Charleston Trip Report 8-4-07

Trip Date 8-4-07

Wow, did we ever enjoy this trip. There were some things we would NOT do again, but nothing worth noting. So, I%26#39;ll break this down into what we did Right, and what we would do - Next Time

First - What we did RIGHT

1. Staying OUT of downtown Charleston.

We chose the Residence Inn In Mount Pleasant and were very pleased we did. It was close to Patriots Point, minutes from Outstanding dining and away from the congestion of Charleston (read more under ';Next Time'; at the end of this report)

2. Station 22 on Sullivan Island

(BTW, if you are not aware - you ';drive'; over long bridges to these islands). On Sullivans Island there are probably 12-15 restaurants of varying quality and tastes within a rocks throw of each other.

We felt lucky (on a rainy day) to have stumbled into Station 22. Great Dining, reasonably priced and the Food was just outstanding. Save room the homemade Coconut cake. I ';took a bite'; of my wife%26#39;s ...and we ended up with another slice

3. Patriots Point (www.patriotspoint.org)

Unbelievable. Not sure who got the most out of this - Mom and Dad, or the kids. This could (and should) be a least a half day event IMO.

Again, we got lucky and went there on an overcast day - which was not only bearable but pleasant - in August no less.

The flip side is that we went back the next day to catch a boat tour and it was hot and sunny.....REALLY hot.

The people walking out of the ships were literally and visibly soaked in their own sweat.

4. Downtown Charleston Dining

Again - read more under ';Next Time'; at the end of this report

Charleston has a TON of restaurants, and here are some we hit - Just a bunch of really great, great and memorable restaurants

82 Queens

Poogans Porch

SNOBS (Slightly North Of Broad)

5. Charleston Tourist/Visitor Center

It%26#39;s a 5-10 minute walk north of historic downtown. We parked there as well (deck parking $5/day), and found about 8000 brochures (we counted) that helped us plan out our day in downtown...with discount coupons as well

6. Horse Drawn Carriage Tour

With limited time, this was a truly wonderful way to see the sights ....with a tour guide. Nice, slow, casual with lots of info and personal stories about the sights and history of Charleston

*** As a side note, if a loud, obnoxious woman with entirely too much perfume gets on her cell phone during the tour. If you embarrass her for being so arrogant - as I did - everyone will thank you afterward :-)

7. Open Air market shopping

The downtown area is spotted with various shops and stores, and there are 3 very long buildings end to end in the middle of downtown (like long chicken coups), with every possible vendor you can think of. If you are looking for anything from trinkets to Tshirts, you will find it here. The wife and daughter had a field day.

8. Bicycle taxi

After Eating, shopping and eating again....we were wiped. Not that it was that far back to the car (at the tourist center) but we were wiped....so, we hailed a bicycle taxi....how cool! Of all the things we did, this is still one that pops in our minds. Weeks later we%26#39;ll be driving along and someone will say ';Remember the Bicycle taxi?';

9. Harbour Tour

This is a large ferry you catch on either side of the bay (downtown Charleston or Patriots Point). I would say it%26#39;s worth doing - once. You certainly get to see things you would not normally - like the historic Forts.

10. Walking the Sand Bars

Between Sullivans Island and Isle of Palms you can find all of the beachside walking a person could want. There is no, or limited swimming due to the undertow, but if you want to walk a beach that runs a football field out into the ocean, this is picture perfect.

Do it first thing in the morning (bring a cup of coffee), or near dusk (bring a cup of coffee). We also got to see LOTS of dolphins in the 75%26#39; wide river that separates the 2 islands. Very, Very cool.

NEXT TIME

Here is the deal with Charleston

at least as we see it;

There are actually TWO Charlestons.....the historic downtown - and everything else.

This trip we did the ';everything else';,

Now that we%26#39;ve seen most everything else, the next time - we will stay downtown and do nothing but eat our way through Charleston....literally.

A local told us (you know how that goes) that 23 of the top 100 American Restaurants are in Charleston.

OK, that might be a stretch (I%26#39;m sure a pretty big one)....but that should not take away from our desire (and ability) to go back and ';eat'; our way through town.

Yeah, it%26#39;s that good, and there is that much to choose from.

Charleston Trip Report 8-4-07

Thanks for reporting on some features that we don%26#39;t normally see in trip reports!

Walking the sand bars is one of our favorite lowcountry activities. We have also made use of the discount coupons from the Visitors Center. On the other hand, although we have bicycle taxis in NYC, I had not been aware of them in C-town. Good tip!

Glad you enjoyed your trip! Come back to historic downtown when the weather is cooler.

Charleston Trip Report 8-4-07

Sounds like you had a great trip! That undertow in that area you are talking about is REALLY BAD! Be extra cautious there. It is a pretty area with super soft sand for walking.