A Holiday In Lowcountry

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

On the recommendation of another traveler, we were able to get a suite on the 11th floor. The folks at the front desk were difficult at best, and not the picture of efficiency, which speaks poorly of a Westin location. We were repeatedly told that our room was still being cleaned, and only after Chuck and I went to the 11th floor and spoke with two of the cleaning staff, did we learn that no rooms on that floor needed cleaning. When we returned to registration, we were told, once again, that their computer showed the room still being cleaned. Fast forward 45 minutes, and we are now in the room.

The decor is quite simple and despite the fact that there are two separate rooms, and 2 bathrooms, it is quite cramped. The sitting room which has a couch, table and TV also has a small bathroom with all the necessities, including dryer but no shampoo. The bathtub is not recommended for adult use except for a shower.

The bedroom has a wonderful king size bed with side tables, a desk by the window and a dresser which contains the TV. Another bathroom, somewhat larger than the first, no shampoo and a defunct hair dryer. There are 2 phones in the suite, one in each room, and a door separates the two. Again, I feel the quarters are terribly cramped, and I would have suggested they tear down the wall and offer a larger bedroom with the usual comfort and luxury one expects at a Westin.

The front desk personnel had also been holding my laptop under lock and key in their back office and never bothered to notify me, or call me about it. It was only after I discovered that I couldn''t find it anywhere in the room that I called the reception for it, and everyone was totally clueless. Outcome: I get the computer back with apologies.

The Bell Captain for this hotel is the most knowledgeable employee in this place. He gave us more information about Charleston, its restaurants and places to go than anyone else in the hotel.

For a look at some of the better Westin properties in the US, you can look below:

Westin St Francis

Westin Essex House

Westin Copley Plaza

Wentworth Mansion has been an inn for the last 3 years as the previous occupant was a law firm which stayed for 40 years. There are 21 rooms in all, the average rate per night is around $400.00.

They elected to put us in room 21 which is a corner room on the 4th floor and appears to be more luxurious than others. There is a huge jaccuzzi in the main bedroom set in an alcove with double hung shuttered window and drapes. For privacy, there are 2 sconced lights on each side of the tub, and a vent overhead. Controls are on the side of the wall. King size bed is mahogany wood, and so is the furniture. The bed is wearing down pillows, and is adorned with flowing matching drape and fringe. One of the night tables serves as a hideout for a small fridge that contains complimentary soft drinks, bottled water and a pack of North Carolina peanuts. The other side is flanked by an antique writing desk where the phone is, with IT access and a digital clock. The Room Guide is set in looseleaf bound leather case, and has sections for the inn''s history, attractions, dining, churches, shopping, transportation and such.

The TV is set inside the armoire and topped by a CD player with 2 CD''s they have provided. Bathroom is enormous with separate room for toilet. There are 2 showers in the stall; one is hand held and the other is fixed. This bathroom has a fan which is a delightful and welcome change; they also supply cotton bathrobes which they will be happy to sell you for $50.

In the center of room and directly on the side of the fireplace is a most comfortable velvet loveseat with ottoman and magazines such as Charleston Home Designs , Estates of the World , and Kiawah Island Legends . A copy of "Where" magazine seems out of place in this opulent environment. The gas fueled fire place remained lit during out entire stay. It kept the room warm, as temperatures dipped below normal for Charleston. On the fireplace mantel, some old books have been set with 2 urns adorned with quasi-Roman relief. Gilt Mirror on top and a solitary print of urn reproductions sits on the wall.

Going from the sublime to the ridiculous is really hard, especially when you do it in less than 7 days, where we stayed in 5 different venues.

In all fairness, however, for the rate that I was able to obtain on line, and the fact that it was year end, last minute kind of deal, it wasn''t bad at all. We were less than 1 mile from downtown Charleston by car, and nowhere had we a more magnificent view of the Ashley River. We also enjoyed a balcony in the room, which very quickly doubled as our natural laundry dryer. Room 705 faced the river, a few buildings in progress, and the road leading to Folly Beach.

This section of town is not as gentrified as downtown, but surprisingly, there are quite a few hotels around, with more in anticipation. Howard Johnson offered free parking and access to an outdoor pool, but it was freezing for this sort of indulgence. Lodged inside the hotel was the BrittleBank Diner where breakfast is available every morning from 7am to 10am.

Since we were not planning to spend a lot of time in the room, this afforded us the basic necessities while we got acquainted with the rest of the city and its environs. They were booked solid for New Year''s Eve, which meant yet another move for us for our last night in South Carolina.

Our room was large with two queen size beds, sparse decor, but plenty of drawer space, 2 tables with armchairs, and bathroom with a fan, which is becoming more of a rarity as bathrooms go. The amenities leave a lot to be desired, but we had our own, so it wasn''t a problem. Bring your own dryer if you need one and a magnifying mirror. What I found extremely practical was a second sink right near the entrance door which was mirrored, so if Chuck was using the bathroom, I was able to have running water and/or the mirror for make up and hair drying.

The staff at the desk were friendly, but not terribly knowledgeable. They also seem to change front desk people quite often, so it''s hard to remember a face. For people traveling with children, this is most likely a good spot to hang your hat because all the fast food places are around here including one which we tried called "Hardees" . You would also be much closer to your drive toward the beaches, like Kiawah, and the plantations.

Note that ice machines are located on alternating floors such as 1, 4, 6, and 8; don''t ask me what happened to 2 or 3. Vending machines with snacks are on 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. If you''re really ambitious, there is a bona fide laundry room on the first floor. And weather permitting, the pool is open until 10 pm.

Our stay here was aborted by an unreasonably early return flight to New York at 6 am. Sheraton North’s welcoming Lobby had all the elements to please: gigantic flowers arranged in an oversized vase greet you as the doors open to cede entrance. To the left is the Boogies bar and grill where things would be jumping this evening as they were preparing their own New Year’s Eve Celebration. As we left the hotel to go back to downtown Charleston, the sound of music was pervading the lobby.

We had a very comfortable and spacious room with a king size bed and hardly had time to take advantage of any of the amenities.

Had we had time to unpack our computers, there would have been a dataport to accommodate our needs. In room coffee maker, cable TV, iron and board in the closet, hairdryer, extra blankets and pillows, a large desk, and the bathroom had everything we needed, so there was no point in unpacking our favorite soaps and body washes for a 4:30 am morning start.

There are 8 floors here, and we stayed on the 4th floor. In the vast lobby, they have set up the breakfast area directly in front of registration, and made it look like a sidewalk café. We were really sorry to miss breakfast here, as they were beginning to set tables up as we walked out of the hotel at about 5:00 am. Breakfast service starts at 6:00am.

Chuck was able to get this room for $45, and it’s almost worthwhile to stay here if you can’t get anything downtown if you don’t mind the short drive into Charleston which is less than 10 miles from here; The area around the hotel is barren, except for Picadilly’s and a movie theater, and for the latter, you need wheels to get there. To sweeten the pot, Sheraton has included an indoor/outdoor pool, exercise facilities and a Jacuzzi.

After 3 hours at Middleton Place , we developed a fierce appetite. We started rolling and were discussing what kind of food to have, and Chuck spotted pizza and I thought to myself, how can you go wrong with pizza? So we found Cici's and were never prepared for what we experienced there.

Cici's is a chain of pizza places with a heavy presence in the Southeast with some stores in the midwest. It offers an "all you can eat" pizza buffet for $3.99 where you can stuff yourself with 16 kinds of pizza, salad and desserts. Kids 3 and under eat free. For the kids as well, there is a video game room in the rear section of the restaurant, gum ball machines, stuffed animal machines, candy machines, you name it! The manager greeted us and explained to us how it works. We then met Tim who makes the pizzas and "Just Scott" who is the joker of the three men. They will make anything to order, even a slice, if there is something you wish to have and don't see. Free refills on drinks, and it's basically all self service.

Between the 2 of us, we tried bacon/cheddar , veggie , white pizza (just cheese), garlic buns, and for dessert, we tried the chocolate pizza with confectioner's sugar, the apple pizza and the Bavarian cream . Decadent and absolutely delicious. Slices are about 1/3 the size of regular pizza slices. Chuck also decided to sample the salad.

There was a birthday party in progress here, and unlike other restaurants, there was still plenty of room available for other diners.

I am so enthused about Cici's that I am making the list of the various flavors available to entice you to go there:

spinach
pepperoni/jalapeno
ham/cheese
sausage/pepperoni
pepperoni/ground beef
cinnamon buns
pineapple/cheese
baked ziti

. From the salad bar, you can choose:

lettuce mix
macaroni salad
shredded cheese topping
bermuda onions
cherry tomatoes
baby carrots
broccoli
mushrooms
and a choice of dressings: lo cal Italian, 1000 Island, Lite ranch, French, Ranch, Blue Cheese, croutons and bacon bits.

Great way to kill the appetite!

The menu is simple, and offers "down home" food. Chuck ordered the Chicken Breast Sandwich -tender, grilled, marinated in BJ's teriyaki sauce on a sesame seed bun and served with home fries. I had the Portabello Mushroom (attention vegetarians) with grilled onions, swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato. I also ordered the steak fries which were cooked freshly. Coke for beverage. They were playing oldies on the radio which could be heard faintly; a TV with CNN was turned on, but it was impossible to hear anything there as well. Sylvia , the owner, and mother of the current owner, came over to us to see how we liked the food; we discussed what we were doing in Charleston with her. She lives in Kiawah Island , and says that a lot of people have moved out and went to live near their children's locales. Patty's boyfriend, a contractor, came in to help her serve as they became somewhat busy. She continued to pepper her conversation with us with pet names such as sweetie, sweetheart, and lots of darlings, which seems to be commonplace in the South. She seemed tickled to learn that we were going to evaluate the restaurant on the internet. Total bill $15.00!

BJ's also serves dinner, and is a non-smoking restaurant. They do catering and deliver food to you should you desire it. Some local food you might find of interest on the menu would be the beer battered onion rings , beer battered mushrooms , stuffed jalapeño poppers which are undoubtedly very spicy. There is a sea scallop salad which sounds really interesting and is served with grilled vegetables and a balsamic vinaigrette. Big on meat as well with a variety of beef burgers with choices of melted swiss, grilled onions, mushrooms, melted American. Add to that Steak Sandwich, or center cut pork loin sandwich, or Italian sausage.

They use their own teriyaki sauce in many of the dishes. Keeping up with crab tradition, they serve a crabmeat patty sandwich, fried fish sandwich, variety of club sandwiches. There is a kid's menu as well. Beverages include soft drinks, bottled water, milk shakes and/or malteds, Fruitopia drinks, Wine by the glass, domestic and premium beers as well as hot beverages including coffee tea and hot chocolate.

We were finally seated and looking around, I realized that the restaurant is quite small; there are 3 very romantic booths, and we are seated at one of 6 tables. There is no music and the atmosphere unfortunately is lacking. We have a very nice server called Gary who just got married. He recites the specials for us, and recommends the Bailey's Irish Coffee Mousse which needs to be ordered ahead as it has to "rise" properly in the oven.

The menu has a first course, which we skip, then soups, salads, entrées, and patisserie. I opt for the Charleston Crab Bisque; the other choice would have been butternut squash soup with savory sage infused ice cream - divine but too creamy and not enough crabby. Chuck has lamb's lettuce tossed in roasted pumpkin seed oil, feta goat cheese and shaved Bermuda onions salad and I pick the warm golden potato and exotic mushroom salad finished with fig puree and toasted hazelnuts.

Compliments of the chef, came a bean puree soup topped with cheddar served in a demi-tasse cup which we both found intriguing. It tasted quite smooth and had tones of a tex-mex refried beans dish. The chef did right with the amount of cumin in the soup. The french rolls are made in house and served with lightly salted butter.

Both of us were feeling overstuffed, and it was hard to envision another course without being queasy. I asked for coca cola to settle my rebellious stomach. From the patisserie tray, we could have picked a Carolina Gold Rice Bread Pudding , served warm with honey lavender ice cream and champagne sauce, or the 1886 Earthquake which is a rich warm, chocolate centered cake served with a Meyer rum milkshake, mudslide cookie and blood orange coulis. The soufflé turned out to be a thunderous success, with confectioner's sugar on top and on the side, peppermint/chocolate chip ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. When we get the bill, we see that the charge is $240.00! We teased Gary as he corrected our charges and invited us to visit again.

Our server was a jovial looking young chap who moved here from Michigan; at this point I’m convinced that 50% of the people in Charleston are fugitives from the Northern climates. The chef is Frank Lee who turns up his southern concoctions which have received praise from Gourmet , Food & Wine , and Southern Living among other magazines.

As Westin restaurants go, I found the menu for this one extremely limited. We had breads and butter, and started dinner with salads; Chuck was delighted to find chicken livers with onions which he hadn't had since he was 10 years old (a long time!) and I had the house salad which included butter lettuce leaves, tomatoes and cucumbers with a vinaigrette dressing. We shared a pan seared seabass which must have been drenched in butter and just melted in one's mouth. On the side were new potatoes , mushrooms , all rising above an extraordinarily tasty sauce in which we both dipped our French bread till we exhausted it. We ended our meal with Earl Gray and initially, the water that was served was not properly boiled and the tea looked like dirty dish water. Back to the kitchen and out again, with more hot water.

Family diners walked in past 9:30 pm. The hostess was quite charming and apparently just moved from North Carolina and got herself an apartment near the beach. We were finding a lot of new residents coming from all over to Charleston to settle down.

I recommend Elliott’s only if you are paralyzed and can't walk or drive to another restaurant. On a footnote, we tried cheese grits which are a common accompaniment to Southern dishes. Our server sneered at them, and said he never cared for the "stuff". Actually it is quite bland even though cheddar cheese is sharp. The wilted spinach that came with the seabass was salted excessively thus spoiling what could have been wonderful vegetables. Total bill was $35 excluding tax and tips.

Also offered on the menu was creamy tomato soup, beef tenderloin with squash casserole and bacon blue cheese sauce, pecan pie in vanilla custard sauce. There are specific dishes for children as well.

After checking the Westin's breakfast menu, I decided to suffer less and find the Port City Java, whose menu I found in the sleeve of Westin services. They are inside the hotel on the lower level, and if you take the stairs directly facing the registration desk and make a quick left, you're there.

This is a Starbucks "me-too", but the smell is great, the food is fresh and inexpensive. Both table and booth seating available. We had cheddar cheese toasted butter bagels as we had never had them in that flavor, and they delicious. I had café au lait which was strong enough to dye my hair roots and Chuck enjoyed what looked like a vase of the same. See photos and you'll understand what I mean.

Our Westin doorman made an appearance there for his morning sustenance, and we discussed some of the dinner places he recommended. He was impressed that we had already done the Charleston Grill and Circa 1885 . He recommended Anson's and a few steak houses. One of the people on line was kind enough to bring us a newspaper where he said we'd find all the places we needed for dinner venues. It’s a great feeling that people take the time to respond to queries that arise in a conversation that may not include them directly.

We had the opportunity to also pick up some dinner sandwiches at another one of Port City Java location and sampled the Roma and Tuscany sandwiches on panini bread, is served with mesclun salad and a choice of dressings. Very fresh and tasty although the feta cheese did not like Chuck.

The Brittlebank Diner is conveniently located inside HoJo and serves breakfast only from 7am to 10 am. On the weekend, and that includes Friday, it's buffet style and it's an a la carte menu otherwise.

It's very simply decorated with the prerequisite magnolia prints on the wall, and a couple of non-distinct birds. There are booths along both sides of the walls and tables with armchairs in the center. The wait staff will help with beverages such as tea and coffee. The rest is up to you. A small self-serve hot buffet includes scrambled eggs , hot grits , sausages , bacon , wonderful home style biscuits , pancakes , French Toast , spiced apples with cinnamon sauce and hash brown potatoes.

To the side of the buffet are individual box servings of cereal like Cheerios's and Kellogg's Corn Flakes. There is absolutely no fresh fruit here. To the other side is the bread/bagel bar with toasters, servings of cream cheese and sealed servings of assorted jellies. It's a typical southern breakfast, and it's enjoyable if you're going to sample it once in a while. Service is a bit slow if you're waiting for beverages, however, they do not want you to serve yourself. Chuck tried the pancakes, and the eggs and the biscuits. I had the eggs, the pancakes with the apple compote instead of syrup and it was surprisingly good. Generic tea is available, and regular and decaf coffees. For $6.95, it's basically all you can eat.

Trying to get regular milk for your tea or coffee is a major ordeal for these good folks as it confuses them completely; there are sealed mini containers of cream which most people use for their coffees and teas, I suppose. The first time, they brought me an entire glass of milk; the second time, we were able to get it down to a quarter glass. The kids love it here because they can wolf down those pancakes and French toast faster than you can blink an eye, and then go for more.

The last morning we were there was unpleasant at best; we arrived at the diner at 9:30 am. They had removed all the food from the buffet and there were several people who sat and waited for service. One woman came out, and distributed menus and disappeared for about 10 minutes. When we wanted to help ourselves to the hot beverages, we were told to wait in our seats for the server. Well, Madam Server came out, muttering under her breath that they were closing in 20 minutes. We got up with thorough disgust, and were followed by the people adjacent to our table. It seemed fruitless to discuss this with the management, who had not inspired the best confidence in us when we had checked in.

Our server, Brian Thomas , was a very helpful, high energy individual. We were seated at a table that had a wall partition with a huge hole in the form of an "O" so I was able to see the tables and people on the other side. Warm Santa Fé colored walls wore lion sconces whose mouths held the lights, even though the lights were dimmed for atmosphere. Brian came over to explain the menu to us, in that everything to be had is an appetizer, heavily accented with Mediterranean flavors, so you could have a bit of a lot of different things; something on the order of tapas , but more involved. He suggested we start with a couple of dishes and progress as we go along.

We started with Brie with bacon and peppered apples half portion which was served with toasted pita triangles and plum tomatoes; roasted garlic and Tuscan white beans served with grilled foccacia, parmigiano and extra virgin olive oil. For libations, Chuck had Campanile Pinot Grigio ;their wine list has 180 varieties and I had a coke. The food arrives quite promptly and is served piping hot. Let me tell you that both dishes disappeared rather quickly as Chuck and I enjoyed the newness of the taste of the second dish, and relished in the familiarity of the first.

Hmmm...what to have next. We opted for something a bit more "southern" with peanut crusted ribs .

When we were not eating, we were admiring the large, boldly colored paintings on the walls and enjoying the music. The ribs arrived with 2 triangular, cold rice cakes, decorated with wasabi mayonnaise. Brian explained that this was sticky jasmine rice which they procured outside for this and other dishes. Chef John Olsson outdid himself with dessert, as we chose 2 since it was impossible to narrow down the offerings. Pumpkin Crème Brulée came first and disappeared with enthusiasm, followed by a warm Cranberry bread pudding topped with crème anglaise that was totally amazing. The people at the table next to us became curious and started asking for our recommendations for dessert. They have a variety of espresso based drinks and juices, but only "regular" tea, so I passed. Nothing on the menu exceeds $9.00, and you can really have a helluva dinner for about $40 and try many new dishes.

So, for all of you out there who haven't heard of Piccadilly, know that the very first one was opened on the year of the Big Two (that's World War II). Making its debut in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, thus began the dream of one T. H. Hamilton, who endeavored to create a chain of 40 such restaurants that would cater to families who wanted good food at good prices. Well, Mr. Hamilton may rest in peace, as there are over 250 such cafeterias mostly located in the South and Midwest of the United States. He died in 1981.

Piccadilly, much like Sheraton North stands alone in what used to be a mall. As you walk in, you'll see people standing in line with their trays. On the far end wall is a large sign explaining the meal system: The Dilly is the main entrée, and there are a variety of combinations to be had. Keeping things simple, for $5.99, you can have your choice with any 2 vegetables or side dishes and warm bread. Drinks are additional, but you get free refills. After we made sure we understood the system, Chuck and I got on line and made our selections. Chuck selected roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn and a roll; I had roasted chicken, carrot salad with raisins with corn bread. Both of us went for the chocolate pudding. Very basic, yet quite satisfying. The restaurant is very large, and looked desolate. We had a great big booth to ourselves, and were going about enjoying the food. A couple of things that were not exactly up to par: my carrot salad was a bit sour, and I suspect the mayonnaise was the culprit, and the chicken thigh was a bit fatty, and aside from removing the skin, I went on an excess grease hunt. I enjoyed the corn bread and I know this is a favorite in this part of the country. A server came by to refill our drinks and make sure all was well. This is a great place to eat and run if you don’t have much time or money to spend over a meal.

You can find a Piccadilly in the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, N. Carolina, S. Carolina (2 in Charleston), Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. For specific cities, you can call 1-800-345-5134.

After inhaling all that pizza, we needed to get out of the car again and move our limbs! I had seen Oops! on King Street and in some of the brochures I had been reading and we stopped to take a look.

It is a fun store that specializes in catalog label overruns, and irregulars with names like J. Crew , Abercrombie & Fitch , and some South Carolina Logo items. Their other 2 locations are listed below:

326 King Street, Charleston (843-722-7768)
696 Coleman Blvd, Mt. Pleasant (843-881-6935)

Mostly furnished with sweaters, jeans, chinos and some other esoterics like dog collars, stickers, belts, caps and T shirts. Chuck found a wonderful Crew chenille black polo for $25 which most likely retails for between $60-75. I couldn't really find anything to my liking, but certainly would come back to check from time to time if I were here. >

Metropolitan Deluxe has five other locations in the South which are found in Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, Charlotte and Tampa.

The retail stores have been badly hurt here as well by the general state of the economy and the discounts are very steep. They had several close out tables that comprised Christmas items for the msot part. They do carry good quality fragrance lines for the home and the skin. Couches, beds and bedding, pillows, candles, jars, glassware, frames and other decorative objects. Also cards, journals some of which are handmade with Indian fabrics. Finding fresh flowers here was an interesting twist, but then again, we are in Charleston, where flowers are the quintessential matriarchs of the city.

The best way to enjoy First Night is to look at the various events and their locations and scheduled times of performance. Allow yourself time for getting to and fro; there will usually be a short description of the nature of the event, so it is not very difficult to decide, even if you are totally unfamiliar with the performers.

The festivities started early in the afternoon which were mostly geared to the children. Chuck and I planned to drive into Charleston from Sheraton North at about 7:30 pm, and were lucky enough to find parking on the street. Our first stop was the Gaillard Performing Art Center where we saw some incredible young talent with improvisational comedy by a group called The Fighting Gnomes Standing Room Only, children, adults and everything in between. They had been going since 7 pm and were slated to continue until the grand finale at 10 pm.

As we walked out, we caught the Adande African Dance troupe from the upper floor as they had the stage in the exhibit hall area. You don’t need to understand anything here but rhythm. We then caught a mother/daughter team of violinists in the second floor ballroom of the Westin. You could hear a pin drop as everyone listened very intently; they played a piece with an Oriental theme which was thunderously applauded.

In Marion Square, the Da Kine Trio Jazz Jam was doing just that, jamming. They set up stage in front of the Embassy Suites, and had guest singers. The square had many walking around, admiring the tree of lights which had been poised in the very center, and you could actually walk under it. They also had some extraordinary laser light show which illuminated the buildings around the square with zig zags of greens, yellows, and reds: all very mesmerizing actually. We stood and listened to the music for a while, and then walked to the end of the square to finally see the Holocaust Memorial .

The Arthur Murray School of Dance was giving free lessons at the Embassy Suites, and we had enormous fun doing the fox trot, or at least trying to do it.

The gallery, by comparison to others I’ve seen, was small but utilized as much of the space they could find to suspend things, put them on glass shelving, or showcase them with other objets d’art. Naturally, I learned from a quick perusal on the walls, from several ceramic pieces, that the pear is almost as important as the pineapple to South Carolina. One of the artists must have had fun with another ceramic pear by fashioning the naked body of a woman, as the pear is one of the 4 common shapes. There was also a great, recycled metal, guitar playing frog, egrets galore, some postcards with original prints on them, bins of black and white photographs, and the very first jewelry I had seen made of sweet grass. There were also the famous sweet grass baskets and we had already learned about their history and place.

The center seemed to be swimming in an immense blob of blue; blue pottery, blue platters, blue fish, blue vases, even a blue pineapple; talk about artistic license. There were also some sea creatures as star fish, shells and the like.

Two people were behind the counter, and I ventured to ask one of them if urns were of any particular significance to Charleston. They both looked a bit perplexed and said they were not aware of such import and, naturally, they wanted to know why, etc.. In the first three hotels we had been at, a great number of wall art showed medieval urns, with inscriptions in Italian which I read, but nevertheless, did not give me any insight as to what the urn was doing there, in multiples.

The Charleston Crafts Gallery is the producer of the Spoleto Art Festival which happens here every year on the last week in May and first week in June. For more information on this fabulous event, go to their website .

We went to the market twice, as the first time, it was nearing closing as the cold had most vendors folding their tables for the evening. The Market is a mélange of flea market/craft fair items, and my quest was to discover the things which reflected the character of Charleston.

Lowcountry artists take great pride in the color palette of the buildings and the vistas offered by the rivers hugging the Peninsula. The most outstanding example of civic pride came through in painted land and seascapes on bricks! Not very far from there was yet another first for me: painted scenes of the south on silver dollars and seashells in two sizes; some had been perforated at the top, and a slender satin ribbon had been pulled through to provide a "hanging" device. Also quite attractive, were similar scenes on light switchplates.

Sweetgrass baskets were on every open corridor between the covered sections of the market., with an African American demonstrating. They also make flowers with the grass which they claim will last a lifetime. Because of the season, many vendors displayed Noel wall hangings, snowflake ornaments, Santa Clauses in all sizes, and related themes. I never tire of seeing the cedar puzzle boxes that are so shiny and beautiful in their twisted designs.

And I can never get enough of bath soaps, lotions, eaux and creams; here, they capitalize on the scent of magnolia which is heavenly; gardenia is not far behind with lavender, rosemary and my favorite, "mango madness". Why is it that I always want to bite into this stuff? Then, we saw the famous Civil War dolls which are handmade and stitched by a woman called Ms. Barbara . Also commemorating history, was a watercolor entitled "Freedom Endures" a depiction of three firemen raising the American flag at Ground Zero in New York. As a matter of fact, this very image will be sculpted in commemorative statue as soon as feasible.

. Hot sauces, Gold Rice, Benne wafers, pecan wafers, honey roasted nuts of all sorts, truffles, pralines, buttercreams, Belgian chocolate and all sorts of colored candies. There is quite a repertoire of recipe books to teach you the secrets of southern cuisine.

Aside from straight and looping bamoo plants were the miniature bonsai trees which need so much tender loving care. Also, rugs with duck motifs and palmettos hung from the ceiling; fleece jackets were in view and very a propos for the cold weather. There was also a glorious collection of lunch boxes and other collectibles sporting the faces of Lucy, Betty Boop, Elvis, Charlie Brown and other American icons. I fell in love with some huge baskets which would have made great magazine holders, but would have been murder to tote back to New York.

Middleton Place
4300 Ashley River Road
Charleston / 843-556-6020
Middleton Place

You can follow the same basic instructions to get to Drayton Hall , and Magnolia Plantation as they are all on Ashley River Road, and Middleton Place is the furthest west.

From downtown Charleston, head to the Ashley Bridge south; there is a circular Holiday Inn on the left and palmettos begin to appear and then you'll see a sign that says "historical plantations" Route 61, bearing right. Go slow, otherwise you'll miss it, and continue following that sign. It's a limited access highway with a 40 mph speed. The area is mostly residential with many medical and law offices lining the road. You will pass a huge garden center called Cross Seed Co. ; bear left as you come up on the electrical works. There will begin to appear small strips of stores between the home lots; then several realty offices, and multiple car dealers. Pass Wappoo Road, you'll see St Andrews Fire Department on the left hand side. At the intersection of Sam Rittenberg Boulevard , there will be a large Barnes & Noble, Marshall's, Office Depot and TJ Maxx. You are about 10 miles away at this juncture. Eckerd Drugs anchors another strip mall on the right hand side; you are now rolling on Paul Cantrell Boulevard which turns into a more scenic, tree lined highway. Should you wish to go to Savannah, Georgia , this is the area to follow the sign for Intersection 526. Shortly thereafter, Home Depot comes up on the right, with Walmart and the Food Lion supermarket. Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse across the street is a local competing with Depot and Mart. Land development becomes scarcer and houses are totally hidden from the road now.

Make a right as you follow SC61 to Summerville. Road will narrow to one lane and you are now 4 miles from Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, if you wish to visit it. More clusters of homes appear now with a golf course and condos. Make a left and find yourself on Heritage Corridor . You begin to see moss laden branches from trees on both sides of the road; Drayton Hall is also here and open to visitors. The same road also bears signs that say "evacuation route".

We finally get to Middleton Plantation which has a restaurant and an inn on the premises. We are greeted by a young man at the gate who recites the rates to us and gives us a visitor's packet which has the history of the plantation. Admission to the grounds is $15/person; a guided tour of the house is $8/person and if you wish to take a carriage tour , narrated, it will cost you $10/ea. There are nominal discounts for AAA and AARP members. The facilities are equipped for wheelchair access.

I had always wanted to visit a plantation and have a vague memory of having been on the grounds of one in Louisiana many years ago while on a business trip. There was never enough time to really get the flavor of the period then. This time, we had the whole day ahead of us, and after we parked the car, we looked for our starting point of exploration. It was easy enough, as part of the literature you receive upon entry has a self-guided tour booklet. This was the home of the Middleton Family, headed by Henry Middleton who served as President of the first Continental Congress; his descendants also figured prominently in US government through another 3 generations. Their wealth was amassed through the cultivation and harvest of rice, taught to them by the African slaves which were brought to the plantation. The practice flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries, but took a downturn following the Civil War and came to an end following the hurricanes of 1910 and 1911.

The Plantation itself was self-sufficient and housed animals which were necessary to its life; cows and sheep were still on the grounds during our visit and although the sheep remained within their enclosure, the two cows ambled freely around the huge grazing area. The tools necessary were produced by an on-site blacksmith, and we visited his workshop where a fire was burning in the forge and various implements used by the artisan were hung on the walls . Pottery was also produced on the premises in the production of crocks and bowls used in preparing and serving food. We captured a 19th century treadle wheel on camera which was used to mould the pieces displayed in the shop.

The Carpenter must have been extremely important because his was one of the largest workshop areas, and at the time of our visit, an " authentically " clad man gave us some insight into the daily work of the carpenter, how the round barrels to hold the rice were made, which implements were used to cut down the rice plants, how the rice was separated and finally ground. He also explained how work was assigned to the slaves, referred to as hands. Females and children of slaves were called "half-hands" as they were considered less able. I went into the "Spinning & Weaving Shop where a woman was at work on her loom. When I spoke to her, she informed me that she was one of 3 people left in the United States who could accurately spin and weave cloth with the authenticity of the period. She works solely with wool. Directly across from her shop was the Carriage House which housed a collection of vehicles to include a three-seated surrey, a training cart, a brougham among others. Most interesting and last stopping point was Eliza’s House , which was built in 1870 and moved from its original location twice. It served as residence for freedmen (emancipated slaves) and Eliza Leach was the last person to live here. She had worked at Middleton for some 40 years as a ticket collector, a sweeper of the gardens, and distributed brochures to visitors. She died at age 94 in 1986, but had continued to live in the style of her ancestors, making use of the antiquated facilities till the end of her life.

Middleton Place was burned in 1865 by Union Soldiers as emancipation arrived with them. This apparently caused some confusion to the African slaves who would find it difficult to obtain work as freedmen. Many chose to remain with their former masters and work for wages. The original Middleton house and many of the adjunct quarters and buildings were destroyed by Union Soldiers. To say the least, the Middletons were not happy campers.

Our stroll through the immense gardens began at the Reflection Pool , a huge rectangular patch of water, framed by huge moss trees, camellia trees and bamboo. We tried to follow the arrows which are posted along the paths and went past the ruins of the Main House, the Spring House which was an area where fresh cool water could be collected, and other items could be kept cool in ceramic containers. We spent quite a bit of time around the terraced garden overlooking the butterfly Lakes, which take the form of the wings. We went past the family tomb, passed a giant Crepe Myrtle tree, endless lanes bordered by azalea bushes that were dormant, the flooded rice fields and the Rice Mill which could use a fresh coat of paint, and restoration of the pictures on the wall where the writing is barely visible. We found many of the water expanses invaded by stagnant algae. When we came up on the Pond Bridge, we wanted to capture the ducks on film, which was rendered difficult by the sun’s position. As we neared the shops, Chuck did everything but cartwheels to get the peacock to show off his feathers, but the bird was adamant.

We ended the visit by looking through the Museum Gift Shop which had one interesting display of a large piggie bank stuffed with confederate dollars. The rest of the offerings was fairly commonplace.

They also serve afternoon refreshments between 2 & 4 in the parlor, wines and hors d'oeuvres 5-6 pm, and turn down service is done from 7pm to 9:30 pm. The hostess at front desk is checking with Circa 1886 to see if they have room for dinner and as she had indicated they were filling up fast. Lighting fixture in parlor is either authentic or an antique reproduction.

This was the house of a cotton plantation owner. They have a menu of items they sell in their gift shop to include their "do not disturb" pillow for $10, a large pineapple candle for $30 and some Charleston cookbooks for up to $17.50 if you're into that kind of thing. What interested me most were the consumer size Gilchrist & Soames toiletries which they also provide for their guests. The 17 ounce shampoo/conditioner is $12.00; 17 ounce bath gel and body lotion also at $12 and the glycerin soaps in packs of 3 can be had for $3.- not bad if you're addicted to the brand, as I have become. If you like the bed you're sleeping on, you can buy the mansion mattress set for $799.00. I had spotted an invitation for an hour massage in the bathroom upon arrival, but they never indicated whether that was included in your package or not. The turndown service which is done around 7:30 pm comes with homemade chocolates and nougats with powdered sugar.

Aside from the allure of the Jacuzzi in the room, I found some features very practical which I hadn’t seen before: you can adjust the intensity of the jets by passing your hand over a motion sensor which is next to the main spigot. It has also occurred to this particular manufacturer that having a hand held shower as part of the Jacuzzi hardware is a great idea, as some of us do wish to rinse off suds prior to drying with the towels provided on the sides.

The "meeting" in the Harleston Parlor for complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine was in progress, or I should say, nearly completed by the time we made it downstairs. A new face appeared, as hostess or concierge, I don’t really know what they wanted us to call them.. As Chuck was going to have the wine, I wanted some tea. When we asked the young woman, she didn’t smile but as her lips said of course, she’d get some, her entire body language was saying "no way". As she disappeared, we looked at the hors d’oeuvres offerings, and saw one circular tray with left over filo dough stuffed with feta/spinach and raspberry/feta served on mesclun mix of greens. The tea took quite a while to get back to me, but we were fairly laid back. When it arrived, it was minus sugar and milk, so the poor bloke who delivered it to me had to go into another hunt for those items. Frankly, I only found it humorous because at the rates they charge at the Wentworth Mansion, I think someone needs to sit up and pay attention.

Some people came into the Parlor for wine and discussion; they did not offer any greetings and got very involved with a conversation of great import to them, no doubt. Chuck and I were busy examining the architecture and the decor. The stuffy ambiance propelled both of us upstairs again, as the confines of the room were much friendlier. I think we both missed the warmth of the Club Foor at Charleston Place

The next morning, our breakfast in bed didn’t show up on time, so I called the front desk to find out why. Apparently, they need to know what kind of juices you’ll want, teas, coffees, and if you want their full assortment or whatever. Seems to me that an assortment is the best way to go! To their credit, it is promptly delivered, by the great Quinton , once again. Very gracious. We have English muffins , sweet cinnamon rolls and sticky pecan buns . Generous portions of salmon , but no cream cheese: it’s horrifying! Cheeses consists of 2 cubes of brie , 2 slices of smoked gouda , and 2 cubes of a sweet muenster type cheese. There are also 4 slices of ham . The fruit is plentiful with melon and honeydew bites that are sweeter than sweet. I've asked for natural sugar and we have it; also skimmed milk for the Earl Gray tea and Chuck is having regular coffee. At a few minutes after 12, the manager calls our room to see if we need assistance. Perhaps he's warmer than the other staff we've met here.

On the way down, we stop at the desk to speak with Cathy (the greeter) who says the other girl's name was Katherine (the tea hunter). We talked about returning to photograph the master suite and she said that it might be a tight schedule. The woman occupying the suite came outside and invited Chuck and I in. What an incredible coincidence, as we had seen her for the hors d'oeuvres, and then again at Circa 1886 where they were at next table. She showed us the chandeliers in the twin room suite which occupies almost the whole length of the bottom floor. Basically furnished with the same kind of things we had, but spread over a larger area. They had the jacuzzi in the bathroom unlike us; they had more alcoves with table and chairs. We asked about the rate, and she indicated that normally, the room would sell for $695/night , but they were able to get a special Christmas rate of $395 or $350, and they were staying until Saturday. Her husband is from Georgia and they are here to meet her sisters. Both of them were so incredibly nice and friendly, it was almost as if we had known them for a long time. Chuck took pictures and we all walked out together to our respective cars.

There is no doubt that the Wentworth Mansion is a luxurious and historically preserved structure; the experience however, would have been enhanced, had the expected "Southern Hospitality" been more genuine.