We traveled to Charleston, SC in July for a quick family vaca. My brother, mom, dad, the hubs, and I all went for 4 days. We stayed at a historic hotel called the Francis Marion (built in the 1920's, I believe) downtown. It was so convenient to stay within walking distance of the attractions and restaurants. We had a great time. We took a general tour the first day that was called the 'Gone with the Wind' tour. The tour guide never mentioned the movie once! The name of the tour is a misnomer. The tour includes all of downtown, Charleston University, the Battery, Rainbow Row, and lots of historic homes. It was a good way to start the trip. We ate lunch at Magnolia's, a famous restaurant that many of our friends and family recommended. We spent the afternoon at the public market and walked back to the hotel. We drove to Magnolia Plantation, which was beautiful. We split up the group and Mom went to tour the plantation home while the rest of us went on the tram tour to see the swamp. We saw herons, small alligators, ducks, and other birds. It was a nice tour. We spent the second day in Savannah. It's a neat city. We took a trolley tour that was pretty comprehensive. We ate lunch at Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. I have to warn you...the restaurant is a total tourist trap. They have a buffet that is decent, but Luby's is probably just as good. They have a limited menu that you can order off of too. The food wasn't bad, but I was expecting it to be fabulous. Maybe I should lower my expectations! On the way back to Charleston we stopped at Hilton Head to check it out. It is definitely an upscale community. We had a cocktail on the beach and headed back to the hotel .On the third day, we got on a ferry to take the Fort Sumter tour. This was the site where the Civil War began. It is a well-preserved fort. I would recommend the tour. The Fort is operated by the National Park Service so the tour guides know their stuff. That afternoon we went to visit the Hunley submarine, which sank in the mid 1800's and the crew did not survive. It was a tiny sub. They just discovered the site about 10 years ago, so the preservation is ongoing. The sub is now in a huge metal building in a bath of some liquid that preserves it. They are very strict about what you wear when you are near the sub. You can't have sunglasses on your head or a cap on. They are afraid it will fall in the liquid. The last night we ate at a fabulous gourmet restaurant and we actually left the restaurant without paying the bill on accident. They called my cell phone about 11:30 PM to tell us that we forgot to pay. My dad handled it. It was a great vaca and I enjoyed the time with my fam and my great husband.
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