My wife has decided she wants to visit Charleston in June. I've never been. Do I stay on the beach or downtown? What are the restaurants to have a meal? What do I see besides the fort? Please help!!!!
Charleston, SC
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Recommend the aquarium, market area downtown. Eat at Hymans. Lots of historic houses and tours. However supposedly Natchez has more antebellum homes. South of charleston is a great smaller community called Beaufort with access to a couple island beach communities.
Second Hymans. Get the She Crab Soup. Joseph's for breakfast, my wife loves the sweet potato pancakes. If you go to the beach, do Folly Beach, this is a GREAT B&B, http://www.innatfollybeach.com/
Ditto on Shem Creek Bar & Grill, across the Ravenel bridge in Mt. Pleasant. Also recommend Fort Sumter tour.
I live in SC and will be glad to help. Lots of beaches around Charleston and they are all a 15-30 minute drive to downtown. They are all very different, so do some googling and see which you like. Here's a few of my favorites:
If you want a very nice resort for the money go to Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms (near Mount Pleasant). Two nice golf courses, good food and nice atmosphere.
If you want a cool, rustic beach experience that's less expensive, stay in Folly Beach. Rent a house, not a hotel. Reminds me of that town from Jaws. Eat at Lost Dog cafe'. You're welcome.
If you want the top-rated golf resort in America, stay in Kiawah Island. My personal favorite but very $$$$. If you have kids you cannot beat the Kiawah experience. Rent a villa near Night Heron Park and just let the kids ride bikes everywhere. If it's just you and the wife you could stay at the Sanctuary...amazing food and the Jasmine Porch has best Bloody Mary in history. No night life on Kiawah to speak of however. Play the Ocean Course...bucket list item. Mingo Point has a cool oyster roast ($40 each or so) every Monday night and has an amazing sunset and live beach music. You can watch dolphins in the river too, which is cool.
Seabrook Island is next to Kiawah and offers a similar experience for less $$$. Still very nice and my wife actually prefers it. The view from the pool bar at the club is awesome. Rent paddleboards at Bohicket Marina, paddle with the dolphins, the grab a beer and hushpuppies at Red's Ice House. Also go check out King St. Grill in the Fresh Fields Village. Ben Rothlisberger is one of the owners and Dan Marino (lives at Kiawah) grabs a drink in there pretty often. Great place to watch a game.
If you want to stay in downtown Charleston you have TONS of great hotels at every price you can imagine. All the chains have hotels there but for a more local feel I like the King Charles Inn on Meeting Street. Great location near all the cool stuff to do.
Take your wife to a rooftop bar. They're all pretty cool but the most famous is on top of the Vendue Inn. Great view up there.
Hymans is good for a been-there-got-the-T-shirt place but there are many other great restaurants to try. Magnolias, Grill 225, SNOB are all good local spots. Jestines is a cool lunch place if you like soul food.
Pick one night and take the wife to Hall's Chophouse on King Street. Recently named #1 Steak House in the US, and the #6 restaurant overall. Bring your wallet but not the kids. I promise you will still be talking about it years later. After dinner you can bar hop all up and down King Street.
Things to see: City Market, Charleston Waterfront Park (Rainbow Row, you've seen it on postcards). The Aquarium is good. If your wife likes cool old stuff check out the Nathaniel Russell house. If you have kids you can tour the Yorktown battleship, which is cool.
Insider tip...there is a laundromat near C of Charleston called The College Laundry. Inside that laundromat (yes inside) is a little restaurant called Persimmon Cafe. The chef moved to Charleston from NYC about a year ago and a buddy of mine set him up with this little business inside a laundromat they already owned. I kid you not its the best lunch you will ever eat. Your wife will wonder how in the hell you found it but she will be very impressed with your inside knowledge. Check the Yelp reviews...230 reviews almost all 5 stars. Crazy stuff.
Hope this helps, sorry for the long post. Have fun.
If you want a very nice resort for the money go to Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms (near Mount Pleasant). Two nice golf courses, good food and nice atmosphere.
If you want a cool, rustic beach experience that's less expensive, stay in Folly Beach. Rent a house, not a hotel. Reminds me of that town from Jaws. Eat at Lost Dog cafe'. You're welcome.
If you want the top-rated golf resort in America, stay in Kiawah Island. My personal favorite but very $$$$. If you have kids you cannot beat the Kiawah experience. Rent a villa near Night Heron Park and just let the kids ride bikes everywhere. If it's just you and the wife you could stay at the Sanctuary...amazing food and the Jasmine Porch has best Bloody Mary in history. No night life on Kiawah to speak of however. Play the Ocean Course...bucket list item. Mingo Point has a cool oyster roast ($40 each or so) every Monday night and has an amazing sunset and live beach music. You can watch dolphins in the river too, which is cool.
Seabrook Island is next to Kiawah and offers a similar experience for less $$$. Still very nice and my wife actually prefers it. The view from the pool bar at the club is awesome. Rent paddleboards at Bohicket Marina, paddle with the dolphins, the grab a beer and hushpuppies at Red's Ice House. Also go check out King St. Grill in the Fresh Fields Village. Ben Rothlisberger is one of the owners and Dan Marino (lives at Kiawah) grabs a drink in there pretty often. Great place to watch a game.
If you want to stay in downtown Charleston you have TONS of great hotels at every price you can imagine. All the chains have hotels there but for a more local feel I like the King Charles Inn on Meeting Street. Great location near all the cool stuff to do.
Take your wife to a rooftop bar. They're all pretty cool but the most famous is on top of the Vendue Inn. Great view up there.
Hymans is good for a been-there-got-the-T-shirt place but there are many other great restaurants to try. Magnolias, Grill 225, SNOB are all good local spots. Jestines is a cool lunch place if you like soul food.
Pick one night and take the wife to Hall's Chophouse on King Street. Recently named #1 Steak House in the US, and the #6 restaurant overall. Bring your wallet but not the kids. I promise you will still be talking about it years later. After dinner you can bar hop all up and down King Street.
Things to see: City Market, Charleston Waterfront Park (Rainbow Row, you've seen it on postcards). The Aquarium is good. If your wife likes cool old stuff check out the Nathaniel Russell house. If you have kids you can tour the Yorktown battleship, which is cool.
Insider tip...there is a laundromat near C of Charleston called The College Laundry. Inside that laundromat (yes inside) is a little restaurant called Persimmon Cafe. The chef moved to Charleston from NYC about a year ago and a buddy of mine set him up with this little business inside a laundromat they already owned. I kid you not its the best lunch you will ever eat. Your wife will wonder how in the hell you found it but she will be very impressed with your inside knowledge. Check the Yelp reviews...230 reviews almost all 5 stars. Crazy stuff.
Hope this helps, sorry for the long post. Have fun.
Thanks, it is a cool town for sure. If he hits all these spots, then springs for her spa treatment at Nordstrom, we just might get the guy laid.
Also consider Poogans Porch, Hominy grill and I secon the choice of on top of Vendue Inn. Antebellum place, Middleton Plantation, parts of the Patriot filmed there, esp part of ship blowing up in harbor with house in the back ground. Ride around the Battery and look at old homes
I've spent a lot of time in Charleston. Stay on one of the islands. I prefer Sullivan's Islands. The drive isn't bad from any of the islands to town. Around 15 mins. Shem Creek is ok, but keep in mind all the locals call it Scam Creek. It's a tourist trap with some decent eating. Downtown Charleston has the best eating by far. Just go to The Battery and pull up Yelp on your phone and pic something. Magnolia's, FIG, Charleston Grill, and Hyman's are my favorite. If you want a real taste of what the locals do, go to Bowen's Island Restaurant. It's an absolute dump, but they put on a helluva oyster bake/steam. I **** you not about the place being a dump. It makes the old Cristy's look like the Commander's Palace.
I would second Hall's Chophouse
We always choose one night to go to a "nicer" restaurant. It was one of the better steaks I've had in any city I've been to. The service is incredible. They actually wrote us a thank you note and mailed it to our house (odd, but kind of a nice touch). I would recommend Cru Cafe for lunch. It is a smaller place, so may be hard to get a table but the food was incredible (go with the mac and cheese). We also ate at Poogan's Porch which someone else mentioned. It was good as well. Circa 1886 is another good choice.
We did a pub crawl that was actually a lot of fun. It was almost more of a history walking tour with beer mixed in. The guide was pretty entertaining even if I do think he was making half of the stuff up. Like others have said, there is a ton to do and even more good places to eat. In the end, do yourself a favor and make sure you go to Hall's.
We always choose one night to go to a "nicer" restaurant. It was one of the better steaks I've had in any city I've been to. The service is incredible. They actually wrote us a thank you note and mailed it to our house (odd, but kind of a nice touch). I would recommend Cru Cafe for lunch. It is a smaller place, so may be hard to get a table but the food was incredible (go with the mac and cheese). We also ate at Poogan's Porch which someone else mentioned. It was good as well. Circa 1886 is another good choice.
We did a pub crawl that was actually a lot of fun. It was almost more of a history walking tour with beer mixed in. The guide was pretty entertaining even if I do think he was making half of the stuff up. Like others have said, there is a ton to do and even more good places to eat. In the end, do yourself a favor and make sure you go to Hall's.
We rented a house just a block from the Atlantic on Foley beach. It was a short drive over to DT Charleston and was very nice. Very hipster-ish, but the Foley Beach area is great for vacationing. And the beach was awesome. We woke up early each morning to head out and collect shells and prehistoric shark teeth that wash up on the beach (very cool, since we don't get that on the Gulf). The aquarium is definitely a must see - and I'd recommend a sunset cruise tour of Fort Sumter. You have heavy h'or d'eurv'e's' served on the boat along with a cash bar, and you get to cruise the harbor. The tour of the Fort is very short (only an hour or so) since you're on the last boat headed over - but it is a good way to talk the missrus into going on a tour of a military installation. While there - you'll be surprised/delighted to see your old friend General Stephen Dill Lee, whom was chosen by Gen. P.T. Beauregard to deliver the demand to surrender to Fort Sumter on behalf of the southern forces. Another MUST do is driving out to the Naval Base in North Charleston to view the Confederate Submarine, The Hunley. That thing is in pristine condition. I ate and drank at a lot of places while there too (which can be done everywhere)...just be sure to see those things you can't see again while there. The minor league ball games there are also said to be awesome, and co-owner Bill Murray has been known to make appearances occasionally.
Also - Charleston is home to the most self-important d-bags anywhere. Even Ole Miss folks would be like: damn, these folks are full on douche nozzles. You will see seer suckered sockless pretty boys everywhere - and they will give you that judgmental look and want to know what your daddy does. To counter this, just be sure not to give two turds and dress comfortably and act like you own the place and know everybody around.
Some truth here, but as a South Carolinian I will admit I haven't worn socks in years.
Well, then you must live in the low country; I assure you the Upstate area is plenty cold enough to need socks for several months of the year.
June?...Its gonna be plenty hot and humid.....
Many people foofoo this but we really enjoyed the carriage tour. Should do it at least once. Lots of historical information about stuff you might walk right past & you get to ride instead of walk in pretty uncomfortable weather. Harbor tour is a waste of time IMO. Long stretches of sheer boredom. Lots of good restaurants but many of them touristy so choose carefully. If you go a little earlier you could also experience some of the spoletto festival which runs from Mid/late May till early June. We like to stay in one of the bed-and-breakfast's around the battery but that's just us. I've never spent much time at the beach in charleston. When we lived in SC we did most of our beaching a little further north.
Many people foofoo this but we really enjoyed the carriage tour. Should do it at least once. Lots of historical information about stuff you might walk right past & you get to ride instead of walk in pretty uncomfortable weather. Harbor tour is a waste of time IMO. Long stretches of sheer boredom. Lots of good restaurants but many of them touristy so choose carefully. If you go a little earlier you could also experience some of the spoletto festival which runs from Mid/late May till early June. We like to stay in one of the bed-and-breakfast's around the battery but that's just us. I've never spent much time at the beach in charleston. When we lived in SC we did most of our beaching a little further north.
Don't know if its still around but many years ago on my only visit to Charleston I ate at a restaurant called Poogan's Porch. Absolutely one of the best meals I've ever had.
yeah. we kinda screwed up when we went and did it in the middle of summer. Once it hits a certain temp., they shut the horses down. We enjoyed the haunted tours where they walk you around downtown Charleston and you get a little history lesson with the ghost stories.
This thread has inspired us to plan another trip there. This time we will plan on staying on one of the islands and since I have taken up golf, that will be a part of it this time. We will also set aside a day to hit Savannah.
This thread has inspired us to plan another trip there. This time we will plan on staying on one of the islands and since I have taken up golf, that will be a part of it this time. We will also set aside a day to hit Savannah.
Looks like you picked a crappy time to go to Charelston......I hope the protests have died down by June.
Stay on Folly Beach.
http://www.vrbo.com/3515979ha
Go to Bulls Island. You walk around at your leisure. Tons of wildlife. Walk to the north eastern shore of the island. Its an incredible view.
Getting from Folly to Charleston is an easy drive other than trying to drive into Folly from Charleston on a big Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.
And definitely do a rooftop bar. Pavilion Bar is pretty cool.
http://www.vrbo.com/3515979ha
Go to Bulls Island. You walk around at your leisure. Tons of wildlife. Walk to the north eastern shore of the island. Its an incredible view.
Getting from Folly to Charleston is an easy drive other than trying to drive into Folly from Charleston on a big Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.
And definitely do a rooftop bar. Pavilion Bar is pretty cool.
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Folly Island...that's it. Unless that's different from Folly Beach (we stayed at the beach). Being from the Coast, I understand that sometimes places are called different names by different people in the same area (i.e., Singing River
ascagoula River). I called it Foley Beach the whole time I was there - which is just wrong. But I stayed pretty inebriated the whole time and Foley just rolls off a fat tongue much better. The place was awesome and I'd love to stay there again. I'm a history buff and one side of my family is from South Carolina and has been there since the early 1700s (moved to MS in late 1960s). That place just has a great feel to it - which I love. Old America, for sure. I know there is a lot of golf, dining, and nature tours there - but for me you can't beat a place that boasts so much history from the Revolution to the Civil War. I didn't get to see the Yorktown because we ran out of time (we opted to go out and see the Hunley instead). We spent a good part of the day at Battery Park (again, full of history) and the other part of the day at the aquarium before hopping on the Ferry for the sunset cruise/Ft. Sumter tour.
ascagoula River). I called it Foley Beach the whole time I was there - which is just wrong. But I stayed pretty inebriated the whole time and Foley just rolls off a fat tongue much better. The place was awesome and I'd love to stay there again. I'm a history buff and one side of my family is from South Carolina and has been there since the early 1700s (moved to MS in late 1960s). That place just has a great feel to it - which I love. Old America, for sure. I know there is a lot of golf, dining, and nature tours there - but for me you can't beat a place that boasts so much history from the Revolution to the Civil War. I didn't get to see the Yorktown because we ran out of time (we opted to go out and see the Hunley instead). We spent a good part of the day at Battery Park (again, full of history) and the other part of the day at the aquarium before hopping on the Ferry for the sunset cruise/Ft. Sumter tour.