SC Lowcountry: Charleston Area

Hey y’all,

Did you get a chance to visit Georgetown yet? Even though it is my favorite part of the South Carolina Lowcountry, I did promise to share some information about Charleston (even though it gets more than its fair share of tourists and media interest).

This was considered the “big city” when I was growing up. We used to go into Charleston to go shopping for school clothes or for special occasions. It is nearly twice the size of Georgetown. Charleston is actually a peninsula where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form the Atlantic Ocean–or so Charlestonians half-jokingly claim. It dates back to 1670 when it was originally named Charles Town, in honor of King Charles II. There are 2,800 historically significant buildings. The intersection of Broad and Meeting Streets is called the “Four Corners of the Law” because every legal requirement can be done at this junction. On one corner is St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, where couples may get married; the next corner is the Charleston County Court House, where couples may pay taxes on their new home; the next corner is City Hall, where couples may file for divorce; and across the street on the fourth corner is the post office, where newly married or divorced couples can file change of address forms!

Charleston is also known as the “City of Firsts” because so many ‘first’ things have happened here. The first shot of Civil War was fired in Charleston Harbor at Fort Sumter. Charleston boasts the world’s first successful submarine attack during the Civil War. Charleston had the country’s first golf course, first railway mail service, first prescription drug store, first passenger train, first public museum, first public theatre, first music store, and much more.

Today, it is the second largest city in the state and the seventh largest cargo port in the United States. But its main claim to fame is tourism. More than ten million tourists flock to this charming city every year. Some of their favorite things to see and do include: The Battery, Rainbow Row, Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston Museum, Charles Town Landing State Historic Site, Fort Sumter, Patriots Point, SC Aquarium, and the Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon.

Visitors can explore the city in a variety of ways, such as historic walks, pirate walks ghost walks, carriage tours, trolley tours, and harbor cruises. A few other points of interest in the greater Charleston area include Folly Beach, Kiawah Island and Angel Oak, Sullivans Island (Fort Moultrie and Sullivans Island Lighthouse), Edisto Island and Edisto Beach State Park, Charleston Tea Plantation, and Isle of Palms. See what I mean about so much to see and do?

I recommend contacting the tourism board for the names and contact info for tour companies and outfitters, as well as a comprehensive list of accommodations, restaurants, and art galleries. I suggest you avoid summer as it is peak season so it is very congested on Highway 17 and hard to find bargains on lodging and also it is VERY hot and humid as this is the South Carolina Lowcountry, after all.

The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church is one of only two remaining Huguenot churches in America.

FYI: Charleston is sixty miles south of Georgetown and sixty-nine miles north of Beaufort.

Lodging…there is a wide range of options to fit any budget and type of traveler. The top hotels and inns in the city are:

French Quarter Inn, Wentworth Mansion, Planters Inn, John Rutledge House Inn, Venue, Market Pavilion Hotel, Restoration on King, Mills House, Wyndham Grand Hotel, and Charleston Place. Additionally, there are many choices on the outskirts of town and up the road in Mount Pleasant and Summerville and in the heart of the city there are some budget options, such as Holiday Inn Express Charleston, Days Inn Charleston, and Town and Country Inn & Suites.

Restaurants…endless. Some of the best chefs in America can be found in Charleston restaurants. There are restaurants to suit any budget and desired cuisine, but since I’m a Lowcountry girl, I’m not even going to talk about Mexican or Italian eateries! My picks are Lowcountry Bistro, Hominy Grill, Poogan’s Porch, 82 Queen, Jasmine Porch, Hyman’s, and Slightly North of Broad. I have left out a lot of good restaurants simply because there are so many (too many to name) but a visitor’s guide will provide detailed descriptions and let you know what awards which restaurants have won. You can also opt to buy fresh seafood in Shem Creek or at one of the local seafood markets, if you are staying in a rental house or condo. Don’t forget there are some yummy recipes in the back of my back, The Sanctuary.