DEL.ICIO.USFROM ATLANTA TO ... CHARLESTON, S.C.
The charms of Charleston
A romantic destination made for two
Sunday, January 25, 2009
CHARLESTON — If there’s a more romantic city than Charleston within driving distance of the Atlanta area, we haven’t visited it (at least not yet).
For certified romantics and “foodies” like us, few places in the region — or practically anywhere in the world — can rival the port city’s blend of grace, beauty, history, tradition and romantic dining spots. Charleston has a way of charming couples with romance around every gas-lamp-lit corner or restaurant table. It’s great to visit over Valentine’s Day weekend — or any time.
LYNN SELDON / Special
History and beauty are around every corner in Charleston, S.C., and a carriage tour is a stylish, leisurely way to turn the corners.
LYNN SELDON / Special
Folly Beach, with its excellent fishing pier, is just a few minutes from downtown Charleston. The sea is part of the city’s charm.
HOW TO GET THERE From Atlanta, take I-20 east to I-26 east, which goes right into Charleston. It's about a five-hour drive.
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Whether taking a carriage tour, sailing Charleston Harbor, shopping at the popular open-air public market for native sweetgrass baskets, choosing freshly cut flowers at the Four Corners of Law (an intersection surrounded by government and judicial offices), looking for antiques and more along historic King Street, pursuing plantation life or combing beautiful beaches, Charleston always provides a sensory experience for couples.
In the city and out on the plantations, America’s oldest gardens explode with vibrant colors and are a delight, as the scent of the flora is like no others and the vision of the alluring azaleas, roses, and camellias is almost too exquisite to capture with a camera. Charleston is beautiful and aristocratic, a place where strolling couples peek at centuries-old houses behind gates that are alive with Carolina Yellow Jessamine — the state flower of South Carolina.
Love of history
It’s easy to find many urban treasures within walking distance of historic district accommodations, including the Nathaniel Russell House, a fine example of Federal architecture built in 1808. It’s one of many homes targeted by the city-saving work of the Preservation Society of Charleston and the Historic Charleston Foundation.
Other nearby houses open to the public include the Edmondston-Alston House, the Heyward-Washington House and the Aiken-Rhett House. The Edmondston-Alston House has a commanding view of Charleston Harbor and a treasure chest of antique family furnishings. The Heyward-Washington House was the home of prominent rice planter Daniel Heyward and once hosted George Washington. The Aiken-Rhett House provides one of the most complete looks at urban antebellum life (its restoration is ongoing).
Art lovers will appreciate the exhibitions at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Opened in 1905, thanks to an endowment by wealthy Charleston merchant James S. Gibbes, the museum stands as a symbol of cultural leadership in Charleston, displaying an intriguing collection of American paintings, prints, and drawings from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
The museum provides visitors with a comprehensive view of Charleston scenes and South Carolina notables, as well as hundreds of miniature portraits, one of the oldest and finest collections of its kind. Visitors can come face to face with stories of the Lowcountry as seen through painting, sculpture, photographs and more.
For those with more time, Charleston’s colorful charms can also be explored a bit further afield, where many plantations are open to visitors. Out Ashley River Road, three Colonial plantations interpret more than 250 years of rural life in the Lowcountry.
Drayton Hall is preserved in almost original condition after more than two and a half centuries. Considered one of the finest examples of Colonial architecture in America, this historic house is the only plantation remaining on the Ashley River that survived the Civil War intact. Visitors can learn how seven generations of Draytons lived and worked at this home and on the surrounding land.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens features some of America’s oldest and most colorful landscaped gardens. Built in the 1670s, it has been the continuous residence for 10 generations of Drayton descendants. Along with the pre-Revolutionary summer home of the Draytons, the famed gardens include a horticultural maze, an herb garden and the Barbados Tropical Garden. Also located at Magnolia, Audubon Swamp Garden encompasses a unique 60-acre blackwater cypress swamp, crossed by bridges, dikes and boardwalks.
Laid out by Henry Middleton in 1741, the landscaped gardens of Middleton Place are considered the oldest in America. Visitors can also explore the stable yards, complete with animals (including two new water buffalo). The house tour provides an inside look at Colonial life. For those who want a truly historic stay, we highly recommend a romantic night or two at the architecturally unique Middleton Inn, located nearby down a pretty path.
On the other side of Charleston, Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens begins with a 3/4-mile drive lined with massive Spanish oaks planted in 1743 by Captain Thomas Boone. Original plantation buildings include nine 18th-century slave cabins, built with bricks made on the plantation, and a gin house, used for processing cotton.
Sand and surf
Charleston is also close to many excellent beaches and beach resorts. Just 10 minutes from downtown Charleston, Folly Beach has maintained a small seaside town atmosphere but has modern resort amenities and the state’s longest fishing pier.
Other resort beach destinations include Edisto Island, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Seabrook Island and famed Kiawah Island, where golf-and-beach-resort life reigns. Couples can definitely have their romantic Charleston and beach it, too.
Bedtime stories
Charleston accommodations options range from modern hotels with romantic amenities to quaint B&Bs ideally suited for visiting couples. Depending on preferences, a few of our favorites for two would be: modern luxury at Charleston Place or Market Pavilion; decadent Wentworth Mansion; historic midsize inns such as Planter’s Inn or Lowndes Grove; the truly unique carriage houses of the William Aiken House; and the varied accommodations (and pricing) of lodging groups such as Charming Inns (John Rutledge House Inn, Kings Courtyard Inn, Victoria House Inn, Fulton Lane Inn and Wentworth Mansion) and Charlestowne Hotels (Andrew Pinckney Inn, French Quarter Inn, Anchorage Inn, Harbourview Inn and King Charles Inn). Those looking to extend their stay in the outlying Lowcountry will love the aforementioned Middleton Inn, Isle of Palm’s Wild Dunes Resort, Summerville’s Woodlands Resort & Inn or The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island.
Tables for two
For a city its size, the dining scene is truly remarkable, with a wide range of restaurants offering tables for two with world-class cuisine. Tristan’s rising-star chef Aaron Deal said, “Although there are many great things to do in Charleston, I find a bottle of wine, a great meal and a long walk at the beach or South of Broad makes for a perfect night.” He added that the banquettes at Tristan are particularly popular with couples.
It’s hard to have a bad restaurant experience in Charleston, but our recommendations (specifically for couples) have to include: Tristan; Fish (fresh local seafood in a quintessential King Street setting); Trattoria Lucca (chef Ken Vedrinski’s new romantic Italian hotspot); longtime Charleston “worth-it” hotel-restaurant splurges at Bob Waggoner’s Charleston Grill, Robert Carter’s Peninsula Grill, or the culinary magic of Marc Collins at Circa 1886; and the varied East Bay options from Maverick Southern Kitchens (High Cotton and Slightly North of Broad) and Hospitality Management Group (Magnolias, Cypress, and Blossom), two local restaurant groups we’ve grown to love.
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