A photo tour of our time spent around Charleston, South Carolina.
Local Charm: Adventure Done Right, Charleston, SC. Coastal Charleston is its oldest city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War’s opening shots were fired. We had a wonderful time enjoying its rich history!
Fantastic Cuisine: For our trip to Charleston, our selection was Hank's Seafood Restaurant. It was well worth the trip, a great decision! The food was absolutely delicious! The service was fantastic and the martinis were marvelous. We had a very nice table near the window and it was exactly what we needed after a long day of travel and an afternoon well spent in Historic Charleston, in the hot humidity!
Travel Foodies, our recommendation! Two thumbs up! We would definately return!
Our favorite places and spaces:
• The Charleston Tea Plantation, located about twenty miles south of Charleston, South Carolina on Wadmalaw Island. Owned by the Bigelow Tea Company, it grows the tea sold under the brand name American Classic Tea from the Camellia sinensis plant.
The Charleston Tea Plantation is the only working tea plantation in the United States and is open to the public for tours of the grounds and factory. We did the inside 10-minute video tour, before we went out to explore the grounds on the trolley! The Trolley Tour covers the grounds and the growing of the Camellia sinensis plant to produce the tea.
• Angel Oak Tree in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island, Southern Carolina
• Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, is a historic house with gardens located on the Ashley River, Charleston County, South Carolina. Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantation has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of our nation unfold before it from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond.
We did the Rice Field Boat tour (Magnolia's old flooded ricefield along the Ashley River) and Zoo and Nature Center (offers a chance to interact with a variety of animals) while on the grounds.
• Boone Hall Plantation, one of America's oldest working, living plantations.Once known for cotton and pecans, they still actively producing strawberries, tomatoes, and pumpkins, as well as many other fruits and vegetables.
• Palmetto Carriage Works - Of course we did a tour! We had the time in the afternoon to be true sightseers and take a ride behind horses in old-fashioned carriages while receiving a narrated history lesson and see some of the historic homes. We got to experience about 25 blocks of Charleston's historic downtown district, see houses, gardens, mansions, and learn about buildings, architecture and the people of Charleston. There were many horse and carriage tours to pick from but we really wanted to go with Palmetto Carriage Works in the big Red Barn.
We had heard that Palmetto Carriage had the greatest carriage experience in the city and we happen to agree. Two thumbs up! Family owned and operated, the Doyle family, together with a dedicated team of employees, has fine-tuned every aspect of carriage tours - from loading and unloading in the barn, to providing lively and accurate accounts of Charleston's extensive history. Palmetto Carriage was here before any of the other carriage companies and has developed the greatest carriage experience in the city. If you get the chance, take a tour with them!
• Rainbow Row
Where we stayed:
The Harbourview Inn, AAA Four-Diamond and Condé Nast Gold List awarded luxury hotel. Panoramic city and harbor views, spacious atriums and beautifully appointed guest room with a private balcony.
Charleston, the South Carolina port city founded in 1670, is defined by its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and pastel antebellum houses. If you have the chance to visit, DO IT!