Seeing the Sites in Charleston, SC

Chris and I met my parents in Charleston, South Carolina, over 4th of July weekend.  We spent a couple days exploring all things Charleston, but definitely need to go back when the temperature is a bit cooler to check out everything we missed.

We kicked things off with a rainy fireworks show in North Charleston.  The rain was really a bummer because the show was awesome!  I love seeing a good fireworks finale...and this one was one of the best!

Bright and early on our first full day in the city, we took a ferry out to Fort Sumter.  We enjoyed looking around both outside on the grounds and inside at the museum.  Lots of interesting information to consume and cannons to check out!

Later, we made our way over to the famous pineapple fountain.  This was top of my list so we spent quite a bit of time trying to get the perfect photo here!  I think we would have had better luck if there hadn't been so many kids (and surprisingly, adults) playing in it!

Our last event of the day was a horse mule drawn carriage ride through the older parts of the city.  The ride cost $25 per person with Palmetto Carriage Tours.  We learned lots about the way houses were built, some of the traditions and superstitions of the area, and even more about the history of the city itself.  I would highly suggest taking one of these tours if you ever visit Charleston!

 

The next day, we spent most of our morning at the Charleston Tea Plantation.  If you do one thing when you visit this beautiful city, I highly recommend the trek out to Wadmalaw Island to visit this amazing place!  We took both the informative free factory tour and the outdoor trolley tour ($10 per ticket...or $8 if you have AAA!)  Don't miss the trolley tour!  We really enjoyed riding around the plantation learning all about the process of making tea.  And even stopping at a greenhouse along the way!  The staff at the plantation are beyond accommodating to visitors.  Right away, we were offered complimentary tea samples and made to feel right at home.  I simply can't say enough good things about our experience here.  And we definitely made our way home with a stockpile of tea, too!

On our trolley tour, the guide mentioned a hidden gem nearby the plantation.  We headed straight there afterward.  The Angel Oak Tree was quite impressive!  At 65 feet high and 25.5 feet wide it provides a larger than life experience for the viewer.  We couldn't believe how many of the limbs were currently being held up by wooden 2x4's though.  Definitely a site to behold!

Have you been to Charleston?

What sites do we need to see next time we visit?

Andrea :)