Exploring the Low Country of the Southeast U.S. – Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia – Part 1

We had a great time on our recent trip to the Low Country of the Southeast U.S. – Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. This was our first time in this part of the country; we saw and experienced quite a bit, and came away with a much better understanding of the South and its history.

Some of the things we saw and experienced that made the biggest impression on us:

• Really good food.
• Really good desserts. We put a high value on dessert, so it gets its own bullet point.
• Really nice people. Everyone we encountered, whether they were tourists or locals, seemed to enjoy being there.
• Humidity and bugs – lots of bugs. Early June was probably not the best time of year to visit, but that’s when our nephew was getting married, so that’s when we went.
• Did I mention the really good food?

Something we didn’t see:

Elevation changes in the terrain of more than a few feet. Really. I can see why they call this the “Low Country” – the whole place is flat as a pancake.

Our trip started with an all-day plane ride from San Diego to Charleston, where we picked up a rental car. The initial reason for the trip was to attend a wedding, which was held at a plantation outside of Charleston. We figured if we were going to travel that far to someplace new we really should spend a few extra days checking out the sights. After 3 nights in Charleston we took a whole day to drive the 100 miles down to Savannah, stopping to explore various places along the way, mostly around Beaufort, South Carolina. We spent another 3 nights in Savannah, then headed to Atlanta for our return flight home. Along the way we stopped for 1 night in Aiken, South Carolina to visit some long-time friends who moved there a few years ago. 

We had our first dinner at Jestine’s Kitchen on Meeting Street in downtown Charleston. Like it says on the mug “Southern food with lots of soul”. Everything was good, especially the coconut cream pie we shared for dessert.

When we  weren’t at the wedding, or the South Carolina Aquarium, or taking a carriage tour, spent most of our time in Charleston just walking around.

If you enjoy a city where you can just go walking, and find something interesting around almost every corner, Charleston is certainly the place to go.

On Monday evening we had dinner at Nick's BBQ, on King Street. The ribs and the banana cream pie were some of the best we've ever had.

We did take a carriage tour, and I can highly recommend this as a great way to get an overview of the city. Afterwards, once the rain subsided a bit, we walked much of the same route to get a closer look at some of the neighborhoods and architecture. Here's Henry, the horse.

Click here to see more pictures from our stay in Charleston, South Carolina. I'll put up separate posts for our visits to Magnolia Plantation, the Audubon Swamp Garden, and the South Carolina Aquarium, as well as our impromptu "ghost tour" of Charleston.