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One of the best times to visit Charleston is during the holiday season. King Street will be decorated with twinkling lights, and holiday music will fill the streets, restaurants, and shops. The best part? It will still be warm enough here to leave your winter coat at home. Wondering where to eat dinner on Thanksgiving…

Rainbow Row is one of the most iconic streets in Charleston, and it’s a great example of South Carolinian Georgian row house architecture. Though many of these homes are historic, their bright-colored hues are slightly new to Charleston’s architectural landscape. Find out how these homes got their pastel colors, how to get to this historic…

Experiencing Charleston by land is a sight to behold, but seeing it by sea? That’s a whole other story. Discover the history and natural splendor of Charleston from an alternative angle —  the water. These Charleston boat tours offer visitors a view of the harbor and its waterways that aren’t accessible on land. Most offer…

Sullivan’s Island is a 3.4-square-mile island, located on South Carolina’s sandy coast. It sits just across the harbor from Charleston and offers visitors and locals a little break from city life, amazing views, and outdoor recreation. There are plenty of things to do in Sullivan’s Island, including the beach, private tours, and more. The area…

Just as you head to Charleston to enjoy the pastel-colored mansions and waterfront views, you might take a drive to Savannah to enjoy the large estates and charming city squares. Charleston’s sister city might share a small amount of history with its younger sibling, but the differences are substantial enough to make the trip out…

Fort Sumter National Monument is one of the most popular historic attractions in Charleston.  The site of the shots fired that marked the official start of the Civil War, Fort Sumter is a physical reminder of the events leading up to this moment. Built just after the War of 1812, the fort also features exhibits on its design. Patriots Point and Fort Sumter tours run year-round and are included in the cost of your National Park ticket.  Patriots Point and Fort Sumter National Monument can be visited in tandem or separately, yet many visitors choose to visit them on the same day because Fort Sumter can be reached from Patriots Point by ferry.  While the exhibits at Fort Sumter focus mostly on Civil War history, the attractions at Patriots Point revolve primarily around the history of World War II and…

Charleston is a foodie’s dream vacation destination. You can’t walk two blocks in this town without stumbling up on the best oysters, grits, and stews in the South. In fact, some of the most iconic southern dishes were invented right here in the Holy City. Luckily, you don’t need to walk far to find a…

A self-guided walking tour is one of the best ways to get to understand the Holy City’s past. Walking down the streets of Charleston, you feel as though you’re walking back in time. These eight free self-guided walking tours detail the city’s history from its conception to modern-day Charlestonian life. No matter what activities are…

Exploring Three Narrow Alleys: Philadelphia Alley, Longitude Lane, and Stoll’s Alley by Amy Tankersley There are three public streets that don’t look like streets in Charleston — Philadelphia Alley, Longitude Lane, and Stoll’s Alley — they are so narrow, that people often walk right past them. They are Charleston’s hidden alleys. They were not originally…

Charleston’s Christmas Past by Amy Tankersley Every Christmas season, we all do our usual holiday routine: shopping for gifts, wrapping gifts, planning the big dinner, putting up the tree, sending out cards, the list goes on. Christmas might end up being exactly the same from year to year, if it wasn’t for one important variable- HISTORY. Every year, your life and your family’s lives have changed. Deaths, births, marriages, divorces, new jobs, lost jobs, re-locating, etc.  Big events of the previous year in your town, state, and country are also in the back of your mind.  And every Christmas, in those quiet moments between the holiday hustle and bustle, most of us do reflect back over the year that’s gone by. I often wonder what would have been on the minds of Charlestonians in the past during the yuletide seasons…