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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…

A Classic Southern Christmas Pie by Amy Tankersley If you go on my walking tour, you’ll burn up enough calories to break even at the end of the day after eating a piece (or two) of this Lowcountry holiday staple. And when you see me, don’t ask for any baking tips, because I don’t cook….

  If my other two lists of events and things to do in Charleston for Christmas were not enough, here are more! Dickens Dinner at Circa 1886 149 Wentworth St. 843-853-7828 circa1886.com “Travel back in time as storyteller Tim Lowry takes guests to Victorian England for a lively retelling of the beloved ‘A Christmas Carol’. The…

by Amy Tankersley In Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic tale, “A Christmas Carol”, Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by 3 spirits: The Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Present The Ghost of Christmas Future Well, I’m going to write about “A Charleston Christmas” in reverse order: Charleston Christmas Future (2015) Charleston Christmas Present (2015) Charleston…