Charleston, South Carolina Travel Guide

I recently traveled to the beautiful Charleston, South Carolina and thought I’d share everything I did and saw. I did quite a bit with my mom but still feel like I missed some things and want to go back soon (maybe when it doesn’t feel like 100 degrees out lol). Charleston is a must-see for vacationers and I loved every minute of my visit so much that I didn’t want to come home.

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Rainbow Row: An Instagramer’s dream, Rainbow Row is a street lined with pastel colored, historic homes with so much southern flare. A lot of the houses are decorated so beautifully and same with the houses around that area. Every street is truly so picturesque and charming.

Downtown Charleston Waterfront: Down a couple streets from Rainbow Row is the Charleston waterfront and the oh-so famous pineapple water fountain. The park around the fountain is filled with so many beautiful trees and serves as an area to sit in the shade to cool off and admire the beauty.

Angel Oak Tree: This beautiful tree is about 20 minutes from downtown and is said to be 400 years old. It’s massive but oh-so peaceful and calming.

Sullivan’s Island: Among one of Charleston’s many beaches, Sullivan’s Island is one of the beaches I suggest going to if you want to explore the area around it because parking is harder to find but there are so many delicious restaurants to check out if you can find a parking spot. When we went it was super windy but there weren’t a lot of people around. Also, during COVID, beach chairs are not allowed compared to the other beaches we went to, so we didn’t like that aspect.

Folly Beach: Another beach we spent a couple hours at was Folly Beach. I didn’t really like this beach too much, to be honest. It was the busiest beach we went to as you can tell by my picture below and we had to pay for parking. If you do end up visiting, I would suggest going in the morning to find parking before everyone starts showing up.

King Street: King Street I would compare to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago because of its abundance of shops on one street. We just drove through this area because it was raining when we visited but from what I saw, there are a variety of shops to check out. If you’re an Outer Banks fan, Ben Silver, one of the filming locations is located on this street so that was cool to see.

The American Theater: Also located on King Street is the eclectic American Theater. I wanted to check this landmark out because this was one of the filming spots for The Notebook.

College of Charleston: My cousin is attending this college in the fall so my aunt and she suggested visiting. This was a last minute add to our itinerary and I’m so happy about it. There is so much history with this college and all of the buildings and nature around it are beautiful. I was geeked because they have a Phi Mu chapter at this campus (my sorority) so we stopped by their chapter house and took some pictures in front of it.

Around the area I suggest walking or driving around as well because there are so many beautiful and old buildings to admire. Another fun spot to check out around there is the Dock Street Theater, the first theater in the United States.

Isle of Palms: This beach is my #1 recommendation for beaches to visit in the Charleston area. It’s much easier to find free parking for the Isle of Palms and it’s not crowded. The houses on the beach are also beautiful to admire.

Shem Creek: This little creek we came upon by accident but I’m so glad we did. The restaurants along this creek have beautiful views of the water and there is a peer you can walk down and admire the scenery. At sunset it is stunning and we actually saw dolphins in the creek the night we visited so that was a pleasant surprise. For all of you Outer Banks fans again, this is another filming spot too for the Netflix show.

Boone Hall Plantation: There are countless plantations to visit in South Carolina but we decided to visit the Boone Hall one. Fun fact: this is another Notebook filming location and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively got married here. The house is equally beautiful outside as it is in the inside. You aren’t allowed to take pictures inside though per the request of the owners. The gardens and nature around the plantation are stunning. There are also old slave homes to read up on the history about along with several other buildings on the property. Overall, an amazing spot to add to your itinerary.

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I hope you guys enjoyed my little Charleston travel guide! If you have any questions about what I did or suggestions for visiting Charleston, leave them below and I’d be happy to respond.

XOXO, Tayler