Okay, I have to will. I got the thought for this trip after watching a chapter of Giada’s Weekend Getaways about the Food Network. What can I say, she did an incredible job of showing the neighborhood color and history of Charleston making an incredibly convincing case to visit.
Not that it takes much convincing. Charleston is often a city surrounded ever and intrigue. It went to live in its current location in 1680, so as far as America goes, it offers some history. A central time a lot of America’s history – after looking at and been the central player in a lot of the slave trade, the Revolutionary War, and also the Civil War – and sometimes ravaged by natural disasters including earthquakes and hurricanes, Charleston can shrug all of it off and its quiet sophistication. You can equally as easily dine in the room that George Washington, as well as other noble founding fathers, once did as you can tour the reputation one of America’s most stratifying institutions with the Slave Market Museum. Haunted ghost tours along with good piracy give much to contemplate while dining at some of the city’s fine restaurants. And there can be a large amount of them.
Charleston is surely a tourist town – using a population of 120,000 as well as an annual 4 million visitors, it can be a city created to cater. And it does so with all the class of old-fashioned Southern Hospitality plus a city steeped in old money. To put it into perspective, the gentleman I sat close to about the plane ride in am eager to exemplify Charleston’s hospitality which he offered me a lift in his BMW convertible towards the place I was staying. Talk about arriving towards the hostel in fashion!
Charleston used to be home to 8 in the 10 richest families on earth; no small accomplishment considering it was a young upstart founded by Europeans whose family wealth went back many generations. It was the “white gold” of the Carolinas that largely was responsible because of this. No, not cotton – it didn’t become king till later, and further from your lowlands across the ocean. It was rice as well as the knowledge with the African slaves that allowed it to be raised abundantly in this hot and humid climate.
But all things considered the wars and earthquakes, Charleston seems prepared to relax now. There are still lots of beautiful old buildings which are never destroyed and also the local’s desire to make sure you’re able to discover their whereabouts. They’re far more interested in leaving all of that strife along with the heady highs and lows it brought by it for a more relaxed way of life than commonly seen in America. Not relaxed in the manner so high of the American South is more enjoyable but much more in a very way paying homage to Tuscany or Provence. They seem ready to benefit from the good life.
And have fun with this they should cause a good life’s around them! Surrounded by the ocean, you may enjoy surfing on Folly Beach, excellent sailing opportunities, and fresh seafood at any time of the season. Sitting at the confluence from the Ashley and Cooper rivers and right beside the Francis Marion National Forest, a 250,000-acre forest reserve, give a lot of opportunities for outdoor fun. The climate surprised me and reminded me of Florida than anywhere else I’ve been inside the South. And because of this, things are all growing all around the city. Gardens are everywhere, and like most of the storied areas mentioned above, people grow anything they can if there’s any space to cultivate it. Window boxes, railing boxes, and flower beds are everywhere. The city is awash in growing things and it is much more beautiful for this.
But there is a problem with this to presenting the good life and knowing others need it, and that is the retail price. It can be a VERY pricey city to visit. A quick explore Expedia shows multiple hotels within the $150/night range. Charleston is tricky to navigate also since there is much water dictating the landscape. A hotel could be very close to the city center by the map but has got to cross a huge bridge making it there so that it is difficult to go to town without a car rental. To stay within the city center itself, you may expect that the average price being more detailed $250/night. Which is exactly why I stayed in a nearby hostel, the NotSo Hostel.
I can’t say enough about how exactly excellent this place is. If you’ve never stayed at a hostel before, this could be usually the one to start with. Extremely attentive and friendly hosts, friendly guests (many individuals stay there every time they’re inside the area including some business travelers, so they become like second hosts), and great amenities including rental bikes for your quick trip in the Downtown area and free breakfast. All this for only $23/night to get a bunk room and $60/night for a private room. One with the owners drove past of their work truck and honked and waved when she saw me wandering across town. Try to obtain that type of face recognition and pure enjoyment with their job from a worker for your average hotel. Simply put, you won’t be disappointed.
