Charleston, SC
At first glimpse, Charleston resembles an 18th-century etching come to life. Its low-profile skyline is punctuated with the spires and steeples of 181 churches, representing 25 denominations-the reason that Charleston, known for religious freedom during its formation, is called the "Holy City." Parts of the city appear frozen in time; block after block of old downtown structures have been preserved and restored for residential and commercial use, and some brick and cobblestone streets remain.
Charleston has survived three centuries of epidemics, earthquakes, fires, and hurricanes, and it is today one of the South's loveliest and best-preserved cities.
When to Go
In winter, temperatures generally average in the low 40s inland, in the 60s by the shore. Summer temperatures, modified by mountains in some areas, by water in others, range from the high 70s to the mid-80s and now and then the low 90s.
What to See
Boone Hall Plantation: This plantation is approached along one of the South's most majestic avenues of oaks, which was the model for the grounds of Tara in Gone With the Wind. You can tour the first floor of the classic columned mansion, which was built in 1935, incorporating woodwork and flooring from the original house. The primary attraction is the grounds, with formal azalea and camellia gardens, as well as the original slave quarters -- the only "slave street" still intact in the Southeast -- and the cotton-gin house used in the made-for-television movies North and South and Queen.
Middleton Place: The nation's oldest landscaped gardens, dating from 1741, are magnificently ablaze with camellias, magnolias, azaleas, roses, and flowers of all seasons planted in floral allées and terraced lawns and around ornamental lakes. Much of the mansion was destroyed during the Civil War, but the south wing has been restored and houses impressive collections of silver, furniture, paintings, and historic documents. In the stable yard craftspeople use authentic tools and equipment to demonstrate spinning, blacksmithing, and other domestic skills from the plantation era. Farm animals, peacocks, and other creatures roam freely.
Drayton Hall: Considered the nation's finest example of unspoiled Georgian-Palladian architecture, this mansion is the only plantation house on the Ashley River to have survived the Civil War. A National Historic Landmark, built between 1738 and 1742, it is an invaluable lesson in history as well as in architecture. Drayton Hall has been left unfurnished to highlight the original plaster moldings, opulent hand-carved woodwork, and other ornamental details. Connections, an African-American focus presentation offered before the tour, is fascinating. You will learn about the conditions under which slaves were brought from Africa and can view copies of documents recording the buying and selling of local plantation slaves.
Nathaniel Russell House: One of the nation's finest examples of Adam-style architecture, the Nathaniel Russell House was built in 1808. The interior is distinguished by its ornate detailing, its lavish period furnishings, and the "flying" circular staircase that spirals three stories with no apparent support.
Fort Sumter National Monument: It was here, on a man-made island in Charleston Harbor, that Confederate forces fired the first shot of the Civil War, on April 12, 1861. After a 34-hour bombardment Union forces surrendered and Confederate troops occupied Sumter, which became a symbol of Southern resistance. The Confederacy held the fort, despite almost continual bombardment, for nearly four years, and when it was finally evacuated, it was a heap of rubble.
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