Charleston SC

I had essentially a weekend to see the sights and wanted to make the most of it, yet stay within my limited budget. Rather than paying through the nose for a bus tour of the city, or paying 15-25 dollars for each walking tour of various areas, I recommend going to the visitors bureau and purchasing the 5 dollar walking tour book they sell. It has an excellent map and 3 separate tours covering 12 to 59 sights each. I covered the long tour in 2.5 hours and each of the other tours in about 45 minutes apiece. I saw many more sights than I would have on the paid tours and was able to spend more time at the places of interest to me. I was also able to stop for lunch when I wanted to. I did pay 9 dollars for an excellent ghost tour, and would recommend that to visitors of all ages. My guide knew the history of the town and area and added to my enjoyment of the city. I do also recommend the Ft Sumter tour and Patriots point with the Yorktown and other famous ships if you like history.

Quick Tips:

Being in the heart of the bible belt, and nicknamed the holy city, many attractions are closed or observe very limited Sunday hours, so plan ahead. Basically the home tours etc. are open between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. I did attend two plays on Sunday afternoon and evening at the Dock Street Theater (oldest in America) and enjoyed them greatly. I would recommend Sunday for visiting the huge open markets on, of course, Market Street. Vendors sell everything from the local sweetgrass baskets to books and jewelry.

Best Way To Get Around:

The city does have a fine mass transit system of shuttle busses that cover all the parts of town tourists typically want to go. I would recommend buying a pass at a discount at the visitors bureau on meeting street. I saw very few taxis during my stay, and did have my own vehicle, and was able to get around quite well. You can expect to pay 6 to 14 dollars a day for long term parking, but I found metered parking on the street near all my destinations.

I stayed in this room for 11 nights and found the rooms very comfortable and clean. I was unhappy with the selection of about 6 tv channels and 14 dollar rental movies, and the on again off again maid service. I received coffee 4 of 11 days, bed made 6 of 11, towels every day. I was not entirely happy, but for 30 dollars a night, and a free, though sparse continental breakfast it was a very good value.

I spent 10 days in Charleston and constantly asked the locals where they ate. Generros received several hearty recommendations and called for a visit. Michael and Robert Generro opened this restaurant 19 years ago and have slowly perfected a number of dishes over that time. The spinach artichoke dip is tops on the appetizers list, with a very unique consistency and flavor. I recommend the Chicken Bolognaise as a main course, but tasted my dinner partners veal and pasta dinners and found them excellent as well. I did have a conversation with the Chef, Robert Generro himself and he is very interested in the customers happiness and even willing to share a few secrets. I will return to this restaurant again.

I had received recommendations for Hymans from travelers, but not locals. I found the food to be average in taste and quality, excellent in presentation, small in portions and in general, over-priced. If this were offered at 12-15 dollars a person, I would recommend it, unfortunately you will spend 75 to 100 dollars for two including drinks.

I spoke with at least 50 locals about their restaurant choices, and the overwhelming choice for best Mexican cuisine was Don Pablos. I found the restaurant a bit too open and noisy, but received excellent service. I tried a platter that included beef, chicken and cheese items and found them all to be well prepared and tasty. The cost was about what one would expect to pay for Mexican food and the value for my money was quite good.

This was a better than average city museum, with some exibits you expect to find only in larger, regional museums. I would say if you have seen the other more well known sights in town, or want to escape the sun then this is a good escape, worth the money and an afternoon. Great place to save for a rainy day activity.

I found this to be the ideal place to pick up a few gifts for family and friends. The array of products is great, including crafts, toys, jewelry, clothing, books, pottery, and plants. This is a covered, outdoor market stretching several blocks in the heart of town and a good place to wait out a rain, or relax a bit.

I saw two plays, one aimed at children and parents, and A Christmas Carol while in Charleston and found them to be good in quality. The theatre itself is the oldest in America and could use some updating of seats and amenities, but was acceptable in my opinion. One of the few things open in the evenings downtown other than bars, so a good option for late in the day