Forever Charleston

The City of Spires

by J. J. Scott

Located between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, the Charleston’s Historic Downtown District is a living museum with a wonderful variety of things to see and do. For the past three centuries Charleston has survived wars, fires, earthquakes and hurricanes - and despite it all, retained both her beauty and her dignity. The beautifully preserved city has tours with a variety of themes plus historic homes and plantations open to the public. With more than 130 churches Charleston has been dubbed “City of Spires” and “Holy City.”

Forever Charleston: The first stop in Charleston should be at the Visitor Center. The staff will book tours and help planning a visit including finding accommodations. It is home to "Forever Charleston," a 36-minute multi-image presentation that offers insight to the city’s history and local sights and sounds. Charleston's citizens tell about the city in their own words.

Museums: The city is home to many museums but the Charleston Museum founded in 1773 is America's first museum. From the replica of the Hunley outside to exhibits featuring the cultural, historic and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry, the ticket also includes admission to two premier historic houses, the Heyward-Washington House and the Joseph Manigualt House.

Touring: The Gray Line off-on city tour is an excellent way to get oriented and the best way to prioritize places to visit. Several tour options are available including one that offers the city tour with a stop at Charleston’s Battery and a choice of a cruise to Fort Sumter or a cruise around Charleston Harbor.

Fort Sumter: The un-civil war began in Charleston. Decades of growing strife between North and South erupted in civil war on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery opened fire on the Federal fort in Charleston Harbor. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. While waiting for the scenic boat ride to the island fort on-shore displays set the stage for the visit where the history of the fort is explained more completely. www.nps.gov/fosu

Gullah: African American heritage is an integral part of the fabric of life in Charleston. It is estimated that between 40-60 percent of all enslaved Africans entered the United States through the Lowcountry. Their culture, Gullah, is found in the speech, food, and history of Charleston. Gullah Tours offer an introduction to the African Americans to Charleston and includes a stop at the workshop of Philip Simmons, the Charleston’s most celebrated ironworker. His work can be viewed in many of the iron gates that add to the architectural heritage of the city. www.gullahtours.com

Churches: Of the many churches of interest one of the most unique in design is the Circular Church. The Independent Church of Charles Towne was organized in 1681. In 1806 the church commissioned a unique circular building. Fire and earthquakes caused it to be rebuilt many times until it reached its present configuration. The cemetery is also of interest. Once a week, visitors are invited to “Yeddy dat music,” (Gullah for “hear the music”). During the free musical presentation visitors are encouraged to “clap yo’ hans’ an’ stump yo’ futs.” www.circularchurch.org

Houses: The distinctive single-style houses with the long side open porches called piazzas are found on homes of working-class families as well as the huge Grandes Dames of Charleston. Rich or poor, most of the porch piazza ceilings are painted haint blue because it was thought to keep away the evil spirits. Many historic homes are open for tours include the 1803 Joseph Manigualt House, which is a premier example of federal architecture.

The water: Water has defined Charleston from it founding. Besides visiting the fort and water tours, the Hunley submarine and USS Yorktown are part of the history of the Charleston and the United States. In 2000, the Hunley, a Civil War submarine, completed its voyage to Charleston that began in 1864. The Hunley is housed in a specially designed tank of freshwater awaiting conservation at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center located in the former Charleston Navy Yard. Tours of the USS Yorktown, a Ticonderoga-class ship operational from 1984 to 2004 are also available.

Plantations: The very words Charleston and Lowcountry evoke images of live oaks lining the way to columned plantation houses. Explore the antebellum culture with a visit to one of the many plantations open for visitors, including Boone Hall and Magnolia Plantation. The Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island is America’s only commercial tea plantation where tea production is explained and includes a trolley tour of the fields.

Dining: Seafood lovers will be spoiled by the choices from white-tablecloth dining to the quirky Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Bubba Gump is the first theme restaurant inspired by a film, “Forrest Gump.” The restaurant has a unique paging system consisting of two license plates on the tables marked "Run Forrest Run" from Jenny's famous quote and "Stop Forrest Stop" based on the sign used to help Forrest when he played football at the University of Alabama.

No visit to Charleston would be complete without shopping for a sweet grass basket and taking a carriage ride, plus there are art galleries, beaches, golfing, and a variety of activities and things to experience. For more information check www.charlestoncvb.com.

Suggested accommodation: Hampton Inn Historic District on 345 Meeting Street, Charleston is located in an 1860 restoration of a century-old railroad warehouse. It is located across the street from the Visitor Center, the Charleston Museum, and the Joseph Manigualt House.