Back from Charleston
May 13, 2010
The reflecting pool at Middleton Place.
Late yesterday Marlene and I returned from a brief vacation trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Early this morning a friend emailed saying she and her husband are heading to Charleston next week, and did I have any recommendations? Well, yes I do.
Charleston struck us as a terrific town to visit, a place redolent with the fragrance of history infused with a spicy mixture of many different cultures. You can spend a lot of money (we didn’t) or you can spend a little bit (we did), and either way you’ll have a good time. During our five days in Charleston, we barely scratched the surface of all there is to see and do. For those who want a few recommendations, here they are:
Places to eat: The Hominy Grill, Jestine’s Kitchen, Gullah Cuisine, The Wreck (across the bay in Mount Pleasant).
Things to do: Take a walk, rent a bike, ride across the Ravenel Bridge, visit Fort Sumter, check out the Battery, take a carriage ride, explore the magnificent homes South of Broad.
Best travel guide: Fodor’s or the Moon guide.
Places to stay: Depends on how much you want to spend. We stayed at the Courtyard overlooking the Marina.
Dishes to try: Shrimp and grits for sure and other Lowcountry cuisine.
Don’t miss: The Market, the French Quarter, Meeting Street, King Street.
Close at hand: Folly Beach, Patriots Point, Middleton Place.
There are museums galore, plenty of shopping, and don’t forget about the churches. We went twice to visit the French Huguenot Church and enjoyed meeting the pastor. We didn’t get to visit the Citadel. That’s on our list for our next visit.
They say it gets hot and sticky in the summer so check out Charleston in the spring or the fall.