a plantation was run and how it is run today. It was founded in 1681 by Englishman Major John Boone and is one of America’s oldest working plantations, growing crops for over 320 years. 

 

Beautiful gardens near the main house.

When walking through the grounds, there is a row of houses that were the homes of the slaves.    You can tour them and see how they lived.   

There is also a lady who is a descendent of the Gallah people (pronounced gu-lah) – and she gives a very informative talk on what it was like for her ancestors to live in South Carolina many years ago.   

 Walking Tour of Charleston

Take a free two hour guided walking tour of Charleston to hear about this beautiful city.  Our three grandsons (ages 7, 8 and 10) loved this tour. They learned about the history of the city and heard some stories about ghost tours.   

https://walksofcharleston.com/

Firefly Distillery

We went there to explore the firefly sweet tea vodka, which we love. I couldn’t believe how big the  place is.   

 

It is located on over 5 acres, and you can hang out all day. When you go through the main door, there is a large gift shop with plenty of Firefly merchandise available. We wanted to do a tasting so we signed up for that at the desk and decided to visit the shop on our way out.    

We went back and got to select the vodkas/moonshines we wanted to try. 

 

Guests can experience the distillation process firsthand, taste craft spirits and signature cocktails, and enjoy live music, food trucks, lawn games, countless events and a gift shop.

The gift shop has plenty of items to buy. I did not get pictures of the entire shop and it’s bigger than most gift shops. You  have to stop by and browse around when you visit!

Hotel Bennett

The Hotel Bennett is a luxury hotel in historic downtown Charleston located on King Street with the entrance opening upon the corner of historic Marion Square. It’s a great place to stay, whether on a girl’s trip, romantic getaway, or a fun filled family vacation.   

The rooftop bar is a wonderful place to unwind for a drink with friends after work. There are a variety of libations are served here – pick your pleasure. You can stop by the bakery on the ground floor and select a delicious pastry or cookie then go to the rooftop and enjoy a drink.    

https://www.hotelbennett.com/

We had drinks in the rooftop bar which was very nice and with a great view.

Horse and Carriage Ride

Is there a better way to see this city than a horse and carriage ride throughout the streets? There are five different routes the coachman can take, and they will give a delightful narrative along the route regarding the streets, buildings and people who walked these streets a long time ago.    

Food Tour

Charleston is a foodie’s dream! There are so many delicious restaurants here, just take your pick.  Up and down King Street (and along the side streets) is filled with amazing choices of restaurants. 

We went on a food tour and sampled some of the great cuisine here in Charleston.  Our stops included Poogan’s Smokehouse, The Oyster House, Well Hung Wine Bar, and Benne’s by Peninsula Grill.   

 

Some recommendations: Enjoy dinner and a drink at Well Hung Vineyard and Restaurant, just steps from the Historic Charleston City Market on Market Street. Poogan’s Smokehouse (located on East Bay Street) has a mouth-watering pulled pork sandwich and a bowl of collard greens.    

We stopped by the Codfather for lunch

We stopped by The Codfather, a proper fish and chips restaurant that is a great place to stop and get some delicious food. Decorated in British style, it’s a relatively easy going place to meet up with your friends and have a pint or two. This is a very relaxing place to get some delicious comfort food. 

https://thecodfatherchippy.com/

Halls Chophouse

It was time for a Sunday girls brunch so the four of us went to Halls Chophouse on King St in downtown Charlestown. On Sunday mornings they have a gospel group that sings during brunch time. They were so talented! 

We started off our brunch with the famous Halls Chophouse popovers and mimosas. Not a bad way to start the day.

There were so many choices for brunch!  Stephanie got the special which was lobster tail and quiche.  She thought it was fantastic. And that is the only one we took a picture of, we couldn’t wait to our food. Jess got the fillet and eggs (exceptional cook on the fillet), Tina had an omelette and I had the crab cakes benedict.  I promised better pictures next time!    

We were celebrating my birthday so of course we had a piece of chocolate cake for dessert, which we all shared along with a bread pudding with whiskey sauce. And we didn’t take a picture of the bread pudding until the very end. Both desserts were out of this world delicious. 

Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row is named for the thirteen colorful historic homes that are on East Bay Street. This area is called Rainbow Row because the homes were painted different pastel colors when they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s.   

 

Other places to visit

John Rutledge House – It’s the only home of a signer of the US Constitution that serves as a living national historic landmark.  It is also an Inn, so you can stay there and enjoy the beauty and the many amenities it has to offer.  It is located on Broad street and is a short walk to downtown.

https://johnrutledgehouseinn.com/

Pineapple Fountain –  located in Waterfront Park and a throw back to the city’s port history when pineapples were rare and a symbol of wealth and hospitality. 

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park – formerly called the Fort Sumner National Monument. There is a museum and a visitor center there, and you can explore the historical significance it held during the Civil War.

Haunted House Tour – There are many haunted house and ghost tours to take if you want to be frightened. It’s been said that Charlestown is the most haunted city in America.

Boat Trip (especially at sunset) – There are many day boat trips you can take in Charleston.   A dinner cruise at sunset would be absolutely beautiful.   

Folly Beach –   Located on Folly Island, in South Carolina, it is just south of Charleston.  There is Folly Beach Pier, and Center Street has many surf and souvenir shops. Folly Beach County Park has picnic areas and a pelican rookery. 

There are many other places to visit in Charleston and we plan to do that on our next visit there.  We can’t wait!