Going to school in the south, even if it was only for a semester, was an awakening for me to many things. I studied at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina; which is a small southern town about twenty minutes west of Myrtle Beach. This first semester experience opened my eyes to the differences in northern and southern cultures. There was one part of Southern culture that I knew I loved and that was the style and culture of Charleston, S.C. My friends and I would frequently visit there on the weekends and act like we were in the movies; or if we were feeling a little extra, even southern belles. I am going to offer five sites which will allow college students on a budget to enjoy good ole Chucktown.
1. Downtown Historic Charleston and the City Market
Downtown Charleston is absolutely beautiful. The streets are cobblestone and lined with giant mansions, marked with its past. You can see many landmarks as you are just strolling around like The Daughters of the Confederacy building that still stands. Don’t forget to take a leisurely walk down King Street for luxurious shopping and dining, that will really make you feel like you are on cloud nine. The city market is the cutest thing with novelties made by the locals. The market stretches for a few blocks with a plethora of beautiful crafts to see. Take a stop at the beautiful and historic, College of Charleston where you can see Charleston’s finest and preppiest. Get your courage up to take a ghost tour of Charleston on horse-drawn carriage through the streets and alley ways. Downtown Charleston is the perfect first spot on your tour.
2. Rainbow Row
One of the most iconic spots in Charleston is Rainbow Row. Rainbow Row is a cluster of 13 Georgian row homes that are all painted with beautiful pastel colors. They are located at North Tradd and South Elliot street around the downtown area. Often, you’ll see brides and grooms getting wedding pictures taken with the magic of Charleston’s scenery behind them.
3. The Battery
The Battery is a defensive seawall and promenade from the civil war, that is now a landmark where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet the Charleston Harbor. Along the battery are some of the oldest and most expensive homes that are a part of Downtown Charleston. I would just love to go on a date with a boy whose southern family owns one of these estates! 4. Folly Beach
What is so amazing about Charleston is that you have the city and the beach, what more could you want? Folly Beach is just a little beach town with no tourist attractions. No boardwalk with rides, no cheesy beach stores like Sunsations, and sadly no Candy Kitchen. The streets are quiet with cute beach bars and little shops. The white, sandy beaches are lined with spectacular beach houses that look out onto the Atlantic Ocean. The whole time you are visiting, you are just waiting for that moment when Channing Tatum comes out of the water to teach you how to surf.
5. Boone Hall Plantation
Last, but certainly not least, and my personal favorite is Boone Hall Planation. If you want to see the classic dirt road lined with gracefully haunting Spanish moss trees, this is your place. Many movies have been filmed here, most notably portions of The Notebook and Gone with The Wind. It is twenty dollars per person to get in, but is well worth it. With that money, you get a tour of the house, can walk around the grounds, have tea in the tea room, see the horses and have access to the amazing butterfly garden, where you become one with nature. I’m just going to pack up and move there… So, see you guys at my new planation home!