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Charleston, SC
Updated: September 3rd, 2020
Below is a list of best places I would visit on a trip to this location. My picks fit my personality and interest. Everyone has a different interest so you may not like everything I listed which is fine. If you like a place, I recommend saving it to Google Maps for a future trip down the road. I made sure to include the address or GPS to make it easier to find. You can find out more about me in the "About Me" section to see if we share common interests.
In the info below, the yellow cost number is just an estimated amount at the time I checked their website; over time, the amount could change. With the cost of a hotel room, I'm pricing a queen bed for two people for a night on the weekend, and the amount shown is before taxes. These figures are just a rough estimate of what places could cost, so if incorrect, I apologize.
Breakfast
- Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
476 1/2 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
They are known for their little southern biscuits. Food & Wine, Southern Living, The New York Times and Oprah, all have written good reviews about Callie's Hot Little Biscuit. I would get Bacon Egg Cheese Biscuit Sandwich and 3 for $6 mix and match hot little biscuits with cinnamon, blackberry, and shortcake.
Activities
- RiverDogs Baseball
360 Fishburne St, Charleston, SC 29403
A class Single-A South Atlantic League baseball team that is affiliated with the New York Yankees. The RiverDogs has some of the best ballpark food around the minor leagues. Make sure to grab yourself a homewrecker hot dog with chili, nacho cheese, and bacon if still offered at the park.
- Fort Sumter National Monument
340 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401
Its a nice ferry ride out of Charleston Harbor to Fort Sumter secluded on an island. The park ranger will give a tour of the fort when you arrive; altogether, you spend about an hour on the island. Plenty of time to take photos of the cannons. The ferry departs from two locations, either near the South Carolina Aquarium or Patriots Point Naval Museum.
Ferry Cost: $24.00
- South Carolina Aquarium
100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC 29401
South Carolina Aquarium was announced as one of ten recipients of the 2019 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. The aquarium puts a lot of effort into helping sea turtles. Their animal exhibits take you throughout South Carolina from the mountains to the oceans. The centerpiece is the two-story, 385,000-gallon Great Ocean Tank, where you will see Caretta, a 220-pound loggerhead sea turtle hanging out with some sharks.
Adult Admission: $29.95
- Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
3550 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC 29414
Yes, I know about Middleton Plantation, but I feel overall that Magnolia Plantation has more to over to the public. It is Charleston's most visited plantation. Magnolia Plantation was selected as one of "America's Most Beautiful Gardens" by Travel + Leisure Magazine, which is the only garden in South Carolina to have that honor. It is the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870. The plantation has numerous tour options, e.g., boat, tram, and house tours.
Adult Admission with All Tours: $60.00
- North Charleston Fire Museum
4975 Centre Pointe Dr, North Charleston, SC 29418
This museum has the largest collection of professionally restored American LaFrance fire apparatus in the country. All the museum pieces in the collection still function properly and can still fight fires. One of the best museums dedicated to fire fighting in the United States. Plenty of good photo opportunities at this museum.
Adult Admission: $6.00
Lunch/Dinner
- Halls Chophouse
434 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Best steakhouse and service in Charleston go to Halls Chophouse. They also rank third by Tripadvisor for "Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the United States for 2020." After the main course, save room for dessert ( Southern Caramel Cake) because they excel in that department.
- Poe's Tavern Sullivans Island
2210 Middle St, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
Poe's Tavern Sullivans Island is one of the best burger places in the Charleston area. The restaurant has an Edgar Allan Poe theme because the famous writer called that area home in his early years. I would order the Tell-Tale Heart, a burger topped with a fried egg, applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese.
- Rodney Scott's BBQ
1011 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
There are a few excellent BBQ places in Charleston, Rodney Scott is toward the top of the list. The restaurant was named one of the 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit Magazine. In 2018, Rodney Scott was awarded the James Beard Foundation's award for Outstanding Chef Southeast. I would order Rod's original whole-hog pork sandwich, 6oz of pit-cooked whole hog, served open face on white bread topped with Rod's sauce, and crumbled pork skins.
- Lewis Barbecue
464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403
Lewis Barbecue is another excellent BBQ place that ranks high among peers in the Charleston. The local Charleston paper named Lewis Barbecue best BBQ, ribs, brisket, and pitmaster for 2020. I would order the El Sancho (Loco Version), a sandwich with pulled pork, chopped beef, and hot guts sausage topped with pickled red onion.
Places to Stay
- The Spectator Hotel
67 State St, Charleston, SC 29401
+ One of the top hotels in Charleston year after year.
+ Complimentary bicycles to borrow
+ Personable butlers are offer
+ Prohibition-style bar
+ A gourmet continental breakfast is delivered to your door each morning
The average cost a night on a weekend in October: $486
21 and Up Fun
- Westbrook Brewing Company
510 Ridge Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
+ Twenty-two rotating beers on tap inside the taproom
+ Outside beer garden.
+ Tours are free and start about once an hour
+ Try "Orange Creamsicle Shake IPA," a hazy milkshake IPA (7.0% ABV) with orange, lactose, and vanilla.
+ Current Hours (As Dated at Top) : Tues-Fri 4pm-8pm Sat 12pm-6pm
- Holy City Brewing
1021 Aragon Ave, Charleston, SC 29405
+ Twenty-eight rotating beers on tap inside the taproom
+ Free tours available on request
+ Try "Pluff Mud Porter," an American porter style beer (5.5% ABV) with chocolate notes and a silky finish.
+ Current Hours (As Dated at Top) : Mon-Sun 11am-10pm
- Palmetto Brewing Co.
289 Huger St, Charleston, SC 29403
+ The first licensed brewery to open in the state of South Carolina
+ Try "Idle Speed," a lager beer (4.8% ABV) with lime and a pinch of sea salt
+ Interesting weekly SpeakEasy Program that allows you earn free awards
+ Current Hours (As Dated at Top) : Mon-Thurs 4pm-9pm Fri-Sat 1pm-9pm Sun 1pm-7pm
Out of Bounds
- Cypress Gardens
3030 Cypress Gardens Rd, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
I know about Cypress Gardens from the movie The Patriot (2000), the location was the swamp hideout for the American Colonist. You can either walk the trail (3.5 miles) through the swamp and gardens or follow a marked trail by swamp boat (more adventurous way). You can also visit the Swamparium, home to various species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles native to the swamp. Do not leave without taking a picture of the church ruins in the middle of the black swamp.
29 miles from Charleston
- The Southern General
3157 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
The Southern General creates some amazing house sandwiches; it's hard to pick just one. The entire menu is on point. I would order the pulled pork sandwich, house braised pork with sweet tea BBQ sauce on a grilled brioche bun.
9.5 miles from Charleston
Again these are my picks that fit my personality and interest. If you feel that I left one-off that may interest me or other people, message me on Facebook about the location. I value a person's opinion and never just discard the information. Always looking forward to learning about new places to add to my Google Map. ~ Shawn