Fun Things to do in Charleston! 

Downtown: 

• Walk down "Rainbow Row" on East Bay Street towards Battery Park - awesome views of Charleston Harbor! You may see this area in the Horse & Carriage Tour (they have multiple routes and you won't know which route you are going on until they start the tour).
• Marion Square - every Sat 8-2:00 they have craft and food vendors/sometimes live music 
• Old City Market - shop from local merchants/homemade crafts - this is on Market Street. Takes about 30 minutes to walk through the market -an open-air market for most of the walk. 
• Ghost Tour: https://ghostcitytours.com/ghost-tours/charleston-ghost-tours/
• Culinary Tour - https://charlestonculinarytours.com/ 
• Shops on King Street - 2nd Sundays they close the streets/no cars, live performers https://bit.ly/3IzKPXC
• Rent bikes and ride around the Battery - https://charlestonbikeshare.com/ 
• Take a ferry ride from downtown over to Fort Sumter where the Civil War began. https://fortsumtertours.com/ (this will take a few hours - but the boat ride out there is pretty and you get to see the harbor) 
• Horse and Carriage ride/history tour - https://palmettocarriage.com/- (takes about an hour or so - a good way to see downtown and hear about the history) 
• Historic Home Tour-tour one of the historic famous homes like the Nathaniel Russell house with the free-flying staircase - https://www.historiccharleston.org/house-museums/ 
• Museum Mile on Meeting Street - http://www.charlestonsmuseummile.org/
• Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon - http://www.oldexchange.org/

Thirsty? These are some of our favorite downtown watering holes: 

• The Gin Joint -https://www.theginjoint.com/
• Prohibition -https://bit.ly/3JFNhxe
• Bar at Husk - https://huskrestaurant.com/home/ -tiny but full of character 
• Rooftop Bars - Vendue Inn, Pavillion Bar, Stars on King Street Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar 

Hungry? These are some of our favorite downtown restaurants (definitely make reservations):

• Amen Street-http://amenstreet.com/- Great for oysters
• S.N.O.B.-https://www.snobcharleston.com/
• Coast - https://www.holycityhospitality.com/coast-bar-and-grill/-Great seafood, more casual 
• Hanks - https://hanksseafoodrestaurant.com/fine dining/Seafood 
• McCradys -http://mccradysrestaurant.com/
• 82 Queen – https://www.82queen.com/ -eat outside in a quaint garden setting Brunch
• Poogan's Porch- https://www.poogansporch.com/

Outside of downtown: 

• Walk the Ravenel Bridge to see the views of Charleston Harbor - 2.7 miles, Park at Patriot’s Point (If you aren’t big walkers/runners - I’d recommend just walking to the top and then turning around. There isn’t anything to do on the other side of the bridge.) 
• Paddle Board/Kayak on Shem Creek where the shrimp boats come in - lots of dolphin sightings here - fun restaurants on the water. 
• Angel Oak tree on Johns Island -http://angeloaktree.com/- Thought to be one of the oldest living things in the country. It’s stunning! It’s free and open daily - times vary. 
• Azalea Park- https://www.summervillesc.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Azalea-Park-7-visit historic Downtown Summerville and take a stroll through the beautiful Azalea Park
• Plantation Tours - Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation, Drayton Hall 
• Middleton Place - This plantation is stunning in the Spring when the flowers are in bloom. You can get an annual pass and visit as often as you like. It has lots of trails and interesting historic stops along the trail. We had a pass a couple of years ago and went probably once or twice a month with the kids. 

• Magnolia Plantation- Similar to Middleton Place and along the same road (Highway 61). This plantation has a boat and tram tour around it. It also has a little zoo and lots of wildlife.
• Drayton Hall- Just 13 miles from Downtown Charleston

Beaches: 

• Folly Beach - https://www.ccprc.com/61/Folly-Beach-County-Park (where the surfers hang out, town area has very laid back bars and beach shops) 
• Sullivans Island Beach - https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/
• Isle of Palms - https://www.ccprc.com/60/Isle-of-Palms-County-Park

• Kiawah Island - https://www.ccprc.com/1411/Kiawah-Beachwalker-Park -This is the beach on Johns Island. The county park has bathrooms, showers, and a little snack shop there. There are lifeguards on the beach that cover a set area (I believe the fee is $10 to get into the park- we get a pass every year that allows unlimited entry to all of the county parks for just $70/year- well worth it!)
• Freshfields Village -https://freshfieldsvillage.com/- Shopping and restaurants near the entrance of Kiawah Island
• Bohicket Marina- http://bohicket.com/- several waterfront restaurants near the entrance to Seabrook