This place knows EVERYTHING. so, lets go with weekend getaway planning!
So. Im taking the wife away for a weekend. She needs it.
Were heading out jan 8th. Ive picked Charleston sc. We've talked about seeing there, and just never got around to it.
Since the whole thing is a suprise, im on my own for itinerary and lodgings and restaurants. She knows we're going away that weekend, and that's about it.
We dig history, arts, gimmickry tourist traps, local stuff.
So, with the current state of the world, where do we stay, eat, and go?
Do you do AirBnB?
There are some lovely lovely places in the Historic District. Most stuff is walking distance to nice restaurants.
The area is popular to tours (buses, horse drawn carriage, etc) I'm sure it's stepped up for Christmas
Don't miss the Historic Charleston Market. Once a slave auction site, now an open air craft market. It has limited hours right now due to COVID.
I haven't lived there since 2002 but Wreck of the Richard and Charlene (located next to the shrimp boats in an old ice cooler - across the Cooper River in Mt Pleasant) was my favorite restaurant. Not sure if it's still around but I'd definitely seek it out again if I was visiting.
A great excuse to drive across that bridge too.
Take a spin over to Angel Oak, on your way to folly beach if you feel like leaving the downtown area.
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
I never have, and honestly don't know much about Airbnb. Care to give cliffs notes? Wife loves privacy....
Ohs: according to Google, still open and doing dine in! Sounds like Saturday evening dinner.....
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) :
It's pretty straight forward. AirBnB.com.
I don't know if you can browse without an account. Once you setup an account, it's easy to find great places just about anywhere, and the Charleston historic district is particularly rich with Bed and Breakfasts on AirBnB. Some places you can interact with hosts and meet cool new people. Some places you will never see them. The choice is usually yours.
Look for Superhosts and read reviews to find great hosts.
Note on setting up an account... They will ask you for info that may make you uncomfortable. IIRC, it will include photos of your driver's license. This is used to vet guests, and protect hosts. It's an important step- it keeps the entire process operating cleanly and safe for everyone involved. I understand some people may not want to share that stuff online. Then AirBnB is not for you.
As a host, I deeply appreciate it. I don't want creeps in my house, and I want people vetted well. As a guest, I respect it and participate willingly.
AirBnB is a great way to travel. Usually much cheaper than a hotel, and almost always much more interesting and fun!!
I stayed in a really nice historic home in Charleston once. Never met the owner- very private and lovely and convenient.
I would totally expect that to be the norm in that area.
Note that AirBnB makes homes and historic buildings available to guests - hotels are not generally allowed in these districts. You can't get more in the middle of the best areas.
Patriots point is worth a stop if you like Naval history. If you go that route, plan a full day. There is a lot to see.
Lots of downtown is interesting. The Gibbs Art Museum is down there. The Market is a big attraction. The Slave Museum. The Aquarium. White Point Gardens and the Battery. You could spend days wandering around down there and not see everything. Charles Town Landing, where Charleston started is about 5 miles from downtown. Magnolia Plantation is about 15 miles out of town. Boon Hall Plantation is in Mt Pleasant. You can also hit up Ft. Moultrie on Sullivans Isl. and Ft Sumter in the middle of the harbor. The Fort at Ft Moultrie is closed but the grounds around it are open. Ft Sumter is open.
Lots of good food in town too. Best steak is Halls Chop House, $$$. Lewis BBQ is also decent. Cowboy Brazilian Steakhouse and The Saki House in North Charleston is pretty tasty. In Mt. Pleasant, the Wreck is good as is Red's Ice House, Shem Creek Bar and Grill, and RB's in Mt Pleasant. Page's Okra Grill in Mt P is also pretty good. There are 100s of little restaurants and sandwich shops around town, most of them are pretty decent.
For Hotels, you got me. The ones I work for are expensive. If fancy is your preference, The French Quarter Inn and the King Charles Inn are super nice but probably super expensive as well. If you get outside of town, prices drop quickly. North Charleston should be a good bit cheaper. I've honestly never stayed in a hotel in town.
Have fun. If you run into trouble, give me a shout. I'm usually kicking around town somewhere.
Took a trip there with my brother a few years back and had a great time. Most of the restaurants we ate at were great; it seems like a town with an abundance of good food. Between memory lapses, the passage of time and pandemic changes, I doubt I have specifics that are useful for you, but we Googled good restaurants and ate really well. The fun touristy things we did included a self-guided walking tour of the historic district...amazing architecture and history, and it was nice to do at our own pace without a group. I downloaded details off the web. We also had good fun taking a Harbor Tour on a sightseeing boat with a tour guide...more history, some good wildlife including dolphins jumping, and some forts, bridges and islands. The boat tour left from somewhere a short ride north of historic downtown. Have a fun trip!
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
I never have, and honestly don't know much about Airbnb. Care to give cliffs notes? Wife loves privacy....
Ohs: according to Google, still open and doing dine in! Sounds like Saturday evening dinner.....
That's cool. **Toyman endorsed as well**.
The place has no AC so this is the proper season to eat there. Did I mention that it's a dive? I want to make sure that is clear.
And airBnB is great. It's like VRBO (by owner) but honestly I think it's safer for the reasons Paul stated. We did a two night trip to Chattanooga in an airBnB just last week. Easy.
