Come Away With Me! (Charleston, SC Edition)

                                                                              

Want a vacation that appeals to all of the senses?  Charleston, SC is just the place!  I recently went on an extended weekend vacation to one of my favorite locations, and wanted to share with you the gem that is Charleston.  I have been all over the world and seen lots of places, but Charleston speaks to me.  I don't know if it's the southern charm, the rich history or the cuisine.  Whatever the allure, Charleston is almost always an annual stop for me.

These are some of my recommendations for a fabulous stay in charming Charleston:

I highly recommend Magnolia's for fabulous fine dining.  The Fried Green Tomatoes are wonderful and I don't even care for tomatoes like that!  Take the Sights and Insights Bus Tour with Mr. Al Miller who gives a most educational and animated oral history of downtown Charleston and Gullah culture.  His rendition of Gershwin's, "Summertime" is the best!  Be sure to make reservations for the tour because his tour is VERY popular and fills up fast.  The contact number for his tour is 843-552-9995.

For a slamming DJ, go to NV or the Wild Wing Cafe on Market Street to get your dance on.  I know, an unlikely site for night life, but we had a great time dancing to both old and new school jams.  For a great souvenir, purchase a handmade sweetgrass basket made by local Charlestonians at the market on Market Street.  The baskets are a little on the pricey side, but they ARE handmade, great quality and keep money in the community.

                           
For you hopeless romantics take a carriage ride through downtown Charleston and be transported back in time as you travel over cobblestone streets, lit by gas lamplights, surrounded by 18th-century Georgian architecture.  You can also take a dinner cruise on the Spirit of Charleston as you cruise the Charleston Harbor eating a multi-course meal, while enjoying the live band and fantastic views of the harbor aboard a deluxe yacht.

                                  

For my history buffs, visit Drayton Hall in South Carolina's low-country to view beautiful palladian architecture or Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island to tour one of the sites involved in the American Revolution.  A tour on Sullivan's Island would not be complete without visiting the Toni Morrison Society's "Bench by the Road" behind the Fort Moultrie Visitor's Center.  The "Bench by the Road" is a tribute to Africans who traveled the Middle Passage and arrived on the "Ellis Island" for Blacks, Sullivan's Island.  Sullivan's Island was the disembarkation port for over 40% of African slaves traded to American colonies, making it the largest slave port in North America.  Nearly half of present-day African Americans had ancestors who passed through Sullivan's Island.

There is so much to do in Charleston and what I suggest is just the tip of the iceberg of what is available in this great city.  Are you ready to taste great low-country cuisine, see historical sites, touch the texture of sweetgrass, smell the ocean breeze and hear the sound of hooves on cobblestone yet?  Visit Charleston "where history lives"!