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For Locals Only: Where To Go To Escape Tourists In Charleston

Featured Image Credit: Edisto Beach Facebook

Obviously, we love Charleston. And we love that other people love Charleston. But sometimes us locals can get a little overwhelmed by the tourists that pour into town all year. So, if you want to have a little time to yourself or commune with locals, then try to get away for a while and visit one of the following places.

Edisto Island

Edisto Beach has fewer tourists than Charleston Beaches

Image Credit: Edisto Beach Facebook

It’s off the beaten path, so it’s a little bit of a trek, but Edisto Beach is worth a day trip. This island community is small, but welcoming. A beautiful beach with fewer tourists than Folly, IOP or Sullivan’s awaits after the drive. Once you’re there you can simply enjoy the beach or head out on a boat or eco tour. There’s also a museum on the island and a serpentarium as well as a golf course. And one of the most untouched and eerie beaches is located on the island at Botany Bay Plantation (pictured).

Chapel Street Fountain Park

Not Many Tourists at Chapel Street Fountain Garden

Image Credit: Kevin Cunningham Facebook

There are plenty of charming neighborhood parks in Charleston that you can retreat to when you’re tired of tourists. Chapel Street Fountain park is just one of them. This pocket park on Chapel Street is a hidden downtown Charleston oasis. In the park, lush gardens surround an iron fountain. It’s the perfect place for quiet and reflection.

Daniel Island Waterfront Park

No Tourists on Daniel Island

Featured Image Credit: McKenzie Danyelle Wardwell Facebook

Aside from the tennis stadium, Daniel Island is primarily a residential part of Charleston. Therefore, you won’t find many tourists on the island. There are several parks on the island perfect for walking, running, or cycling. One with the best view is Daniel Island Waterfront Park. As the name suggests, it’s on the water, situated on the Wando River. Go for a stroll and take in the beauty of one of Charleston’s many waterways.

Charleston Library Society

Duck into the Charleston Library Society to escape tourists

Image Credit: Charleston Library Society Facebook

If you’re not in the mood to go to a park while you’re downtown, you can escape to in Downtown Charleston, there’s another quiet place you can duck into to want to ditch the tourists. The Charleston Library Society is in the heart of historic downtown and allows visitors to come in during normal operating hours and enjoy the main reading room. It’s a great place to read (obviously), study, or just get your thoughts together. If you’re fond of the library, it might be worth it to get a membership and get access to more of the library.

Old Santee Canal Park

Old Santee Canal Park

Image Credit: Old Santee Canal Park Facebook

Another destination you may want to consider if you want to avoid tourists in Charleston is Old Santee Canal Park. Take a day trip from the Peninsula to Moncks Corner and visit the site of the country’s first canal. Packed with history and plenty of recreational opportunities (canoeing, fishing, picnicking), Old Santee Canal Park is full of fun. There are four miles of meandering boardwalks for nature viewing, an interpretive center, a museum and heritage center, and a plantation on the 195 acre park.

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Guest Columns

firefly

5 Best Day Trips For Charleston Locals To Take This Summer

Featured Image Credit: www.RoadTrippers.com

Summer is nearly here, which means its time to channel your inner explorer. Roll down those windows, turn up the music and head out on a day-long adventure. These are 5 of our favorite day trips, and they are merely suggestions so let the journey dictate your destination!

Edisto Island

edisto

Image Credit: www.PierAndSurf.com

This sleepy little beach town is the perfect place to go when you feel like getting away from the hustle bustle of the Holy City. Take a stroll on the beach and you will come across “shell island”, where you are sure to find your fair share of conch shells and pretty much every other kind of seashell you could imagine. Bring a bag so you can take some home! After all that walking, stop at Whaley’s Store, it’s a hole-in-the-wall gas station turned restaurant that has THE best crab cake sandwich. (Voted by Southern Living Magazine!)

Whaley’s Store: 2801 Edisto Island, SC 29438, (843) 869-2161, whaleyseb.com
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Murrells Inlet

brookgreen gardens

Image Credit: www.PawleysIsland.com

Murrells Inlet is home to some of the best seafood in the entire state. Maybe that’s why they call it the “Seafood Capital of the Coast.” But it’s also home to some beautiful attractions, such as Brookgreen Gardens. It’s more than just pretty flowers. There is a zoo, a buttery house, a boating lake, and plenty of sculptures in every direction you turn. We think the best time to visit is in the summer, but after the sun goes down. From Wednesday to Friday, the gardens host live music, children’s activities and dinner in the Pavillion Restaurant. But be sure to check out the Marsh Walk on Murrells Inlet if you’re in the mood to eat elsewhere.

Brookgreen Gardens: 1931 Brookgreen Dr., Murrells Inlet, (843) 235-6000, www.brookgreen.org,
Admission: $14; $12 senior; $7 child ages four-12; free for child under four.
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Georgetown

DowntownHistoricGeorgetown

Image Credit: www.HistoricGeorgetownSC.com

You may have passed this rundown paper mill looking town while driving on Highway 17, but passing by without ever stopping would be a big mistake. Just a turn off Front Street and you will enter a world of maritime heritage. It’s a quaint little town filled with century-old buildings, wooden boats and rice and maritime museums. If you get hungry, be sure to stroll along The Harborwalk and find some fresh seafood with a view.

S.C. Maritime Museum: 729 Front St., Georgetown, (843) 520-0111, www.scmaritimemuseum.org.
Admission: Free.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rice Museum: 633 Front St., Georgetown, (843) 546-7423, www.ricemuseum.org
Admission: $7; $5 senior; $3 student age six-21; free for child under six
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

McClellanville

mcclellanville

Image Credit: Sciway.net

Another hidden gem off of Highway 17 is a lovely little town called McClellanville. It was founded in the late 19th century as a coastal escape from Santee River. Bring your bike and explore at your own pace. Don’t miss the Village Museum, filled with history on the Sewee natives and rice planting days. If you get hungry, stop by T.W. Graham & Co. on Pinckney Street to sample the day’s fresh catch. Don’t forget to try the sweet-potato fries!

Village Museum: 401 Pinckney St., (843) 887-3030, www.villagemuseum.com.
Admission: $3; free for students and children.
Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Wadmalaw Island

firefly

Image Credit: 10best.com

As if the short, 30 minute scenic drive wasn’t enough to get us out here, Wadmalaw Island is home to the Firefly Distillery and Deep Water Vineyard. For just $6, taste the wine made with local muscadine grapes while learn about the process of how its made. You even get to keep your cute wine glass! Then walk next door to the distillery where you can try everything from their signature sweet tea vodka to something a little more decadent, like their red velvet liqueur. Saturdays at the distillery are called Sippin’ Saturdays! You can always find a food truck parked outside along with live music. Take a stroll around the farm and the vineyards and you’ll forget how much time has passed!

Deep Water Vineyards & Firefly Distillery: 6775 Bears Bluff Rd., (843) 557-1405, www.fireflyvodka.com.
Admission: Free, $6 per tasting
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

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