Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston offers a splendid mix of events and activities to stimulate the mind, body and spirit. Some of the more interesting ones appear below though it represents barely a drop in a vast ocean of activities.

Music and Theater

The Charleston Symphony Orchestra is conducted by music director David Stahl and is the largest year-round performing arts organization in South Carolina. The orchestra performs a wide spectrum of music for adults and children through its five concert series: Masterworks, Sotille Chamber Orchestra Series, Charleston Pops, Saturdays in Town and Small Fry. The Spoleto Festival is an annual event bringing together artists from all musical spectrums--from opera to spiritual.

Under the klieg lights, The Charleston Stage Company performs plays and musicals at the historic Dock Street Theatre.

Art

There are approximately 10,000 objects to view at The Gibbes Museum of Art. The museum focuses on American artifacts from a Charleston perspective. The collections include paintings from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, sculptures and photographs. Thomas Kincaide's work is the focus of The Planters Inn Signature Gallery. The gallery houses one of the largest collections of works by “The Painter of Light” in the country. The Verner Gallery is the oldest fine arts gallery in Charleston and presents the works of many of Charleston's Renaissance artists.

Museums and Exhibits

The Karpeles Manuscript Museum is one of seven Karpeles museums in the country. Charleston's low-country African-American heritage is preserved at the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture. Papers, photographs, oral histories and other materials are maintained in the archives. The Jewish Heritage Collection of the College of Charleston's Robert Scott Small Library recounts the Jewish experience in South Carolina from colonial times to the present. The United Daughters of the Confederacy display Charleston's Southern Pride with a collection of Confederate artifacts. Charleston's contributions during the Cold War are displayed at the Cold War Submarine Memorial Foundation.

For the aquatic lover, there is the South Carolina Aquarium. You will have to catch the Dolphins in the Cooper River, however, since South Carolina prohibits keeping Dolphins in captivity. A bonus: next door you will find Ship Shapes Maritime Arts & History Center, a lovely place to learn about all things maritime, and even do some shopping, as they sell nautical-themed antiques and model boats.

Shopping

Blink! is one of Charleston's unique stores offering a selection of ceramics and jewelry from a variety of artists. Boomer's Books and Collectibles is Charleston's biggest used books store with over 35,000 pre-owned titles. Charleston Market downtown offers a wide selection of art, jewelry, clothing books and collectibles. Century House Antiques has collections of Chinese and English porcelain from the 18th and 19th centuries. Chapter II Books places the spotlight on books about Charleston and books by Charleston-based authors.

Sports Charleston is home to several sports teams. The South Carolina Sting Rays, a Buffalo Sabres affiliate, were in the playoffs each of their first eight years of existence beginning in 1993. The Charleston Swamp Foxes have seen less success in their young history, but provide the city with a local Arena League-2 football team. The Charleston River Dogs baseball club is a Class-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the South Atlantic League.

The Harbor And what would a large body of water be without boats? Charleston Harbor has several opportunities for fun boating. The Ocean Sailing Academy provides U.S. Sailing Certification courses from the Charleston Harbor Marina and Bohicket Marina. For experienced sailors, the academy also charters boats as large as 46 feet.

If you like to fish, Fin Stalker Charters boasts year-round fishing with Charleston native Captain Chris Chavis. Captain Chris is a 20-year veteran fishing in Charleston's waters. Captain J.R. Waits, of Fish Call Charters, is another experienced guide, who will take the experienced and the novice on light tackle and fly-fishing excursions.

Beaches

For quieter times, Charleston Waterfront Park has 12 acres of shrubbery, trees and benches overlooking the water. The park includes a 400-foot long wharf and fishing pier. Nearby Beachwalker Park furnishes sandy beaches and 450 feet of designated swimming area. Lifeguards are on duty seasonally. Folly Beach is located near Charleston and has a nice selection of seafood restaurants. Isle of Palms is known for its sandwich shops as well as its waterfront.

The choice of where to rest your head in Charleston is difficult. There are hotels and bed and breakfasts throughout the city. Perhaps you would like the briskness of the breeze blowing in from Charleston Harbor. Maybe you would rather hang out in the French Quarter. You may prefer to stay in an old building that conjures up images of the old city. Almost everywhere you turn you will see a slice of history and it is impossible to not be enthralled by the city's richness. The bed and breakfasts are enormously popular in Charleston and early reservations are recommended.

On the Waterfronts

The Harbourview Inn is a four-diamond hotel located by Waterfront Park. Its 52 rooms demonstrate the elegance and hospitality that defines the Old South. You can enjoy wine and cheese in the afternoon or milk and cookies at night. Palmer Home Bed & Breakfast was built in 1848 and has withstood hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. It is a private home owned by the same family for three generations. Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina at Patriots Point boasts a man made beach on the property and is located only two miles from downtown Charleston. The hotel offers fishing charters, jogging trails and bike paths. Situated along The Battery near the harbor, The Battery Carriage House Inn is a bed and breakfast offering a harbor view, intimate rooms and private gardens. One of South Carolina's finest golf resorts, Wild Dunes is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The Cottages at James Island County Park sit ten minutes from the beaches on the edge of 643 acres of campground, bike trails, freshwater lakes to complement the saltwater fishing, and 10 acres of open meadows.

Historic District

Mills House Hotel is a reconstruction of the original Mills House Hotel—only with modern amenities. Palmer's Pinckney Inn is located within walking distance of much of downtown Charleston and the Historic District. The Best Western King Charles Inn was originally the Pavilion Hotel. All fourteen rooms of The Barksdale House Inn bed and breakfast provide something unique, whether it is a bed decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl or a bedside gas fireplace. The inn features a back porch garden and a continental breakfast each morning. The Jasmine House Inn is a Greek revival mansion in the Ansonborough area dating to 1843, and it is within walking distance to many downtown attractions. Historic Governor's House Inn was the home of Governor Edward Rutledge in the late 18th century and is also near many popular landmarks. The Indigo Inn carries a four-diamond rating from AAA. The building was originally a 19th-century warehouse for the indigo plant. Two Meeting Street Inn has garnered a reputation as one of the most enchanting bed and breakfasts in the South. The Francis Marion Hotel opened in 1924 and is named after the infamous Revolutionary War hero also known as “The Swamp Fox." Villa De La Fontaine Bed and Breakfast is a six-room (each with private bath), eighteenth-century mansion with a garden, terraces and tennis. The Best Western Sweetgrass and Days Inn Historic District provide 21st-century facilities in an 18th-century atmosphere.

French Quarter

The 45-room Vendue Inn is conveniently located near landmarks and boasts oriental rugs and lace-canopied beds. Fully modernized amenities complement the authentic 18th-century feel. 4 Unity Alley is literally tucked away in an alley between East Bay and State streets. The building is another renovated warehouse dating to the 18th century.

Modern Alternatives

For more contemporary accommodations, there are the Embassy Suites North Charleston hotel and convention center near the airport, the Radisson Hotel Charleston Airport, the Charleston Marriott, and the Courtyard Charleston Downtown/Riverview.