Charleston
Charleston
Charleston is a vibrant city full of history, color, and good food! This charming place has brought my husband and me back for multiple trips, and we still find activities we want to do the next time. If you enjoy getting outdoors, shopping, or dining, then you will easily fall in love with this coastal town.
We have visited Charleston in both the spring and the fall, which I highly recommend, because the summer features the infamous Southern heat and humidity! Bonus: if you come during March/April, you have a chance of catching the azaleas in full bloom in plantations’ gardens.
Lodging
We have stayed in two different AirBnBs that were both positive experiences:
The Shimee Shack
This AirBnB is actually in Folly Beach right outside of Charleston. While it is quite small (hence the name “shack”), the two of us did not mind because we spent most of our time out and about exploring. The shack included a shady, private backyard, fridge, and parking in the main house’s driveway. This was walking distance to the beach and nearby restaurants! This meant not needing to pay for parking in a lot next to the beach. We also enjoyed going out to get food and drinks at Rita’s nearby and walking back to our home-away-from-home.
One thing to keep in mind as you plan a stay on Folly Beach: on the weekends, the traffic piles up, making it a long trek back onto Folly Beach when returning from Charleston. The drive, which normally took 15 minutes, turned into a 45-minute stop-and-go expedition. So don’t let that throw off your plans!
The listing: The Shimmee Shack
The Taj Garage/The Garden Folly
This AirBnB stay is right near the action in Charleston and was only a short drive to King Street and all of the shops. We loved its central location! The couple who owns this AirBnB are absolutely the sweetest; the wife even made us homemade muffins! It was clear that they took a lot of pride in their beautiful garden and have a passion for their town, including several books, travel guides, and magazines featuring Charleston laid out around the AirBnB.
The listing: The Garden Folly Guest House
Activities
Rent Bikes at Charles Towne Landing
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site (what a name!) is the location where English settlers first landed in yet-to-be-called South Carolina. The property sports a real-time archaeological dig, a replica 17th-century sailing ship, the Legare Waring House, gardens and grounds to walk or bike, and a small zoo with native species.
Hours: 9am-5pm daily
Admission: $12: 16-adult
$7: 6-15 years old
FREE: 5 and under
We loved biking around the property on their rental bikes, especially since so much of the park was paved for a smooth ride. Each bicycle costs $8/hour or $20/day.
Website: https://southcarolinaparks.com/charles-towne-landing
A fun way to exercise and sightsee beneath the Spanish moss!
Row a Boat Along the Swamp of Cypress Gardens (Where Part of the Notebook was Filmed)
This place was so unique and romantic! Cypress Gardens features a butterfly house where beautiful blooms grow and winged friends may land on your shoulder. There are also peacocks, tortoises, gators, and a “swamparium” to view on the property. However, the real attraction is taking a rowboat out into the swamp where scenes from The Notebook were filmed. You can choose from a guided tour for an additional $5/person or a self-guided boat ride for FREE!
If you are interested in going for the rowboats, I recommend arriving at 9am for the opening of the grounds, because the line for the boats starts building quickly. There is no set time for rowers to complete their trip out into the swamp so those waiting have to hang out until whenever the boats return. There is a path to follow through the swamp so no worries of getting lost or turned around! Just look out for the gators!!
Hours: 9am-5pm daily
Admission: $10: adult
$6.50: military, senior (65+), or 911
$5: 6-17 years old
FREE: 5 and under
Website: https://cypressgardens.berkeleycountysc.gov/attractions-activities/swamp-boat-adventures/
Row, row, row your boat through Cypress Gardens!
Hunt for Shark Teeth at Folly Beach
As a free activity, look closely up and down the shore for shark teeth. Once you find one, you start seeing them everywhere in the sand!
If you want to pay for a special experience, you can also get a guided tour to a shoreline just a boat ride away from Folly Beach. We booked this shark tooth adventure through AirBnB experiences, and it was a definite highlight of one of our anniversary trips. Our guide, Kyle, was a seasoned shark tooth (and vertebrae) beachcomber. He drove us to a location unreachable in most tides except by boat then showed us the ropes for three hours. We found about 50 shark teeth and plan to frame them in our home as a reminder of this fun trip!
Once you get the hang of looking, you will get on a roll!
Make your own Candle at Candlefish
Candlefish used to have a location in Atlanta, but it unfortunately closed before I could take a candle-making class. So you can imagine the anticipation of going to their King Street location in Charleston! The class was delightful and we learned a lot about each step as new candlers. Candlefish provides all of the equipment (and you can BYOB a bottle of wine; they even have a wine cooler to hold it in during class) and the class includes two candles per person. This would make an especially great activity for a rainy day in Charleston!
After enjoying your class, take a look at their “candle library” too!
Details: $60 per person; 1.5-hour workshop; ages 15+; pick up at 10am the next morning (or later)
Location: King Street
Website: https://www.candlefish.com/products/test-fragrance-blending-candle-workshop-charleston
My husband sporting the official gear you get wear as a new candler!
Tour the Gardens at Middleton Place
There are several plantations you could visit in the Charleston area, which is rich in history and culture. We chose Middleton Place because they are known particularly for their gardens since they have the oldest landscaped garden in the nation, having been started in 1741! Our choice absolutely paid off because we thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the allées of camellias, reading about the history of the plantation in the garden folly and other historical structures on the property, and watching the alligators sunning in the grass or swimming in the ponds.
We paid for general admission, which included several free guided tours about the gardens, the enslaved people who lived and worked on the property, and the barnyard animals. Sheep still actually roam the property! There was also an interactive indigo lesson in which docents demonstrated how to traditionally dye fibers to take home with you. You can buy an additional ticket to tour the inside of the house.
Hours: 9am-5pm daily
Admission: $29 (online in advance)/$32 (in person): 14-adult
$15: student price for 14+ with student ID
$10: 6-13
FREE: 5 and under
Website: https://www.middletonplace.org/
Strolling through an allé of camellias
Walk Around the Town to See the Sights
There is just so much vibrancy, color, and history to soak up as you walk around Charleston! Some highlights:
Stroll down “Rainbow Row” on East Bay Street.
Walk up and down King Street and stop in the shops.
Pose in front of the Pineapple Fountain in Waterfront Park off of Concord Street.
Stare out at the water off of the Waterfront Park Pier. Right around this area, there are local Gullah artists with booths who sell sweetgrass baskets and artwork!
Check out White Point Garden and The Battery.
The famous Pineapple Fountain
Enjoy a Drink on the Rooftop at Citrus Club
This rooftop bar has the most amazing views of the Holy City’s many steeples. Located at the top of The Dewberry, you may use their valet parking for a flat rate of $25 (overnight is $50). Then check in with the hostess booth downstairs before proceeding up the elevator; they do not take reservations so feel free to stroll around while you wait or bring a book to read in the meantime while you lounge downstairs at this upscale hotel! The view and the cocktails are worth it!
Hours: Monday-Tuesday 2-10pm
Wednesday-Sunday 12-10pm
Location: Meeting Street
Website: https://www.thedewberrycharleston.com/drinks-dining
From the rooftop, it is clear why Charleston is nicknamed “The Holy City” when you gaze across all of the church steeples.
Food
Lewis BBQ
When my husband and I go to Charleston, we look forward to dining at Lewis BBQ and talk about it with anticipation leading up to the trip! We are absolutely ecstatic that a location is about to open up in Atlanta!! This gem boasts Texas-style BBQ priced by weight and laid out on metal cafeteria-style trays with paper lining. We have never been disappointed and have loved their brisket, pulled pork, Texas hot guts sausage, green chile corn pudding, tallow chips and queso, and banana pudding!
The line can get pretty long so I recommend going for an early lunch or early dinner to try avoiding the peak meal times. It helps that they have a separate bar from which you can order drinks while you wait in line. The outdoor seating area is lovely, especially since the inside can get loud from all of the people packed in.
Hours: Sunday-Monday 11am-9pm
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-10pm
Location: North Nassau Street
Website: https://www.lewisbarbecue.com/
Millers All Day
Millers All Day is a great stop for brunch! This is another popular spot so I recommend getting there early and as close to opening time as possible if you want to avoid long lines. My husband and I have waited over an hour for seats: they saved our phone number to text us when our table was ready so we wandered down King Street to visit a couple of bookstores. After making it up the road, we received our text an hour later and dashed back down the street so we would not lose our place in line!
Their cinnamon roll appetizer is HUGE and features delicious cream cheese icing. We love that they have a cute photo booth and take pictures together each time to commemorate another trip to Charleston!
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-3pm
Saturday-Sunday 8am-4pm
Location: King Street or James Island
Website: https://millersallday.com/
Halls Chophouse
If you want a fancy date spot, then you could not do better than Halls Chophouse! My husband and I went here for our anniversary dinner one year, and it was the most expensive meal we have ever had but also one of the very best. The service and care we were shown as patrons was unmatched: we were given champagne as an anniversary gift; we received a free appetizer because it was a busy night in the restaurant; our waitress also packed a surprise slice of chocolate cake for us to enjoy into our doggy bag with our leftovers. When we came back home, a handwritten letter from our waitress arrived a few days later personally thanking us for dining there!! I have never experienced anything like that before or since. And not to mention that the food was also wonderful!
Hours: DINNER
Monday - Thursday 4:00pm - 11:00pm
Friday 4:00pm - 12:00am
Saturday 4:30pm - 12:00am
Sunday 4:30pm - 11:00pm
SATURDAY LUNCH
Saturday 11:00am - 2:30pm
SUNDAY BRUNCH
Sunday 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: King Street
Website: https://hallschophousecharleston.com/
The Pineapple Hut
Who doesn’t love a frozen pineapple soft serve swirled inside a pineapple?! Whenever I have gone to The Pineapple Hut at Folly Beach and walked back over to the beach to enjoy our frozen treat, people will stop me to comment and ask where they could get that too. There is another location in downtown Charleston in addition to the Folly Beach one I have visited! They include weekly special flavors, such as pomegranate, vanilla, peach, and coconut.
Hours: They do not have posted hours, but I would recommend looking them up on Facebook and Instagram for updates. My opinion is it is a safe bet to visit them in the afternoon and early evening.
Location: Folly Beach or Market Street or Myrtle Beach
Enjoying a pineapple whip by the beach
Lingering Curiosities
Here are some places I still have not visited in Charleston but would like to check out one day; if you go and explore these, please let me know what you think:
Angel Oak Tree on James Island
Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island
Xiao Bao Biscuit
The Obstinate Daughter