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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Things To Do in Charleston

Most of our travel posts lately have featured locations on the west coast (probably because that's where we're currently stationed). I thought we'd take a break from the west coast and take a trip back to my home city of Charleston, SC since I'm currently on vacation from the west coast and visiting home. I'm going to share a few of my favorite things in Charleston. This is by no means an exhaustive list and I'm sure I'll do a "Part 2" to this list in a future post. I don't want to overwhelm right now after all.

Historical Favorites

Plantations - I love visiting the plantations in Charleston. There are way too many to list them all in one post. I love that they are all at varying places in restoration and what they have to offer to the public. Some of the lands have the original houses while others have the locations marked where the original structures stood. Some of the houses have been minimally restored, while others still have families living in them. If I had to pick a favorite among the plantations, I would definitely pick Drayton Hall. The house has been minimally restored over time (primarily enough to keep it structurally sound) and you can see the layers of history in the rooms. They even allow pets on the grounds, which is always an added bonus. If you only get to see one plantation while you're here, this is the one to see. The Charleston Museum - If you want to learn a lot about the history of the city, the Charleston Museum is among the places to visit. They have several exhibits that showcase the history of Charleston and even a few rotating exhibits that are fun to enjoy. It's not just for adults either - I once took a class of second graders to the museum for a field trip and they found the exhibits quite enjoyable.

Bars & Pubs

The Blind Tiger Pub - This is a pub in the downtown section of Charleston that has become an iconic location in Charleston. It's also where the husband and I first met, so you can guess part of the reason I love it. It's set in a historical building and has a quaint outdoor area with a tree full of carvings and lights strung around. Sadly, I've heard that this pub may be closing it's doors next year and moving to a new location. I'm secretly hoping that doesn't happen but it's yet to be seen. Holy City Brewery - This is the brewery that created our favorite craft beer, Pluff Mud Porter. (The husband wants to wait until we are both in Charleston again to properly review this beer for you.) We enjoyed this beer for years before actually visiting the brewery. In fact, we finally visited it right before I moved to California. We wished that we had made the visit sooner - the place has an awesome atmosphere with friendly people. I highly recommend at least trying their beers if you don't make it to the brewery while you're in town.

Things To Do With Kids

Children's Museum - I first visited this museum in college for my early childhood program. I fell in love with it right away but never had a reason to return until now. Now, I have an adorable two year old nephew who we just took to the museum. I think the entire family enjoyed it as much as he did. In fact, we'll be making a return trip this week to play in the pirate ship and castle among other fun rooms. The Beach - What kid doesn't like playing in the sand and water (weather dependent)? There are several beaches in the area, including Isle of Palms which has a playground at the county park. Grab the sand toys and bring the kids to make a sandcastle while you're here.

Like I said, this is no where near a complete list. I have lots more favorites but I'm going to save them for a part 2 in the near future. Charleston is full of many fun things to do and see. Posted by The Coastie Wife at 6:00 AM Labels: South Carolina, Travel