In 2020, when our twins Nina and Alex were 9 years old, we decided to drive home to New York from our Christmas vacation in South Florida. We spent one night in Daytona Beach and then made our way to Charleston South Carolina.
Charleston is about a 60 mile detour off I-95, so its definitely not the most efficient place to stop on a road trip of this nature, but we wanted to go, so we did. The scenery along the way is mostly lackluster swamp land. As we slowed our ride to comply with the street signs of this peninsula city, we passed a group of kids and their dog playing catch on the street. Never before had I seen anything like this in real life (only in the movies and on TV). I was charmed.
What we did in Charleston South Carolina:
Magnolia Plantation
Gardens
It was surprisingly crowded at the Magnolia Plantation; when we arrived, there was at least a 90 minute wait to begin any tours. We purchased tickets and went off to explore the vast gardens of the property. Under a gorgeous canopy of Spanish moss trees, we walked the paths and marveled at the lush greenery and beautiful camellias, azaleas and roses that were still in bloom despite the January chill!
We also got to see the special Chinese Lantern exhibit (which is illuminated at night from November though March). Although I thought the exhibit was nice, this modern installation seemed very out of place in the old-time romantic setting of the garden.
Slave quarters
Since we had time constraints, we had to chose only one of the several tours available at the plantation. For me, this choice was a simple one: there is absolutely nothing more crucial to learn about on a plantation than the experience of the slaves. It is of way more importance for my children to know about the injustices that took place right here on American soil than for them to see the antiques and riches of the Big House.
Magnolia Plantation, SC
After a short ride on a little train bound for the “From Slavery to Freedom tour”, our guide provided a brief history of the plantation (which was founded in 1676 by the Drayton family). He also quickly ran through the history of slavery. We learned that Charleston was the largest slave port in the US; approximately 250,000 kidnapped individuals were brought to this city. The 180+ slaves at Magnolia primarily worked on harvesting rice .
After our lecture, we were allowed to explore four housing structures that were restored to resemble different time periods.
The “From Slavery to Freedom tour” was not long enough to cover everything that needed to be discussed (it was only 45 minutes in total). Also, it wasn’t as emotional as it could’ve been (although the guide was obviously emphatically against slavery). I would have preferred to hear more individual accounts and details about the lives and culture of the people who were forced to live and work here.
notes:
- The gorgeous drive to the plantation takes about a half hour from the city.
- The plantation is 464 acres; you could definitely spend more than a day exploring here.
- The snack bar was large and offered many choices. The only place to eat was outside at roof covered picnic tables.
- The (HUGE!) gift shop in the big house has a great selection of books for all ages. We bought three that helped my kids to understand a little more about what it might have been like to be a enslaved: Life on A Plantation and A Slave Family by Bobbie Kalman and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by James Ransome
King Street
This Main Street in Charleston is packed full of restaurants and shops. Here, you can buy anything from trendy clothing to antiques. There are a few high-end designer shops as well. The first two days of January 2020 were super quiet here; most shops were closed and there were few people on the street.
City Market
A visit to this market (which I read features many local artisans) was high on my to-do list. I was especially interested to see the African sweetgrass baskets that were once made on plantations. Sadly, like everything else in Charleston in January, the market stalls close at 5PM (the website said it would be open until 6 ☹️). I saw a poster advertising a night market that will re-open March 15.
We did convince Lena to keep her silhouette making stand open a few minutes later than 5. The art she created (in just abut 10 minutes!) was beautiful.
Palmetto Carriage Works
I read that a horse and carriage tour is essential for every tourist. Since there are so many offered, the city of Charleston regulates the routes using a random lottery selection process. Sadly, we were not the chosen ones to trot down Rainbow Row (only 2 of every 10 rides are allowed on that block).
Our trip took us through the mansion-lined historic district. The homes and gardens were spectacular. I wish we could have gone inside! We listened while our guide spoke a lot (too much!) about the local churches and when their congregations were established. It was pretty dull, but then he discussed the typical architecture of the region. Most interestingly, we learned about the “privacy doors” which face the streets. These appear to be the front door, but instead they open to a side porch that leads to the main entry (which is actually on the side of the house).
Somehow we got into a discussion about homeowners who have been raising their houses because the area is so prone to flooding. In effort to show us some examples, we inadvertently passed by public housing projects that I don’t think many tourists get to see. Here is yet another very clear example of the haves and have-nots of Charleston South Carolina.
Rainbow Row
The 13 homes on this “South of Broad” block are pretty to see because of the colors that they are painted. I ran out of the car to take a photo…and that was that…nothing to really write home about, IMHO.
Pineapple Fountain at Waterfront Park
Since we were short on time, we decided to visit this Charleston landmark at night. It was pretty, but again, not earth shattering. The pictures in the linked site show the true beauty of this fountain.
Where we ate in Charleston South Carolina
Kickin’ Chicken
We were happy to find this super cute bar and grill open on New Year’s Day. It was mostly empty, but I could just imagine it when school is in session…its probably so much fun to hang out there! They had like 10 televisions all tuned in to football (which I thought was a bit much for this small space). The service here was great (they got part of our order wrong and both the server and the cook apologized profusely!!), and the (typical bar) food was pretty good…way better than I expected!
Fuel
It is kind of difficult to locate places to drop in and eat lunch in Charleston (with the exception of on King Street). We planned to have a quick bite before visiting a museum, but we couldn’t find anything nearby. We stumbled upon this restaurant, a former gas station with a fun atmosphere, by mistake. Some blogs that I read while researching for our trip recommended it, so we decided to give it a try. The Ho-Cakes (fried corn patties) were delicious, and Renato said that the fried fish was some of the best he has ever had, but I found the roasted chicken tacos to be dry and bland.
Where we stayed
Wentworth Mansion
Our hotel is a mansion…NO! Literally A MANSION! It is gorgeous here!
Summary:
- Small, sweet and manageable, Charleston South Carolina is a city with real character.
- I think it is best to seen by foot
- It feels like there are a lot of hidden gems throughout this city if you’re in-the-know…we passed one house on a side street (that had no sign) where we saw a fancy bunch of very well dressed people being served a meal.
- I’m certain that the personality of the city changes dramatically when college is in session. I can only imagine how lively and fun it must be.
What to add to this itinerary next time:
- Old Slave Mart Museum was high on my list, but we did not have time to see it ☹️
- Fort Sumter National Monument
- Angel Oak Tree (apparently it was a 45 minute drive from our hotel)
- Eat at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, 5 Church, Vickery’s and Jestine’s Kitchen
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