Doing the Charleston...

April 3, 2015 5:00 AM

So, a couple of dear friends are going to Charleston the week of April 13-19. They already have a place to stay, but I'm looking for suggestions as to the coolest, most wonderful things to do / eat / see while they are there.

Money is not a huge issue, so the suggestions need not be limited to 'free stuff', although those are fine too!

They both love gardening, and pets, and are in reasonably good shape, although will probably not be keen to go hiking in any nearby foothills :)

I have looked at past Asks regarding Charleston, but was hoping for a more rounded / up-to-date set of suggestions. Thanks all!

posted by PlantGoddess to Travel & Transportation around Charleston, SC (7 answers total)

Edmunds Oast is the hot new dinner spot, but it's in a sort of industrial area in the not-cute part of town.

Best part of Charleston is walking, so as long as its not too hot, it's great (there are no foothills within 2 hours). Riding a bike is great, you can rent from various places for $20 a day.
posted by sandmanwv at 6:12 AM on April 3, 2015

Rooftop bar at sunset- there's a bunch of bars that have this in the main strip - very pretty to see the sunset
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 6:16 AM on April 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

The gardens at Magnolia Plantation are stunning. They are, of course, also the result of a brutal and troubling history, like most of the stunningly beautiful things around here.
posted by dr. boludo at 8:21 AM on April 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

My husband and I stumbled on the Boulevard Diner a few years ago. It is MUCH BETTER than the building would suggest; delicious food and reasonably priced.

The South Carolina aquarium in Charleston is nice enough, but the sea turtle hospital in the basement is completely fascinating. I strongly recommend touring the sea turtle hospital, even if you skip the rest of the aquarium.
posted by workerant at 9:18 AM on April 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Not at all trendy, but when my wife and I used to visit Charleston we'd always make a point of going to Bessinger's for delicious BBQ. Definitely a 'won't be able to move once you're done' sort of place (if you do it right), but hey, you say your friends weren't planning on doing any hiking anyway ...
posted by DingoMutt at 10:25 AM on April 3, 2015

I am currently sitting in the Atlanta airport on my way home from a trip to Charleston! The beaches are a little ways outside of town, but very much worth visiting if they'll have a car. And if they go to Folly Beach, they should definitely stop at "Baguette Magic" for croissants on their way there. It looks like nothing from the outside, but they make some of the best croissants I've had in this country. And Edmund's Oast is fantastic, as sandmanwv says. We also had very good meals at Hominy Grill, Xiao Bao Biscuit, and The Ordinary, and excellent cocktails at Proof and The Belmont.
posted by dizziest at 10:38 AM on April 3, 2015

They both love gardening ...
I have looked at past Asks regarding Charleston

If you've looked at past Asks, you may have seen my previous answers, so I'm just going to re-emphasize one particular thing:

Love of gardening + Charleston + mid April == plantation visit.

dr. bodulo has already mentioned Magnoila, so I'll plug their neighbor down the road, Middleton Place. I would imagine that both of them should be pretty close to peak flower bloom that week, and for anyone with a love of horticulture, the experience is breathtaking.
posted by radwolf76 at 1:16 AM on April 6, 2015