I have to admit it – we are a family of history buffs. For this reason we have always loved to visit Charleston, SC and immerse ourselves in the rich history that old city still preserves so well. We took our kids there several times when they were in school. We were both attached to Navy units based there, back in the day. But this was the very first time my husband and I have vacationed there as a couple. 

The city has so much to see and do, so many tours available, so many restaurants to enjoy. We brought our bikes but it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks and with no bike lanes, lots of cars and such narrow streets we decided to stay alive and walk to most places. And Charleston has a FREE trolley service with two different routes that arrives about every 20 minutes. So we walked, rode the trolley and walked some more. And I mean miles, not blocks.

Every street you walk down, every building you enter, there is history under your feet and all around you. The city has been on this site since 1680, a tremendously long time by American standards. Some of the huge, beautiful homes down along the harbor were built in the 1700s by rice planters. It is jaw dropping to me to see the lovely Victorian houses as new by comparison. The oldest parts of the city still have cobblestone streets, another reason not to be on our bikes! There are old, old churches with tall steeples and hidden gardens tucked behind old iron fences.

One aspect of our visit to Charleston that stood out to us was how friendly and helpful everyone was. People were just so nice. Several times people stopped in their cars to ask if we needed directions. It is no wonder to me that Charleston has been named as “America’s Friendliest City” by several travel magazines in recent years. And then there was the food. Oh My!

To be continued!