Charleston, South Carolina
Frequently we get a request for a destination with lots to do (plus a beach) that is drivable from Indiana. Charleston always comes to mind. The "Holy City", as it was once know for it's religious tolerance, is a great place for couples or families.
It's a place we've visited several times. Clocking in at a little over 11 ours (plus stops), it lays 730 miles east of Indy on the Atlantic Ocean coast.
If half a day's drive isn't in your plans, we can search for airfare and line up a rental car once you arrive in order to kick off your adventure a little quicker. Either way, we will find you a hotel close to what you plan to do. I prefer to stick with larger brand hotel provides such as Hilton, Marriott, or IHG. While we can't book your stay with points, we can use your member number to get you additional savings.
Before we get to the to-do's, let's discuss the food. Charleston has some great food. When you're here, do yourself a favor and find local joints to dine at. Chilis and Bob Evans can wait until you come home. In addition to your traditional southern comfort foods like shrimp and grits or fried green tomatoes, you will find Gullah (or Gullah-Geechee) cuisine. This is a blend of those southern foods and African fare passed down from the first slaves who were forced to this colony. I won't add any specific places because of the ebb and flow of the restaurant world. Do some research on Trip Advisor, Google, or Yelp and follow the reviews or ask locals when you're visiting. You're sure to find some delicious meals.
As you know, we don't charge fees to help you plan and book your trip. Many of the places I'll recommend don't pay commission (which is how we get paid) but I'd be remiss not to mention them. While we can't book them for you, here are some things we've done (some more than once) that I recommend. This is not an exhaustive trip of what to do in Charleston but it is a good place to start.
- City Market/Rainbow Row - shopping near the harbor - we can book a historic city tour with Grayline. It is about 1.5 hours and runs about $31/person.
- Adventure Harbor Tours - Dolphin tours, sunset trips, or to Morris Island to hunt for shark teeth. The teeth are on the beach, not still in the shark! Do yourself a favor and explore the FAQs on this website. If you have my sense of humor, I promise you'll get a kick out of it.
- Ft Sumter - You must hire a private boat to get you to the place where the Civil War started. I believe this is the one we used.
- Bulldog Tours - You can do guided walking tours. We really liked the ghost tours.
- Patriots Point Maritime Museum - Neat opportunity to get into a submarine or walk on a naval aircraft carrier.
- There are several plantations within one hour of Charleston.
- You can visit the Angel Oak tree.
- Kiawah Beach and Folly Beach are both nice if you want some beach time.
If you have any questions about US destination travel, don't hesitate to contact us. For more tips and fun, follow us @instagram disney.dillon or Facebook. Remember we are paid by our vendors like Hilton, Marriott, and IHG (and many more) so our services are 100% free to you!
