A cute little cobblestone alley for photos and historical. Off the beaten path and offers shade…read moretoo. Enjoyed walking along during my time in downtown.

One of the prettiest of Charlestons alleys downtown. Stretching from Church to East Bay, it's a…read morecool public walkway and driveway for several homeowners. Watch out for private driveways, stay on the public right of way. Definitely the coolest part is as you make your way to East Bay, the width of the alley shrinks to about 5 feet wide! An alley tour is a nice thing to do for guests who are very mobile.

Rainbow Row is the name for a series of thirteen colorful historic houses in historic downtown…read moreCharleston, South Carolina. The houses are located north of Tradd St. and south of Elliott St. on East Bay Street, that is, 79 to 107 East Bay Street. In 1931, Dorothy Haskell Porcher Legge purchased a section of these, house numbering 99 through 101 East Bay, and began to renovate them. She chose to paint these houses pink based on a colonial Caribbean color scheme. Other owners and future owners followed suit, creating the "rainbow" of pastel colors present today. The coloring of the houses helped keep the houses cool inside as well as give the area its name. By 1945, most of the houses had been restored. The name "Rainbow Row" was later coined. It is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the most photographed parts of Charleston. My family and I visited the Rainbow Row this past summer while we were visiting family in town. We had previously visited on our last visit to the area but wanted to visit again because the houses are just breathtaking to look at. They're very photogenic! Aside from the pastel colored houses, the whole stretch of the downtown area from Waterfront Park to the Battery is a very interesting area to explore. It's loaded with historic buildings, monuments, historical plaques, and cobblestone streets. You might get lucky and even see a horse-drawn carriage riding by. We highly recommend anyone visiting Charleston to see Rainbow Row!

Rainbow Row was on the top of my list of things to see in Charleston, given the hype around this…read morehistoric spot. I have to say, I was a bit underwhelmed when finding it. Don't get me wrong, the homes are beautiful and the history behind them are rich, but it is definitely overhyped. I was also surprised how different it looked in person compared to photos online; I don't know if its the photoshop making the houses look so vibrant and colorful, but the real thing seemed a bit more dull. If you're already in the area, you should definitely see it for yourself, cause you've got nothing to lose. But don't go out of your way to come here, or you may be slightly disappointed like I was.

What a fun concept! We thoroughly enjoyed this event! The music was great, I loved that they had a…read morephoto booth to remember the night, glasses to take home. There were a ton of food options, I actually wish the portions were smaller so that we could try more things or not throw away so much. My only complaint about this whole thing was that it was difficult to figure out where to go in. As we arrived we actually connected with a small group of people wandering from Fleet Landing and then around in the parking lot next to it trying to figure out how to get in... so a little clearer signage for where to go would be helpful! Great time though, I'm super thankful we won tickets to be able to go!

I always have such a good time at this event. The food is obviously great and so are the drinks…read more The music is awesome too. Can't beat bluegrass. Although, this year I feel like it wasn't as busy as the past years. There were not as many vendors and not as crowded. Which is totally fine. More food for us!

Dear reader,…read more Charleston City Market is exactly the sort of place that makes casual browsing turn into a full-fledged expedition. It is full of jewelry, handmade gifts, local art, and all manner of treasures, and so many visitors seem to love the same thing: the sheer variety and the chance to find something that actually feels special rather than mass-produced. That absolutely tracked for us. The Market itself has been a Charleston staple for over 200 years, and it still feels lively, local, and full of character. What really stood out for me was an artist who went by Andy, who had a collection of pop art vinyl records that was genuinely fantastic. Using mixed media, he created pieces featuring different singers, musicians, and bands on old vinyl records, which felt both clever and beautifully done. I chose an amazing Mary J. Blige piece that was also hand-painted, and I was absolutely thrilled with it. The value of your dollar was VERY worth getting one (or more)! Cash only! Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable wander and a very good place to find art, gifts, and a few things you did not know you needed. I would happily go back.

Impressive place! The Charleston City Market goes 4 blocks. The shopping experience stretches from…read moreMeeting Street (where you'll enter) to the end of the waterfront. We had no idea until we entered just how far it went; it goes "on & on"! So much history within these buildings. It's one of the oldest public markets in the U.S. Has weathered many storms and has been registered in the National Registry of Historic Places. Established in 1788 (even though the inside entrance stats 1807) & as of today it still stands on the premises of monetary trades & services, as well as shared cultural heritage. There are countess vendors throughout this retail galleria. We enjoyed mainly browsing the works of products that were officially certified as Handmade in Charleston. You won't get tired of looking, but a lot of repeat sellers. It's essentially like a flea market if you will. It was fun, but way too much basket weaving vendors. Was so intriguing to watch the Gullah artistry & understand its importance here, but would have liked to have seen and explored MORE local foods. Wished that they would have had a specific area that was an actual type of wet market/ open-air concept or traditional marketplace that sells fresh, perishable foods like meat, seafood, and produce focusing more on local eats and food heritage of its distinct low country cuisine. There were some food spots, just not what we had envisioned or experiencing with other east coast markets we've been to. Bought a bottled water that was over $5! Other than that, we didn't buy anything else. However, definitely worth a stroll and a unique experience. Perfect touristy spot! *Open daily 9:30 AM-5:30 PM Fri & Saturday Night 6:30 PM -10:30 PM

This is one of the most iconic if not THE most iconic sign in Charleston! Every holiday is captured…read moreby the Coburg Cow... Quite the wardrobe and decor this cow has! Want to know how serious a storm is? This cow don't fly through the sky... She gets taken down as to keep protected if the weather is bad. When the cow is down, it's serious business... A hurricane IS coming!

The Coburg Cow is the unofficial mascot of Weat Ashley! The Coburg Cow still stands even though the…read moreCoburg Dairy is no longer there. Several storms have knocked her down or knocked her bottle of milk off the stand, but you can still find her dressed up for every holiday, including St. Patrick's Day and Christmas!

Janine was very personable, informative, and a great story teller…read more This was our first time in Charleston and she provided an amazing overview of the city and its legends. Would highly recommend to others.

Went on the Sat afternoon stroll with scott and had a wonderful time. I've been to Charleston a…read morecouple times but had never seen the beautiful streets and alleys he took us down. Highly recommend this tour, with it's beautiful homes and the stories! Scott was laid back, enthusiastic and had a real passion for giving the tour.

You might be thinking $250 is a lot, but Chef Forrest gives you an ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL day! You…read moreget a great tour of the city and the food he cooks for you is simply amazing. 100% worth every penny! Trust all of those 5 star reviews and book today!!! You won't be sorry!!!

A tour with Chef Forrest must be on the top of your list when in Charleston. Chef Forrest hosted 12…read moreLSU ladies on a historic tour around the city. He was so knowledgeable and a great story teller. He was very accommodating to our needs and what knowlege we wanted to gain in the tour. The tour ended at his restaurant/bar Azur and we were treated to a 3 course wine tasting lunch, which was AMAZING!! He gave us some tips and tricks for the foodies and poured wines for those that just wanted to be served. I feel so lucky that I was able to secure Chef Forrest to be our personal tour guide AND then have him cook some Charleston household dishes.

Thoroughly enjoyed this small format cooking class. The instructor was very knowledgeable about…read morelocal food & history. Well-organized do that we were all able to participate. I've made all of the recipes at home. If you enjoy cooking, I recommend.

Charleston Upper King Street Culinary Tour Guide: Georgia…read more 4 stops is pretty low for a food tour, especially since the last one was gelato. Our 3rd stop was a chicken quesadilla and tortilla chips with salsa and queso. I would never call that a "culinary experience". The mussels on the first stop was good but it was shared and some people are gross. A woman I was sharing with used the fork she ate off of to pick mussels out of our shared bowl AND double dipped her bread in the mussel juice. Individual small portions would've been better especially considering I traveled alone. I chose this company because it was local, when I typically use the same one, thinking it would've been the best. I was fooled. This was my least favorite food tour of all my travels. The others might be better. Stops & Food: 1. 39 Rue de Jean- mussels, bread, truffle fries, and brussel sprouts 2. Uncork Charleston - meatball (golf ball sized) 3. El Jefe Texican Cantina- chicken quesadilla, tortilla chips with queso and salsa 4. Tinto Café & Provisions- gelato

Great experience in Charleston for the eclipse. Watched it from the courtyard at the Doubletree in…read morethe Historic district, which was awesome because they had shade and a bar and fast wifi. The wifi was especially awesome as I kept the NASA channel going (they were LIVE from the College of Charleston all day!) as I looked up at the clouds every so often with my cool eclipse glasses (Lowe's, $1.99 each!). The Doubletree made it a thing with special "eclipse wine" and even their usual Doubletree cookies with extra chocolate on top like the eclipse. Waaaaay too sweet but I ate it anyway! We made a complete weekend of it, coming down on Saturday and leaving on Tuesday so as to avoid the traffic of which there was apparently plenty.

Syzygy: an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a…read moreplanet One of the most awesome moments ever, as the sun peeked out from totality it was the brightest, most beautiful light I've ever seen...Maybe entering heaven will look like that? We are but visitors on this rock, hurtling through time and space at 66,000 miles an hour. Tethered to a burning sphere by an invisible force in an unfathomable universe. This most of us take for granted, while refusing to believe these forces have any more effect on us than a butterfly beating it's wings halfway around the world. @Eric S, name that reference (w/o Google, of course)

Love this addition to the downtown medical district space. I have been utilizing it for years for…read morefood, events, just to get some air/sunshine. I appreciate that they put out a calendar each week of the planned vendors/food trucks on social media so I can plan a visit, if needed. They have a coffee truck and rotating food trucks, so there is plenty of variety to choose from most days. The space itself is nice - chairs, tables, umbrellas, cornhole, etc. They do a good job of keeping it well maintained and overall, the environment is welcoming. Some days, you just need to take a walk or get some air and the greenway provides a great space for it!

I love the Greenway! It is a wonderful surprise in the middle of the medical district…read more The area is blocked off that way cars cannot get through. The landscaping is lovely. There are tables and seating set up throughout. Food trucks and other vendors will set up during meal times. It is convenient and easy to sit and enjoy. Take a stroll on the Greenway!