A weekend in Charleston, SC (Planters Inn)

 

After having had a great long weekend a couple years ago down in Savannah, Georgia, my wife and I decided to make another trip south.   The destination for this trip - Charleston, South Carolina.  In mentioning this trip to friends and colleagues, the response was uniformly positive.  And, after 4 days in Charleston, I can safely say that their reviews were spot on -- a charmingly historic city, filled with great restaurants and welcoming residents. 

Although Charleston does not have the beautiful squares littered through Savannah, it is a much larger and more vibrant city.  We spent a day just getting our bearings in the city, walking down the waterfront, marveling at the beautiful and historic homes and exploring the handicrafts, spices, baked goods and art in the city market.  Yet another day included a tour to Ft. Sumter (the first battle of the Civil War) and another was spent roaming the acres and acres of sculpted grounds in the Middleton Place plantation. 

Not that we didn't enjoy all of the walking but it was actually a necessary component of the weekend -- without having walked miles and miles, we absolutely would have come back to DC several pounds heavier.  I cannot rave enough about the food in Charleston, and this is coming from someone that is normally not a proponent of Southern cuisine.  But, dinners at Peninsula Grill, Husk and Cypress changed my mind about the depth of flavor and variety of dishes available.  The luscious, rich, dense and unforgettable coconut cake at Peninsula Grill (enjoyed as leftovers for three days) was nearly enough to convince me to pack up my house and move down to Charleston for good.

We stayed at Planters Inn, which, for location alone (in the middle of the city, right next to the city market), is the reason to make it your home base.  But the Relaix & Chateau-affiliated property makes every effort to enure that each guest's stay is enjoyable, from the cheerful and helpful front desk personnel (who performed double duty as the hotel's concierge) to the sweet tea and cookies served in the afternoon.  Our spacious standard room included a four-poster bed and sitting area.

I would highly recommend Charleston if you're thinking of a long weekend getaway.  It hits all the right chords -- walkable, affordable, easy to get to and enough sights to keep you busy without being exhausting.