09-18-24 A QUICK DRIVE NORTH FROM SAVANNAH TO CHARLESTON SHOWS MORE OF THE HISTORY & CULTURE OF THE SOUTH

CHARLESTON IS A QUICK TWO HOURS FROM SAVANNAH. MUCH LIKE SAVANNAH, IT HAS SO MANY THINGS TO SEE AND DO YOU WILL NEVER BE WONDERING - NOW WHAT DO WE DO? FOUNDED IN 1670, THIS GRAND SOUTHERN CITY HAS A COMPLICATED HISTORY - SLAVERY, SMALLPOX, MALARIA, HURRICANES AND MANY OTHER MALADIES PLUS THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND THE CIVIL WAR AFFECTED THIS CITY. TODAY IT HAS IT ALL - AMAZING FOOD, FREINDLY PEOPLE, AN ECLECTIC ART SCENE AND WATER EVEYWHERE.

FIRST - WHERE TO STAY

We enjoyed Charleston several years ago. I posted about Charleston and The Inn at Middleton Place where we stayed in August of 2012. This hotel is noted as a winner of the highest design award from The American Institute of Architects. It is a modern hotel sensitive to the local history of the area. However, it was about thirty minutes from downtown Charleston. The hotel was exceptionally well designed, had great food and amazing views of the Ashley River and the surrounding former plantation. The current day price is around $340 a night. If you want to experience the intimate diversity of Charleston up close and personal reserve one of the many super cool AIRBNB's all over the city for reasonable prices. On the other hand, The Middleton will afford you and yours a great place to stay and relax after a busy day of walking and enjoying Charleston.

SO, WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

Charleston has great restaurants, great museums, interesting walking tours, a birds of prey sanctuary, all manner of other interesting tours, Cypress Gardens where you can enjoy being rowed around in a black swamp and many other things to see and do. Just click the SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW link above.

A few quotes on this quintessential very old and very modern city:

“Charleston is one of the best built, handsomest, and most agreeable cities that I have ever seen.” – Marquis de Lafayette

“I’m going back to dignity and grace. I’m going back to Charleston, where I belong.”– Rhett Butler, Gone With The Wind

“Walking the streets of Charleston in the late afternoons of August was like walking through gauze or inhaling damaged silk.” – Pat Conroy

“Come quickly, have found heaven.” – Artist Alfred Hutty

Anyway you ponder Charleston you will be glad you walked its streets, ate its food and saw its beauty.

See ya next week with more places to wander through.

D.L.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 VIDEO OF THE WEEK

From a native of Charleston - multi-award-winning Darius Rucker performs one of his biggest hits originally written by Bob Dylan - Wagon Wheel.