I've always gotten great travel advice from this website so I am looking for advice on a new location for us. We are taking our two boys, ages 11 and 14, to Charleston, S.C. for spring break (end of March). It is part vacation and part tagging along on my husband's business trip. We will have two nights and two full days in downtown Charlestown (staying in the historic part of town on Meeting St.) and three nights and three full days at a resort on the Isle of Palms (but with the ability to return downtown for activities if we choose). What do you recommend we see and do with this age group? Any recommendations on where to eat? We already have our lodging reserved. These are my initial thoughts, but I am open to suggestions: The Charleston Museum, the South Carolina Aquarium and Fort Sumter for downtown. Has anyone done the Ghost Tour? Scary or just fun? On the Isle of Palms, I have looked into a family-friendly dolphin and pelican kayak advanture through salt marshes to an island. I really don't know what to expect in terms of weather either since it's been such a cold and icy winter all over the eastern half of the U.S. My husband and I took a quick trip to Charleston and Hilton Head several years ago for a wedding, but that was without kids and this will be very different. Thanks!
We just got back from Charleston and had a great time. My husband and kids said I sure know how to plan a vacation! Good thing I had this advice. We went to the Charleston Museum and Fort Sumter. We went to the Aquarium, contrary to the advice here to skip it, and the Boone Hall Plantation. I loved the plantation, but my kids were getting tired of being tourists at that point and got tired and bored. They really liked the Aquarium. It's not very big, but it has some interesting exhibits, including an albino alligator and a brand new exhibit (opened two days before we arrived) in which you can feed stingrays for a small extra fee. The Ghost Tour was one of the highlights of our time in the city (except for the annoying and biting sand gnats). I thought the food was over rated at Hyman's, but we loved Sticky Fingers and the kids wanted to go back, but we ran out of time. We didn't get to the Noisy Oyster, but we did go to the candy store across the street. It's a great candy store and the kids loved it. We also took a kayak trip through Nature Adventures. It is a small family-owned company. They were very nice and I would recommend them. Our planned kayak trip was cancelled due to bad weather conditions, but they found an alternate kayak adventure for us on a tidal creek through a national forest. We saw a variety of birds and an alligator about 6' from one of our kayaks.
I haven't been there in about 10 years, and not sure if still open but we still crave "crisy flounder" from Hymens Seafood restaurant. Hope you have a great trip.
You should do a carriage ride if they still do them (I haven't been back in 2 years) I grew up there. I LOVE Charleston. I'm not sure about downtown but you must find a sticky fingers if you've never been, I know there's probably one in West Ashley. They have the best wings/sauce. I never did the ghost tour so couldn't tell ya. Pineapple park is entertaining (that's what locals call it so I dont know if it's the actual name) but it has bench swings, a huge water fountain, and a big grass area that'd be good for a picnic. There's not a lot I can offer about kids though because I've never lived there with a child, I just grew up there. Hymen's is good too. The slave market is cool, lots of different things, the kids might like to look at stuff, and last time I went it's cheap (I think it's called the swap meet or something now). Oh I agree with Julie boone hall plantation is so gorgeous, that's in Mount Pleasant which is like 10 miles from downtown Chuck. Beaufort is pretty too, from what I saw after Parris Island lol.
I envy you. I want to go back home for a visit so bad.
You should go to the Patriots Point. You can tour the USS Yorktown and a battleship and a submarine. Fort Sumpter is also great. We enjoyed walking around downtown looking at all the homes around Battery Park. Hymen's Seafood is very good, and there is a place called Fleet's Landing that is also pretty good. Have fun!! It is a great historical city.
I live in Myrtle Beach about 2 hrs away from Charleston, I would totally skip that aquarium, We thought it was the worst we ever went to! There is lots of shopping to do, the museum is a good one, defiantly do a carriage ride, I did a history of Charleston one, it was great.... Eat at the noisy oyster, it is an open window kind of restaurant, our 4 year old loves it there, and the food is good, if you go there go to the candy store across the street, best chocolate/caramel apples ever!!! You should see if the Charleston River Dogs (New York Yankees aaa team), is playing a home game, that would be fun!
Hope you have a great trip!!!
What you have planned sounds great! Since you're from Minnesota, you'll probably think it's quite warm at the end of March. It MAY be very warm. In the southeast March is funny -some days and weeks are in the 70s and 80s even, and then some 30-50 degree weather will come along and freeze you to death! By that point Charleston should be pretty pleasant though with highs in the 60s and 70s (or even 80s) and lows in the 50s and 60s. It will be very pretty! I don't think you'll be bored with the plans you've made, but you can also tour the low country (Beaufort is lovely), go out to Daufauskie Island to learn of Gullah culture or head over to Savannah for more forts and old homes. The ghost tour is fun and corny -not scary.
I would definitely spend some time touring Boone Hall Plantation. It's GORGEOUS and truly what the world thinks of when they think of a southern plantation. They have a lot of educational aspects, it's still a working farm and they have an educational exhibit and tour about the history of slavery. At the time of year you'll be there, the azaleas and flowers should really be coming out!
Hymen's is good and go for breakfast at Hominy Grill! It's so yummy! One of my best friends lives around the corner and I'm headed there soon -can't wait!
