charleston, sc - help?

[starrmomof2]

While waiting for a time to return to the World, my DH and I have been thinking of going to Charleston, SC. We have never been, short of going past it on our way to a Cub Scout campout weekend on the USS Yorktown in '08. We would like something romantic and near downtown, walking areas, ie City Market, historic homes, etc so that we don't have to drive every time we decide to do something (oh why doesn't every place have monorails and bus service??). I'm going into planning totally blind and will be appreciative of any help/ideas, etc.
Thanks so much!!
Kim

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

Kim,

Charleston is such a great place. Some of our favorite restaurants are Poogan's Porch and Slightly North of Broad. I think a romantic carriage ride is just what you are looking for. There are plenty of shops are King Street, and of course the Market. We enjoy the ghost walks, but there are plenty of other tours of Charleston that may interest you. I know there is more that I can't think of. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

[Melanie]

Ah Charleston, my favorite city in the US! If you want to splurge, go for a bed and breakfast or stay at the Charleston Place hotel. There is also the Mills House Hotel (which is a Holiday Inn) downtown that is very nice, and a very short walk towards the visitor center is a Hampton Inn.

One of our favorite things to do in Charleston is walk. Walk, walk and walk some more! We start at the Market and go all the way to the Battery taking in the historic homes, churches and buildings. Then we walk back on the water down to Rainbow Row.

A carriage ride is a must. There is a system in place now so that the various companies have no idea what their route will be until the carriage is loaded up and heading out. It's regulated by the city, I believe. All the companies are esssentially the same.

There are historic home tours, with some including 3 or 4 for one price. And if you don't mind getting in the car, there are plantation homes to tour. Out past Mt. Pleasant on US 17 is Boone Hall Plantation. If you watched the North & South miniseries, it was the Main's home.

For food, if you like seafood, definitely try Hyman's. We've also eaten at Magnolia's, which is very nice, but in recent years with our kids, we've stuck to Bubba Gump's, Stickey Fingers and the like. ;)

I hope you have a great time! It's a great city to go with your significant other. :)

[starrmomof2]

Thank you Reedy Creek Bucaneer and Melanears for your suggestions. Evidently April is a popular time to go because I'm having a hard time finding a hotel downtown 1)with availability for the full weekend and 2) that doesn't require the deposit of both my children. :D (this is worse than trying to get dinner ressies at Le Cellier!)
Again, I appreciate the suggestions; it's always good to hear from those who have visited, ie the success of Intercot!

[Lynn J Mc]

This is DH and my favorite place. We live about 3 1/2 hours a way so we visit several times a year. French Quarter Inn is our favorite. Right on the Market. We also like Fulton Lane Inn and we stay quite a bit at the Mills House and use the priority club points. April is peak time in Charleston and rooms are booked early and are EXPENSIVE! Hyman's is great for seafood as are Coast and AW Shucks. Charleston is definitely a walking town. The hotels all charge a premium price to park also. It is not a cheap city. You could stay over the bridge in Mt. Pleasant but you will have to drive over to the historic district. Definitely stroll the Battery. The Gibbes Museum is neat and there are tons of art galleries if you are in to that type of thing. (we are) The cemetaries are great to stroll around also. The Market Pavillion hotel has a great rooftop bar. The drinks are high but the view is unbeatable. I could go on and on. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.