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I plan on stopping in Charleston for a handful of hours the Saturday before Memorial Day on my way down to West Palm and I was curious as I walk around the core city what areas I should check out. It seems like walking King Street is a given just to see what is there, but what about parks, markets, shops, etc? I will be driving, and plan to get back on the road later and head down and stop in Savannah. I have been to Savannah before, and I always pass by Charleston on 95 and think I should stop - so I want to do that this year.
As far as food goes, I would like to stop in somewhere casual that serves good cocktails. I do not eat red meat so burgers and steak are not my thing. Are there any good spots to stop where I can get some good food and a few drinks during/after exploring the city that is not overly expensive, and like I said, more casual?
A few questions:
Recommendations on parking? I would imagine it can be a challenge, but are there any good garages? I do not mind walking (I plan to do a lot of it that day). Being in a garage a mile or so away from heavier density is not a problem. I was even contemplating parking on Murray Boulevard, but that probably fills up quickly.
What are must see areas? I am not huge into touristy things, but so much of Charleston has become that. I do appreciate walkable and pedestrian friendly areas. I am just more so looking to take in the sites, but I want to experience Charleston and fit in as much geography as I can on foot.
Any tolls I should be aware of? I have a Pennsylvania E-Z Pass and it works in Florida.
Lastly, I was thinking of going out to one of the islands just to walk around for an hour or two. I am aware that it will be Memorial Day weekend and things will be packed, but is there any specific local island you suggest Isle of Palms, Sullivan's, Folly?
Thank you for any suggestions. I am looking forward to visiting.
We usually park over by Fleet Landing, which is a great waterfront place to grab lunch. Concord Garage is right across the street, there are also meters available, as well as a public lot. From there we like to walk down through Joe Riley Waterfront Park following Concord down onto E Bay St which merges into E Battery. We love to walk back using King St or Meeting St because the historic homes are so beautiful. The Blind Tiger, another great lunch spot, is a few blocks down from taking either of these routes crossing onto Broad St. From there we like to walk through the market to digest lol, before finally bringing the kids to Carmella's Cafe and Desert Bar, which is conveniently located around the corner from Fleet and the parking areas.
No tolls. You may want to walk the beach/islands early around sunrise. I find that they are less congested and traffic isn't as prevalent. Being close to Memorial Day weekend, be prepared for the traffic. Folly Rd, IOP Connector, and Ben Sawyer Blvd can get backed up on the weekends.
Here's a list of city parking facilities. As mentioned above the Concord garage is probably your best choice but East Bay would not be bad either. You could park free at The Battery (aka White Point Gardens) but you'd spend some time walking back and forth from there.
I agree Fleet Landing would be a good lunch or dinner choice. Fleet Landing is within easy walking distance from the Concord parking garage and Riley Waterfront Park. Otherwise lots of good eating choices around downtown.
Thank you, Saltwater and ZUMAN for your responses so far. They certainly make sense mapping it out now that I have been given some recommendations.
Saltwater, The Blind Tiger looks perfect for what I am looking for. Thank you for that recommendation. Do you know of any other restaurants that are similar that I can take a look at? I will not be traveling alone, so I would like to share these recommendations.
ZUMAN, parking down at The Battery was something I considered (again, walking isn't too much of an issue), but I have a feeling if I get there early afternoon that any free parking will be taken at that point. It looks like any surrounding neighborhoods have permit parking?
From what I have seen island wise, it looks like Folly Island may be the best to do some walking around - especially on the beach. The island will probably be the last spot that I visit before I head south toward Savannah. I am thinking this will be more of an evening adventure. It looks like there is a county park to the south and a preserve to the north. Any suggestions on where to park, visit on the island? I see there is parking down at the county park and different paid public beach access points.
Thank you, Saltwater and ZUMAN for your responses so far. They certainly make sense mapping it out now that I have been given some recommendations.
Saltwater, The Blind Tiger looks perfect for what I am looking for. Thank you for that recommendation. Do you know of any other restaurants that are similar that I can take a look at? I will not be traveling alone, so I would like to share these recommendations.
ZUMAN, parking down at The Battery was something I considered (again, walking isn't too much of an issue), but I have a feeling if I get there early afternoon that any free parking will be taken at that point. It looks like any surrounding neighborhoods have permit parking?
From what I have seen island wise, it looks like Folly Island may be the best to do some walking around - especially on the beach. The island will probably be the last spot that I visit before I head south toward Savannah. I am thinking this will be more of an evening adventure. It looks like there is a county park to the south and a preserve to the north. Any suggestions on where to park, visit on the island? I see there is parking down at the county park and different paid public beach access points.
Brown Dog Deli is a few doors downs from The Blind Tiger. They also have fantastic food and a nice & peaceful, yet small seating area outside in the back. If you happen to crave pizza, Pizzeria Di Giovani is arguably the best. That's a little further, about a 10 min walk past Broad St on N Market. Not the greatest for seating, but if you're craving a slice of pie as a snack to hold you over, that's where to go.
Yes, permit parking for the most part. You can try to find a space here and there outside the permit areas, but it may take quite a bit of driving around to do so. Some people park at The Battery for a short while, but I think most use it as a start point to walk around DT most of the day. I would certainly circle around it twice before going anywhere else. You might get a spot when someones pulling out.
An evening adventure on Folly should be nice, weather permitting. If you park off the street be sure to fully be in the grass to avoid being ticketed and always pull your side view mirror in. I always go to the north end of the island known as the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve. It's about a 1.25 mile walk from parking to water, but totally worth it. We used to have small bon fires out there and camp out when we were kids. There is a nice cove where you can see Morris Island Light House and it should be close to dead low tide by the time you get there. Watch your footing if you venture into the water as there is a steep drop off to the left. Sunset is around 8 PM so be sure to account for the walk back if you don't fancy seeing slithery natives
Last edited by SaltwaterTherapy; 05-01-2023 at 08:24 AM..
My apologies, I didn't intend to create a double entendre or any kind of distress. I was referring to snakes (reptiles) as a light joke. It wouldn't be uncommon to see one or two in the evening hours. You may not see any at all.
My apologies, I didn't intend to create a double entendre or any kind of distress. I was referring to snakes (reptiles) as a light joke. It wouldn't be uncommon to see one or two in the evening hours. You may not see any at all.
I knew what you meant
Any other suggestions for this Saturday trip? Restaurants? Parking? Things to see within Charleston and Folly Island?
The Blind Tiger is exactly what I am looking for - so if you have any similar suggestions I can take a look at the menu in advance.
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