Keep in mind, these are tourist towns designed to milk your wallet dry.

For Charleston:

The carriage tours aren't bad. You get some shade, a chance to rest your feet, see some main points of interest, and learn some info that may or may not be true (depending on the mood your tour guide is in and whether they judge their clients to possess any knowledge).

An evening dinner cruise isn't a bad option. See the city at night from the harbor when the temps drop. The food is just okay, though, and Charleston has lots of fine dining to choose from.

You'll probably be too late to see the full splendor of Magnolia Plantation, but it's beautiful year round. There's also an Audubon Swamp nature walk where you'd be guaranteed to see lots of alligators up close and personal.

Middleton Place is right down the road from Magnolia, and many a movie has been filmed on those beautiful grounds.

As far as food, follow your nose at chow time. Well, have a plan so you don't waste too much time just looking for food, but you almost can't go wrong in Charleston when it comes to food.

Lastly (not that this is even close to the last thing to do in Charleston), I'd recommend parking along The Battery, strolling White Point Gardens, and then take a stroll up either Meeting or King Street. Stroll down some of the side streets. Every home down there is beautiful with many wonderfully kept gardens that you miss if you're driving by in your car.

Oh, and hit a beach. Isle of Palms county park offers easy parking, bathrooms, and showers, but it is crowded. Unless you want to head out to Kiawah or Seabrook or have your own boat, every beach in Charleston is crowded.


I've only ever been to Savannah a couple times. It's like a mini-Charleston, but with its own charm. Lots of good eating down there, too, plus all the little squares in the middle of town. Find a church that's open and stroll inside to view the architecture. Don't be shy, as a lot of the churches will let you do that.