Downtown Charleston, South Carolina - Charleston SC Off the Beaten Path

Preview: Charleston, which has been called The Holy City; The City by the Sea, Where the Ashley and the Cooper Rivers Meet to Form the Atlantic Ocean; and The Home of Rhett Butler, is the perfect place to begin a tour of the old Palmetto State. Settled in 1680, this remarkable town literally has to be seen to be believed. My grandmother, who was from the Midlands around Columbia, used to huff and hiss, “Charlestonians are all right but everybody knows they’re just too poor to paint and too proud to whitewash.” You might consider seriously the recommendation that you don’t even think about driving around Charleston. The streets are narrow, many are paved with cobblestones, and the one-way traffic can be a nightmare in rush hours. (Women wearing high heels will have a tough time negotiating cobblestones.) Parking on the street is almost impossible. The easier approach is to park your car in a downtown lot and forget it. The standard rate is about $5.00 a day. Since Charleston and the Low Country area attract more than five million guests each year, hotel, guest house, and bed-and-breakfast owners have built a reputation for hospitality and extremely high standards. Charleston is famous for its bed-and-breakfasts in particular, and one local service does everything possible to match the guests to whatever sort of accommodations they want: The above description is an excerpt from "South Carolina: Off the Beaten Path." Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, this chapter from the Off the Beaten Path series will help you take the "road less traveled" and discover hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales that most tourists miss.
© Copyright William Price Fox published by Insiders' Guide all rights reserved.


This travel guide comes from:
South Carolina Off the Beaten Path Guide Book