Things to Do in Charleston

We really tried to balance having enough to do and time to relax on this vacation because we all really needed a little break. We’ve been very guilty of overscheduling ourselves in the past, so I’m happy to report we got it right this time around. Here’s what we did.

Bike ride thru Charleston and around The Citadel.

Self-guided bike tour of Charleston: We rented bikes for the whole gang at Bilda Bikes on King Street. It was incredibly affordable to rent bikes for the day. The shop owners gave us a map with a good route of the city and surrounding areas. Downtown Charleston isn’t bike friendly, but if you venture just a block or two out of the busy city streets you’re good to go. We were able to get a great lay of the land, including visiting some of the beautiful parks, the Citadel, Rainbow Row, and the Battery. Additionally, I made the kids help me find Miss Patricia’s house from the Bravo TV hit show Southern Charm. (If you know, you know!) It was awesome! Everyone said our bike trip was one of their favorite things we did.

Visit Fort Sumter: We didn’t do this on this trip to Charleston because we had done this on a past vacation. But it’s kind of one of those boxes you have to check if you’re in Charleston. It’s fun ferry ride out to this historical site and the guides do a great job giving you a little piece of southern history.

Spend an afternoon at the beach: We ventured over to Sullivan’s Island for a little beach time and reprieve from the heat. We did have a rental car, but a short Uber ride may be even easier so you don’t have to worry about parking. It was a little windy the day we visited, but the water was warm and a nice break from the heat. The beach wasn’t overly busy, so it was very easy to stake out a spot for a couple of hours.

Charter a sailboat: My kids fancy themselves as boat people. Not sure how this happened, but spending a couple of hours on the water has become a staple for our family trips. We chartered a sailboat through Avanzar Charleston for a tour of the Charleston Harbor. We had a wonderful captain, equipped with a number of historical tidbits, and a readiness to turn the music selection over to our son Eddie. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Day trip to Kiawah: My brother and his wife love Kiawah and suggested we check it out if we were looking for something to do. It’s only about an hour away from Charleston, but it is a world unto itself. I have a hunch a trip to Kiawah is likely in our future. On the day we visited, we only had time for lunch at the Ryder Cup Bar. But from what we did see, the views were magnificent.

Golf: There are plenty of courses to golf and the boys took an afternoon to do this while the ladies shopped (more on shopping below). The boys went to Patriot Point to golf. I don’t think it was the most picturesque course, but it was perfect for our amateurs to shoot around.

Shopping

Charleston’s King Street has EVERYTHING. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING! Every retailer from Target to Hampden Clothing has a spot on this illustrious street. Here were some of our favorites to visit:

Madison Mathews: This shop is a must. If the Charleston aesthetic could be summarized in one store, Madison Mathews is it. They also have an incredible website with all of their offerings and were kind enough to give me a code to share. Enter ANNMARIE at checkout and get 10% off your purchase.

Sezane

Hillhouse Home

Brandy Melville

Beau & Ro

Hart Studio: Some of my favorite pieces of jewelry are from here.

Sewing Down South: Launched by Southern Charm’s Craig Conover.

Charleston is amazing and we can’t recommend it enough! Please let me know if you have any questions or additions. I’d love to know them.

xo,