Chilling in Charleston, SC
Two weeks ago I took a last minute, impulse trip to Charleston, South Carolina. I rarely take impulse trips (I decided to do this and booked everything less than a week in advance), but the nice thing about DC and the east coast is that there are a lot of short flights to a lot of places. Charleston only came on my radar as a place worth checking out last year when I was pulling together the Places to Travel in 2023 list. I was always very skeptical because of the literal whitewashing of history in the south and being a vegetarian, but it looked like Charleston was putting in the work, and more importantly, this was the last East Coast State I hadn’t been to. And honestly, I had a blast! I spent three days there, and it was a great long-weekend trip. So here are the great, the photogenic, and the meh of my trip to Charleston.
The Great
Food
I’d been told that Charleston was one of the great food cities of the US, and one of the best in the South, but I admit, I was skeptical, mainly because I’m a vegetarian and a seafood focused Southern cuisine is not exactly vegetarian friendly. That said, I was wrong. Everything I ate was delicious, and there were a surprisingly large number of places with vegetarian options. The best place: Chasing Sage. The food there was phenomenal. I got their equivalent of a tasting menu, which was basically “let us choose for you” which was 6 courses plus a bread basket, and everything was incredible. Highly recommend (although come hungry because the portion sizes are sizable – definitely not tasting menu sized).
The International African-American Museum
This museum was actually the impetus for me putting Charleston on my “Places to Go” List. The museum opened last year, with the goal of telling and showcasing the history and untold stories of African-Americans. And it is a really excellent museum. I would describe it as having a focus on people and culture. My favorite exhibit was one on the Gullah-Geechee history and culture, which included several video presentations along with the normal museum displays. There was also a lot on African cultures and peoples and how what developed in the US evolved from African traditions. My only issue with this museum is that the videos were way too loud – making it really difficult to actually read the placards in some of the exhibit halls. But that’s my only quibble and you definitely need to check out this museum.
McLeod Plantation
Visiting a plantation in the south is always a complicated thing to do, but a number of plantations, including in and around Charleston, are recentering their tours and information to show all aspects of the history of the plantations. So I did my research (a great resource if you are interested is Conde Nast Travelers “An Ethical Guide to Plantation Tours”) and decided to check out McLeod. The McLeod Plantation guided tour didn’t just focus on the antebellum or Civil War periods but how the people there – enslaved, then free and the plantation owners – lived and changed over more than 150 years. It really showed how history isn’t just the past, but lives alongside us. The tour guide was also from the Gullah-Geechee community and lived in Beaufort, giving him a unique insight and stories about the place, which was very cool.
The Required Selfie/Money Shot
Pineapple Fountain
I’m not on social media, but when you travel there is always those particular locations or landmarks that are like “this is The Place to take The Cool Picture.” It’s the place you take that selfie or what I like to call “the money shot.” Well, the place to do this in Charleston is the Pineapple Fountain, in Waterfront Park. Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality in the Southern US – no idea why – and so Charleston has a very stylized fountain with a pineapple in it, backdropped by a pretty park, flowers, and the water. You can actually wade in the fountain if you like, but mostly it’s a cool landmark to look at and take a photo of (or with). The park is also a perfectly nice stroll, and once you’re through, it will lead you to Rainbow Row, a line of historic pastel-colored houses that are one of Charleston’s architectural gems. The Pineapple Fountain is therefore a great place for both a selfie and starting a tour of Charleston’s historic architecture.
The Meh
Aiken-Rhett House
There were two historical house museums I was debating between seeing: The Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House. Both were recommended in the guidebook and their websites explicitly said they discuss the lives of the enslaved population. I asked people and the basic response was that they were about the same, quality-wise. So I chose the Aiken-Rhett house and it was meh. The first half was pretty good – it started in the kitchens and enslaved people’s quarters and the audio guide discussed what was known of the individuals who were enslaved there as best as the records could say. But the second half was in the main house, and that was where I had issues – because when they say the building is preserved not restored, it means it’s a run-down dump inside. And the audio tour was interesting but with the just ugly interior I couldn’t even finish it. So all in all a mixed bag.
Conclusion
Charleston is a very fun city and well worth a visit. A long weekend is a good amount of time to see and get a feel for the place, but you could definitely stay longer if you want. Honestly, if I had to choose, I’d recommend Charleston over Savannah (which is also great). I don’t plan on going back there per se, but there is definitely more to see if I do.
