Lodging

• There are few things more charming than a bed & breakfast in historic downtown Charleston. There are also few accommodations that are more expensive. So unless you are planning to do nothing but party all night and every day in downtown, it would be prudent to look elsewhere for lodging. We stayed in a Marriott on Lockwood Boulevard, which runs along the Ashley River. There are also a Courtyard by Marriott and a Best Western right next to it. The area is conveniently located for exploring many points in the Charleston area. It takes less than 10 minutes to drive to downtown, the Battery, and the Aquarium area. The bridge to James Island is basically just down the street, and Mount Pleasant is only 15 minutes away. Yes, you’ll have to pay for parking when you drive into downtown, but considering how much money you’re saving on lodging, you still come out well ahead.

We got our room at the Marriott via hotwire.com for less than $100 a night (the B&Bs downtown generally ran anywhere from $200 to $500 a night!) and were pretty satisfied with the accommodations. The hotel lobby was very open and beautiful, and the pool looked pretty nice, though it was often packed. Our room was fine — nothing special but clean and comfortable. The only peculiar thing was that it had a large shower stall instead of a bathtub. It was the first time I had seen that in a brand-name American hotel, but it really didn’t make any difference as I can’t remember the last time I took a bath instead of a shower in a hotel room.

Dining

• Charleston is right on the ocean, so you would expect good seafood there. One place we really liked was the Charleston Crab House, which has several locations in the area. We went to the James Island location to dodge the downtown crowd. It was still very busy, so definitely get reservations. The restaurant was situated right on the water and even has a small pier in the back so people can actually ride up to the restaurant in a boat. The tables along the windows have a terrific view of the water and the sunset.

The food is as good as the view. The she-crab soup is thick, creamy, and loaded with bits of crab meat and roe. The sauteed mussels are amazing, and the sauce is so good that you’ll wish they gave you more bread so you can soak up all the sauce. If you are a real shellfish nut, like we are, try the steamed crab pot. It contains two sides of snowcrab, a handful of mussels and shrimps, a piece of kielbasa, and chunks of potatoes and sweet onions.

• While doing research for dining options in Charleston, we saw a lot of good reviews for the Hominy Grill, and it more than lived up to the billing. The shrimp and grits, the most expensive item on the menu, is worth the price. The shrimps are grilled just right, preserving the fresh flavor. The grits have a nice thick texture and a strong garlicky, cheesy flavor that’s enhanced with bits of bacon and scallions. On weekends, the restaurant offers special blueberry cornmeal pancakes. The extra cornmeal in the batter gives the pancakes a grainy, crumbly texture, a nice departure from the norm. This place was so good that we went there twice for brunch during our three-and-a-half days in Charleston.
• If you can swing it, the dinner cruise by SpiritLine Cruises is a fabulous experience. The three-hour cruise includes a terrific three-course meal (with optional desserts, which weren’t all that impressive). The ship has two air-conditioned dining rooms, and a band plays throughout the night. There’s a nice observation deck to take in the views, and the cruise will provide you with plenty of beautiful sights. It circles the harbor, then heads out to sea a bit as the sun descends into the ocean. All the while, you can see pelicans gliding along the ship and dolphins surfacing here and there. When the ship turns back, it makes a loop under the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, which is lit up beautifully in the night sky, before returning to dock.

Miscellaneous

• If you like history, Charleston has plenty of it, and there are many different tours you can take. If you plan on visiting a couple of the plantations (which we recommend) and other historic properties in Charleston, look into getting the Charleston Heritage Passport, which gives you admission to nine historic properties, including the impressive Middleton Place Plantation.
• Two things to be sure to bring: Sunscreen and bug spray. The sun is unrelenting during the summer months, and it seems like thee are bugs everywhere you go. We were just walking along the Battery for a couple one afternoon and ended up with legs full of bug bites.
• Be careful when driving at night on the highways in the Charleston and James Island area. Whoever designed these roads had a thing for off ramps with hairpin turns, and many of the exits and the barrier walls around them are not very well marked. Also, a friend who lives in Charleston told us that cops like to lie in wait at either end of the bridge going from James Island to Johns Island, so make sure you obey the speed limit when going over that bridge.
• If you are driving along St. Andrews Boulevard/Ashley River Road to get to Drayton Hall and Middleton Place Plantation from downtown Charleston, beware: The brown signs that say “Historic Plantations” actually lead you down the wrong way. Maybe that’s the sign for some other historic plantations. Middleton Place and Drayton Hall have their own signs, which are green.