Need ideas for 1 day Charleston trip

My husband and I will be in Charleston for only one day next month (I know it should be longer). I would like lunch sugggestions concentrating in seafood and southern cuisine. I think we will take a carriage ride first thing as I heard they will not run when it is very hot in the middle of the day (I wouldn%26#39;t want to either) plus that will help us get our bearings. As far as sightseeing, I think it will have to be limited to the downtown and Battery area. Anyone have any ideas for things we should not miss seeing? Ideas for shopping would be appreciated to (I am looking for things unique to the Charleston area that aren%26#39;t found in the Midwest). Is there a river walk? Thanks for any suggestions!

Need ideas for 1 day Charleston trip

Yes~ You should definately come back to Charleston again when you have more time. I know one day is not a lot of time but at least you will be able to see some of the historic district.

Carriage tours are lots of fun and yes I would recommend you doing them earlier in the day. When you arrive in Charleston you will want to come by the Visitors Center (we open at 8:30am) because we sell discount tickets for all of the tour companies.

Once you have done your carriage tour then you will have a good idea of what you will want to go back and look at. You can have lunch and do some shopping in the city market or along King Street. Some nice lunch spots would be Jestines, 82 Queen, Josephs or Fleet Landing if you want to sit on the water. I would suggest walking down Church Street to the Battery. You can walk around the waterfront and look at the beautiful homes and parks.

By that time you will be tired and hot! And then you will want to come and visit Charleston again!

Need ideas for 1 day Charleston trip

I agree with above in regards to a carriage ride. Right near the carriage ride area(all of them are on Anson st) you can go to the open market. They have the baskets there if you want to spend a little bit more money. Also for shopping check out all down King Street. There are a ton of shops there ranging from tourist stuff to fine art. You could also check out the fort sumter tour and aquarium if you want. We went to Charleston for a day and a half last month and walked all over the place! We managed to do the fort, aquarium, carriage tour and market walk on the full day. THe next day we hit up king street. Bring really comfy shoes and drink water as it is hot there! I love Charleston!

I think you have the right idea about taking the carriage tour early in the day. I would recommend Palmetto Carriage Works. They do an excellent job and have an unparalleled animal welfare record.

If you are going to be in town at night, you might want to do a ghost tour and graveyard tour. Even if you aren%26#39;t so much in to ghosts, the graveyard tour tells you about burial practices and superstitions of old. They also explain the meanings behind the different funerary (sp?) art. I find all that stuff fascinating. There are a million, seems like, ghost tour companies. I have gone with Bulldog tours the last few times. They are the only ones allowed to take you inside the graveyard and that does make a difference as to what you see. I was born and raised here, so we do this stuff quite a bit! :)

I also think the walk to the Battery along Church street then (depending where you carriage took you, either turn left and walk up East Batter along the waterfront, or turn right and at the next corner turn right onto Meeting Steet. Either of these will take you back to the Market area, passing by some beautiful homes and historic buildings. My suggestion for lunch is Poogan%26#39;s Porch on Queen Street. It is an old house converted to a restaurant. Excellent lowcountry food. If you are here for breakfast, I would recommend Joseph%26#39;s. Awesome breakfast. If you have time, I would also recommend going into one of the historic house museums. My favorites are the Nathaniel Russell House and the Joseph Manigault House. Hope some of this helps!

Most of all.....take the time to walk the city and enjoy the charm that is unique to my hometown!

Waterfront Park, The Battery, and The Market are must walk areas (parking is a bear).

Carriage rides are fun but it is getting way too hot to be sitting with a bunch of sweatty people for an extended period.

Eating, my favorite pasttime, can be sated at many restaurants. Blossoms is great, Bocci%26#39;s has great Italian food, Hymans has a wide variety of seafood to chose from (as well as cheesecake). Breakfast/ Brunch can be had at Sweetwater Cafe. All within walking distance of the Market.

Thanks so much for some great ideas. I can%26#39;t wait to get there.