CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Of all the places in the U.S. vying for those vacation dollars each year the historic, coastal resort area of Charleston, South Carolina is in the coveted Top Five!  In fifth place among many prestigious places in The States that beckon tourists from far and wide Charleston is a unique city unto its own.  There is no place like it, albeit there are often comparisons made between the likes of Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana and even to some European cities.  Similar, yes…but, very, very different!  And, how so, you ask?

Charleston boasts a plethora of truly fantastic restaurants.  In fact it is said that there is a disproportionately high number of fine dining establishments to the relatively small population of 106,712, last count!  Johnson and Wales Culinary School played an decisive role in the development of Charleston’s culinary scene, as did the advent of The Spoleto USA Festival of the arts, which was spawned by the mother festival in Spoleto, Italy in the mid-late 1970’s.  Spoleto USA attracts avid enthusiasts of the visual and performing arts from all over the globe from mid-May to mid-June each year.  But, that’s another subject altogether!

Charleston’s average annual temperature of 74F is yet another reason that people love to visit.  And, it must be fair warning, that many who visit not only return year-after-year to vacation, but some relocate permanently.  It is a vibrant city for all ages with so many options on the “things to do” list that one could never be bored.  One other warning on the subject of weather…the sky is blue throughout the year…no gray skies for the most part to bring you down!  Well there are those hot, humid days in July and August, but the sweltering heat of two months is worth the trade-off of glorious weather for the rest of the year.  Throw those ice scrapers away!  The only thing that you have to knock off your windshield is about an inch of pollen each morning in the springtime!  Still a fair trade-off…

Charleston has won the coveted distinction for seven years in a row as “The Friendliest City in The U.S.” by a national publication that bestows the honor each year.  The Southern hospitality is genuine and warm and obviously works! 

Flowers of various assortments are in bloom throughout the year.  What better way to brighten an already bright day than the sight of a fresh flower in full bloom…in December?  Yes!  And there are flower festivals sprinkled around the area in Spring, like The Flowertown Festival in Summerville just 25 minutes up I-26 from historic, downtown Charleston.  A dizzying array of millions, well, countless azaleas blossoms in full bloom.  And, that’s another story on its own…

History buffs come to indulge their passion in a place that goes back to the early days of colonial settlers, The American Revolution, The War Between The States (aka, The War of Northern Aggression, The Civil War) and more.  Charleston is truly a living museum.  During The Civil War Edgar Allen Poe was stationed on Ft. Moultrie, just across the harbor from Charleston on Sullivan’s Island.  It is there that Poe wrote his famous, The Goldbug. 

While the city itself has no beaches, it is a peninsula and, thus, surrounded by water on three sides.  The city’s streets give one the feel of walking down a street somewhere in Europe.  And, it is a walking city with an occasional passer-by on a pedicab or rickshaw powered by a cute college kid on a bike. 

The beaches are barrier islands within a 30 minute drive from the peninsula in either direction.  Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island on one end; Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Folly Beach on the other.  Plenty of beach to go around for everyone and because of that there is lots of room to enjoy your day in paradise without the feeling of a crowded beach…not here!

In spite of all that Charleston has to offer part of its magic is the small-town atmosphere that it has managed to maintain over the years.  The shopping rivals the best of the best with King Street being the Rodeo Drive/Worth Avenue of Charleston.  Golfing…Kiawah Island received the distinction from “Gold Digest” as being the only resort in the U.S with 3 of the top 75  rated courses!  And, it is said to be one of the finest golf resorts in the world for that matter.

So, whatever your passion, you will find it in Charleston time-after-time-after-time…