Weekend Blitz

Charleston Harbor Ferry leaves from the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square (340 Concord St., downtown Charleston) AND Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum (40 Patriots Point Rd., Mount Pleasant, SC) Adults $18, Adult Seniors (62 years & up) $16, Children ages 4-11 yrs $11, Children 3 yrs & under FREE Click here for ferry times.

For the history buffs out there (like me!), you’ll probably recognize Fort Sumter as where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. You won’t learn until you visit, though, the first shots were sent TO Fort Sumter, not from it.  Let me back up…

First, you have to take a ferry to the [...]

48 Elizabeth Street $10 admission fee Open daily until 5pm, last tour departs at 4:15pm.

Jeffrey lived less than a block away from the Aiken Rhett House last year. For a whole year. A whole year! Everytime we’d walk past it, we’d talk about going inside. This gigantic mansion on such a tiny lot (better known as an Urban Plantation) always captivated us — but I guess not so much that we toured it during the whole year he lived down the block.

Finally, a few Sundays ago, we bit the bullet and headed over. You enter in the side of the house, not the front. Once you open the door, you immediately see an exquisite marble double staircase. A [...]

If you think Charleston is the #1 City in America now, you should have seen it during Colonial times. It was the largest and richest city in the colonies. So, needless to say, there were plenty of very, very large plantations… Most of which were burned during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, but some that are still standing.

And, Drayton Hall, built from 1738-1742, is one that is still standing. If you’re looking for a glimpse into a long-forgotten way of life, take an hour-long tour of Drayton Hall ($18/person). Although there are no residents, furniture or knick-knacks left in the house, you’ll learn of a time gone by that makes you almost wish you lived [...]

51 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 843-724-8481 $10 for a 35-40 minute tour.

BOTTOM LINE: The 6,500 sq. ft. house is in excellent condition, fully furnished (not with original furniture, but museum quality from the same time period) and refurbished to its original condition. For $10, the 40-minute tour will give you a good balance of history of the time and the Russell family, as well as a detailed account of the features and furnishings of the house.

Located in one of the prettiest – and oldest – parts of the peninsula, the Nathaniel Russell House has drawn visitors since it was built in 1808. If you’re looking for a more typical urban [...]

14-16 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 843-722-8205

Located nearly across the street from Battery Park, the Calhoun Mansion is the largest private residence on the peninsula. But, you’ll quickly be more impressed with the contents of the house than its sheer size.

The Italianate design manor house has 35 rooms, a grand ballroom, Japanese water gardens, 35 fireplaces and a 75-foot domed stairhall ceiling

Tours are offered seven days a week, from 11 a.m.  – 5 p.m. on every hour and half-hour, each lasting about 30-35 minutes ($15), and the “New Grand Tour” ($50 with a reservation) lasting about [...]