Walking Tour In Charleston, SC

We recently visited Charleston, SC and took a wonderful walking tour....The Charleston Stroll. Highly recommend it to everyone visiting that area. We saw historical mansions, Churches, secret gardens, cobblestone streets, and best of all...The Battery. Our tour guide was the highlight of our day. Very knowledgeable, well versed, and very friendly! Can%26#39;t beat the price...$16.50 per person for a 2 hour tour. Kids 12 and under are free! Visit their website at www.charlestonstrolls.com for more info. Enjoy!

Walking Tour In Charleston, SC

Thanks for the recommendation. We will try it.

8 days to go !!!!!

We%26#39;re leaving next week for MB, and I can%26#39;t wait. We%26#39;re driving down from northern Ohio, and the original plan was to leave at approx. 3 a.m. next Thursday morning and drive all day. Last night we decided to leave after work Wednesday evening drive for about 4 or 5 hours and stay overnight somewhere. We will be on 77 / 64 right around the time we decide to stop. Any recommendations on a hotel for the night or the best area to stop in? (We don%26#39;t want to hit morning traffic when we get back on the road Thursday morning).

8 days to go !!!!!

Akron/Cleveland. Four to five hours would put you in Charleston or Beckley area.

Exit 95 in Charleston would be easiest on and off with several motels and places to eat nearby.

Exit 44 in Beckley would be the same way.

If you really pushed it. Exit 9 in Princeton.

Eight to nine hours to beach from Charleston. Seven to eight from Beckley.

8 days to go !!!!!

Well, I think in about 4-5 hours from you, you should be somewhere in the mountains of VA/WV around like Charleston, WV (is that right). It%26#39;s nice in that area. So any hotels that are a part of the chains would be nice. You can sort of look at them and tell how they are (trucker stops, or whatever). Nice tourist area.

Just returned from a trip to MB. On our way home we stayed over in Beckley, WV. We stayed at the Hampton Inn which was nice- there is a Bob Evans and BBQ restaruant next door. Beckley would probably be a good stop over on your way down.

I was thinking of stopping Beckley. I had originally thought about Charleston but then I thought about morning traffic. I figured I%26#39;d probably avoid that in Beckley.

If you%26#39;re heading south on 77, isn%26#39;t Beckley right before both of the tunnels? I%26#39;ll have a first time vacationer with me and I%26#39;d like to make sure we hit the tunnels and go through Virginia during daylight so he can actually see the scenery.

Exit 95 is right on the south edge of Charleston. Wouldn%26#39;t have any problem with morning traffic. Most of it would be coming north into town while you%26#39;re heading out.

Hour to hour fifteen minutes to Beckley from here. Guess you need to figure where you%26#39;ll be four to five hours after work.

Gets dark around here in the 8:00pm- 8:30pm range. Maybe even a little sooner in the valleys driving down the Turnpike. You know what they say. ';Where the sun don%26#39;t shine.';

Drive time from here to beach would be in the 8-9 hour range depending on driving habits no matter which routes you take. Leave motel around 8:00am and be at beach for dinner.

Would have to do some research but pretty sure there%26#39;s a Country Inn and Suites right off the exit and a Motel 6. There is a Days Inn but it%26#39;s located right next to truck stop and is getting bad rep lately.

IHOP and pretty sure Bob Evans nearby.

I think the tunnels are in Virginia- so yes, I think if you stayed overnight in Beckley you would hit the tunnels during daylight hours the next morning. Drive safely- we saw so many accidents in West Virginia and Virginia!

marriott resort at grand dunes

hi.. has anyone evr stayed at the marriott resort at grand dunes? my family has been to myrtle beach 3 or 4 times and each time stayed at coral beach and coral reef. how would you compare these? thanks

marriott resort at grand dunes

Well from what I%26#39;ve heard from people who stayed there; there is no comparison to the coral reef or coral beach.

If you are looking for price wise, you will pay more for the Marriott. Also, it%26#39;s in a much quieter area of MB. Not saying that the other 2 are horrible but sometimes there%26#39;s not much to compare (you know what I mean) A co-worker stayed there and she said that customer service, cleanliness, pools, location, rooms, and all were top quality for marriott. She did however say that the regular double rooms were a little on the smaller side as compared to other places. Not cramped but just not huge unless you get the Suites which she said are a nice size and very clean and nicely decorated. She felt that it was like staying at one of the hotels she%26#39;s been to in the islands, the way they have it decorated and the way the hotel is layed out and the staff.

Hope this helps.

marriott resort at grand dunes

The Marriott is a beautiful property and the rooms are very nice. The only downside we see to that hotel is that the rooms are just a standard room and very few of them have an actual balcony (I think just the ocean front ones). The location is nice and private.

Reservations for Carriage Ride

Hi Everyone,

I will be visiting Charleston Memorial Day(overnight) and am planning on taking a carriage ride with Old South. How far in advanced do I have to call for reservations. We are planning on doing the carriage ride on the second day thinking it would be a nice thing to see first thing in the morning.

Any info as always is appreciated!

Thanks Jenn

Reservations for Carriage Ride

I think they only take reservations for very large groups. If you would like to go first thing in the morning, show up a little before 9 (which is when they begin). The tours sit about 10-14 people and they fill them up first come, first served. Discounted tix avail. at the visitors center: $16.50 per adult!

Enjoy your tour!

Reservations for Carriage Ride

Ener is correct. I don%26#39;t think that Old South takes advanced reservations. If you are wanting to do a private tour with 2-4 people then I would call in advance. If you want to do the public tour like Ener stated, you should stop by the Visitors Center and get your advanced tickets. We sell them a lot cheaper and then you can use them anytime. For a historic tour they run from 9am-5pm.

Thanks for all the information! I can%26#39;t wait to get down there :)

how can you get a private tour? we are a family of 7 - do you think a private tour would be bettp53-F

how can you get a private tour? we are a family of 7 - do you think a private tour would be better?

You can get a private trip, but that requires calling ahead. The carriage we went on had 12 people. There are a lot of carriage tours so getting all of you together in a carriage ride will be no problem. We used Old South and loved it!

You can get a private trip, but that requires calling ahead. The carriage we went on had 12 people. There are a lot of carriage tours so getting all of you together in a carriage ride will be no problem. We used Old South and loved it!

blackheads

Any recommended family hotels for first timer

Hello everyone,

My wife and i will be travelling to MB in August for the first time with our 2children, ages 2 and 5. After countless hours of visiting sites Im not quite sure where to stay. I would appreciate some advise from others that have visited this area and stayed at certain hotels. As we earn average incomes, we would also enjoy a bit of savings or any deals which may be available. We would prefer a location that offers a room set up like a suite so to be able to seperate ourselves from the kids at bed time or for naps in the afternoon. Thank you so much for your help and I look forward to hearing from anyone who could share their experiences.

Any recommended family hotels for first timer

Hi.. Mark and Kristin....

We stay at Ocean Creek Resort..South Towers..

you can check out this website.. vrbo

They have 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom suites there..

the layout .. is the master suite is ocean front... and the

other bedrooms are in the back..

They also offer.. several types of accommodations, from garden homes to lodges.. to the Towers..

Another place you may check into is Kingston Plantation...

lots of accommodations to choose from as well...

Any recommended family hotels for first timer

I would suggest getting a condo in North Myrtle Beach. Kids that age will be thrilled spending hours at the beach daily (our are!). Elliott Realty (northmyrtlebeachtravel.com) has a great website and hundreds of selections. If you want to save a couple bucks, stay in a 2 bed, 2 bath condo (2nd row). Location would be across the street from the beach, but rates are much less than ocean front.

We have stayed bunches of times at Dayton House. We love it! It has several pools inside/outside, lazy river, hot tub and it is very clean and safe. There are tables with umbrellas on the grassy area between the hotel and the beach. They also have some porch swings too. Check out their website it is very good.

We have also stayed at Hampton Inn Oceanfront it is not as big but it is VERY nice and they have a great free breakfast every morning.

There are several condos in North Myrtle Beach and the Cherry Grove area. Sometimes those are booked months in advance.

-Hampton Inn Oceanfront (www.hamptoninnmyrtlebeach.com) they are a little expensive if you are watching your spending. Average in August will be around $300.00 p/night. They have suites that you are looking for. The later in August the better, after the 20th or so. They also give you free breakfast.

-Dayton House (www.daytonhouse.com) they have pretty reasonable rates. I haven%26#39;t seen any hotels that are that reasonable and yet I have never seen a negative (other than a security issue and a customer service issue) on any forums or other websites. I have been in their lobby and their pools looked clean and the rooms from what I understand are clean as well. They have the suites that you are looking for.

-Breakers Paradise Towers only (www.breakers.com)(we are staying here this summer in August) maybe a little expensive but we will have an extra paying adult. Got a 2 Br 2 Bth, LR, DR, Full Kit, washer and dryer. Oceanfront $1,000 for 3 nights. I would have never done this if the other adult wasn%26#39;t paying for half. Also, we stayed at the Breakers resort hotel and we love the hotel itself but the Resort hotel needs updating. Paradise towers is fairly new (2004) so it%26#39;s still looking good. Nice pool area as well. My 5-year old loved the Pirate ship and the Lazy River. The 2-year old just put her feet in the water with mommy and floated on the Lazy River.

-If you are staying more than 4-5 nights, I would suggest renting a beach house/condo or something. I got one of the beach house books and you could rent an entire house for 7 days depending on location in MB (north, strip, southern) for $1,500 or a little more. Only downside is you don%26#39;t have maid service (you are on vacation) you don%26#39;t have the lazy rivers and pool attractions like at most hotels, that the kids will love and it%26#39;s free with your stay.

-Compass Cover (www.compasscove.com) The Pinnacle Building has recently been upgraded (it needed it, we stayed there 4 years ago and it was a little outdated and the elevators I hear are still slow.) The Mariner Building is nice they have the newer accomodations and the suite that you are looking for. Nice pool area. Close to Family Kingdom, pavilion, and other attractions.

We recently stayed at the Kingston Plantation Embassy Suites and really liked it. There are many pools including a splash pool for children and a lazy river. There are daily childrens activities planned. The rooms are nice for a family- living room w/fridge %26amp; sink and a seperate bedroom. We found the hotel rooms to be very quiet. The bedroom and living room are divided by the bathroom for extra quietness during sleeping times. The beach is great and there are lifeguards, chair %26amp; umbrella rentals if needed. The breakfast which is included with your room was really nice for a family with kids- one less meal to buy. We liked the location of Kingston Plantation- the grounds are nice and in the northern part of MB so not as crammed in like some of the hotels in the southern part (depends on what you prefer). The website is www.kingstonplantation.com. Good luck choosing a place to stay.

Some great suggestions and I%26#39;ll just add a few others to the mix:

Monteray Bay Suites -- all these units are set up to where when you come into the unit you enter thru the bedroom area, then the kitchen is in the center and a nice size living room faces the ocean. Nice balconies, and there is a queen size murphy bed. This place is really clean, a nice breakfast buffet and an evening dessert reception is included in the rate. The pool area is nice with a decent size lazy river, indoor/outdoor pool and hot tub.

Grande Shores -- just about any size of accomodations that you may be looking for. In the same area at Monteray Bay, one of my favorite areas of the beach.. Good value for the $$.

You might check into www.vrbo.com for some condo options. Look for Southwind Villas, or Forest Dunes.

:)

Just wanted to thank everyone for there input. I have checked most of the placed listed as well as one that a co-worker suggested.

CAPTAINSQUARTERS

It seems very nice and lots to do. we have been quoted 120 + tax which seems reasonable at that time. If anyone has anything to say about this location it would be appreciated. If not this hotel we like dayton House and a smaller property, Johnathon harbour which offers a 5 nite package for 295 + tax.

Again thanx

Captains Quaters is a older hotel that could with stand some renovations.

I hotel that I would reccomend is Coral Beach Resort. They are just south of Captains Quaters. THey have about the same amenties and they just renovated earlyer this year. There web address is www.myrtlebeach-resorts.com/cb/index.cfm

Coral Beach Resort will most likely cost you over $1,000 a week in August. This will be not be a suite...will have 2 double beds in the same room. On the other hand, for the budget minded, you can get a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, full kitchen condo (many have washer/dryers)in North Myrtle Beach for half that price in August. Twice as much room, half the price (if 2nd row).

Planning a family vacation

I am planning a vacation for our family sometime in September. I have three girls ages 18, 14, and 7. We are considering the Marriott Barony, Marriott Beach %26amp; Golf Resort and the Hilton Oceanfront Resort. I am curious as to when the season ends. I have read that many resorts offer activities for the kids through early September but I cannot find a cutoff date. Are they only offered in August? I would hate to go one week later and the kids not be able to have the activities to participate in. Thanks for your advice.

Planning a family vacation

Each Resort my be different, I%26#39;d suggest you call them. Your 7 year old may enjoy the story teller in Sea Pines. I%26#39;m not sure when that ends... Contact a resort in Sea Pines and ask them when the story teller ends for the summer. This person is well known and I%26#39;ve told he is a real hoot for the kids!

Planning a family vacation

Since we get a lot of visitors from Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois in the summer. Our island quiets down the last two weeks of August.

that said many places do continue their activities through September and some into The second week of October. the Barony which is a timeshare resort, has more planned activities than the other two.

My personal recommendation is the Hilton Resort, which is behind the gate in Palmetto Dunes.

Stan (hhiguy)

Myrtlewood Villas-Beach shuttles? Has anyone tried them?

We are leaning toward Myrtlewood Villas for our July vacation. The website says they have shuttles to the beach and the pavilion etc. Since we won%26#39;t have a vehicle we will be using the shuttles if we stay there. Does anyone know if they are reliable? Also, where can we find the best rate on these condos? Perhaps a private owner? Any help would be appreciated. John and Maureen

Myrtlewood Villas-Beach shuttles? Has anyone tried them?

Your on vacation why would you want to rely on shuttles to get to the beach.Myrtlewood is great for golfers but can be a hassle for beachgoers.Try Forest Dunes,Long Bay,Beach Colony Grande Dunes or Southwind and put yourself right on that beach.