We went early June and it was quite hot and sticky. I was disappointed as I had hoped we would dodge that. Oh well.
Definitely buy a Gullah basket at the market and support this amazing art.
We stayed in an apartment of the Edmonston-Alston House along the Battery. It was such a great location. We walked up and down…ambled…a lot.
We took a carriage ride, enjoyed seeing some of the buildings and churches. Took a boat ride out to Ft. Sumter.
I have very mixed feelings about the ambiance of Charleston and the old south nowadays. Not exactly charmed thoughts. Good food. We ate at a place called Magnolias and it was excellent. The Rooftop Bar at the Vendue for a peachy drink. I grew up in NC so I do appreciate southern food.
Yes it is!
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Thanks for all the great ideas. We are booked. Staying at the Hyatt Place on King St., and have dinner reservations at Church and Union and Magnolia’s. Excited to explore this city!
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Just circling back to this in case anyone else is planning a trip. We ended up going this past weekend and had a fabulous time. The weather was outstanding (sunny and 70), though we were told it was unseasonably cool. It was perfect walking weather.
The meal at Magnolia’s was a highlight. Delicious food and the restaurant itself was beautiful. The seafood and grits is a must-have.
Thank you to whoever mentioned the rooftop at Vendue. Enjoyed a lovely light lunch and drinks and a gorgeous view.
Tried to go for drinks at the top of the Dewberry but there was an hour wait to go up, so instead we spent a fantastic afternoon sitting poolside at Little Palm. Great atmosphere, super comfy lounging couches and the only downside was the obviously brand new bartender who didn’t have a good handle on any cocktail that wasn’t one of the house specialties. Would still go back and enjoy a beautiful afternoon there again in a heartbeat.
Had a dinner at Coast, which was nothing special. The only place we ate that I wouldn’t recommend.
Spent an afternoon out at the Magnolia Gardens. Enjoyed a gorgeous walk through the gardens and an interesting tour of the slave quarters. I had mixed feelings about going to a plantation, but I thought they did a good job of not glossing over some really ugly history.
We also did a Haunted Charleston tour from Bulldog tours. Highly recommend. The tour guide (Sarah) was fantastic.
Between all of that and tons of shopping at the public market, we packed a lot into three days. It was a wonderful destination.
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Thank you for giving this great update. We are going to Charleston on Wednesday to see a comedian Thursday night, then returning to Charleston in July for the Van Gogh exhibit. This thread has been helpful for planning.
Thanks for the update. I was there late February and it was unseasonably warm…high 70’s/low 80’s, so fantastic.
Isn’t Charleston a great place to visit? Did you walk through the market and go to Fifth and Union. I might have been the one to tell you about Vendue and make sure you go all the way up to the rooftop.
Glad you had a great time!
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We just got back from Charleston, and are going back in July. We did the Nathaniel Russell House and the Rhett-Aiken house, went to Vendue rooftop for lunch and Church and Union for dinner, then 82 Queen and Lenoir for lunch and dinner the next day. We happened to be there in soft shell crab season, and 82 Queen had a soft shell crab sandwich which was great with Vinho Verde. Lovely, unexpected lunch. Church and Union was a great see-and-be-seen place. We loved people-watching after a hiatus from eating out.
We are going to do the Van Gogh exhibit and will do Fort Sumter for the July trip. Any advice about the best Fort Sumter excursion would be appreciated.
Husk has a great lunch menu!
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My fave!
I did a quick trip to Charleston last month and appreciate the recommendations provided here. Did the two house tours mentioned above, ate at SNOB, Church & Union and Magnolias as well as a lunch at Carmella’s. Several stops at Rooftop bars, lots of walking and absolutely beautiful weather - fun place for a few days!
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My husband and daughter did the Fort Sumter visit in July. Bring lots of water. When they went, the heat index was 110. I went to an air conditioned restaurant with friends.
Anyone ever visited in the winter? I enjoyed my trip so much last March that I want to return with my H and kids, but the only time that would work for our schedules is the week following Xmas. I imagine the weather will be more mild than we will be having in NJ…pleasant enough to spend the days walking around?
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I have visited there many times at that time of year, and it is generally a welcome change from the NJ winter. There are occasionally cold snaps, but for the most part, you’ll be very comfortable walking around in a jacket.
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We live here - I have pictures of us swimming and boating that week in the mid 80s and there have been times when it is windy, rainy, and in the 50s for a few days. Usually beautiful and everything is decorated for the holidays. Enjoy!
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We just finished our summer Charleston trip. Best meals were at Middleton Place for lunch and The Kingstide on Daniel Island for dinner on a different night.
We did the 9:30 AM Fort Sumter tour, and they unfurled a huge flag and raised it, since we were the first tour of the day. It was a lovely ceremony, with about 30 volunteers, and they asked two veterans to raise the flag. It was lovely and cool on the water, but hot as fire on the island. We sat in the air conditioned bar indoors on the boat on the way home.
We stayed in Avondale instead of downtown. It is an adorable part of town, and our Airbnb hosts were so nice. We had great bar b q at Swig and Swine. The Avondale Airbnb was about half the price of a downtown Airbnb.
The tour of Middleton Place was great (we just did outside, not inside the house). If you go, do not miss the “Beyond the Fields” talk and the “Garden” talk. We visited the Citadel, and another great lunch was at Herd Provisions not far from the Citadel. That was my father’s alma mater, so we visited many times as children.
Our next trip there will be to Fort Moultrie and Sullivan’s Island.
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Any recommendations for vegetarian restaurants in Charleston? Most of the ones recommended here seem to be southern speciality restaurants (expected!) but I looked at the menus and don’t see much on there for vegetarians (at least 4 people in our group are vegetarian).
Hoping someone chimes in for you…I had tried to find options before my trip last March, as one of my traveling companions keeps kosher. We had no luck.
I am not helpful on this frint. If you eat seafood, you’ll be fine at a place like The Ordinary, but my sense is you want vegetarian dishes featured. Harder to find…
We ate at Sorghum & Salt, a very small restaurant in Charleston. It was delicious and the staff was terrific. Not solely vegetarian but had a lot of veg options on their menu. Lots of small plates and a few entrees.
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