2022’s Journey will entail 25 Campsites – 4,315 Miles (in Rosie the RV) and countless other SUV miles to get us to our adventures. We will see such vacation hotspots as St Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, Lake Placid, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine [primarily Acadia National Park, and Baxter State Park], then head south to West Virginia and Virginia before landing back in Central Florida for the winter months.
On May 8, 6-weeks into our 2022 adventures we moved to Charleston, South Carolina for 14-nights. This was our very first visit to this historic Southern city praised for its southern charm, rich history, and culture. The ways to experience the urban area seem to be limitless.
Campground
Biking
West Ashley Greenway
A favorite of local bikers and joggers, the West Ashley Greenway takes you on an eight-mile ride from suburban Charleston west to the scenic Lowcountry wetlands that surround this charming city. The trail’s western end features an unpaved dirt surface, reflecting the wilder and undeveloped surroundings, while the majority of the trail within the Charleston neighborhood of West Ashley features a paved asphalt pathway lined with overhead power lines along this former railroad corridor.
On Johns Island, the dirt gives way to rough gravel and narrow bridge crossings—mountain bikes are a must. Here the broad wetlands flank the trail, presenting magnificent views and rewarding bird sightings.
Our day consisted of a 19-mile enjoyable easy peddle on a well defined trail.
Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island is a destination for luxury golf and beach vacations near Charleston, South Carolina. We read about the intriguing biking and beaching opportunities so we picked a late afternoon and drove the busy roads to the Kiawah Beachwalker Park located on the west end of Kiawah Island. Kiawah Beachwalker Park offers ocean frontage and a river view, along with the only public beach access on beautiful Kiawah Island. There is a flat rate parking fee of $10.
We walked our bikes down the boardwalk to the beach and rode the 10’ish miles down the beach. The wide, hard packed sand made for an easy peddle and with views of deer and bird life, it was entertaining, as well. We backtracked a bit and found a path through the golf course and were back on the paved biking path for the 10’ish miles back to the car.
A FABULOUS ride that we absolutely loved!
Folly Beach
Known to Charleston locals as “the Edge of America“, Folly Beach is an eclectic beach community and has gained prominence as one of the more popular surf spots along the East Coast.
We were drawn to the area for Mike to photograph the Lighthouse at the Inlet Heritage Preserve. Although the light no longer shines on this historic 1876, 161-foot lighthouse it remains a beloved historical site for both locals and visitors.
We spent two different sunrises admiring it from the shore.
Plantation Tours
The website visit-historic-charleston.com lists the major draw for the historic Plantation tours in the area.
- Most well-known plantation – Boone Hall
- Best and oldest landscaped gardens – Middleton Place
- Best wildlife – Magnolia Plantation
- Best preserved plantation house – Drayton Hall
- Best place for a picnic – Hampton Plantation
- Most unusual plantation – Charleston Tea Plantation
- Quick and free – Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
- Best of the best – McLeod Plantation Historic Site
- Best Place to enjoy nature – Cypress Gardens
We opted to visit Boone Hall and here are our takeaways:
- Inclusive of one $28 pp admission fee: everything including a tour of the mansion, lectures, demonstrations and covered wagon tours across the entire property are included in the one entrance fee.
- The unique one-of-a-kind “Exploring The Gullah Culture” live presentation was our favorite.
- The Black History In America Exhibit on display in nine original slave dwellings and the history talks presented outdoors in front of historic dwellings were interesting and informative and presented with respect.
- The beauty of the Hall of Oaks is impressive and makes for beautiful photographs.
When friends honored us with a weekend visit, they chose Magnolia Plantation and these are our takeaways.
- General Admission is $29 pp for Adults PLUS an additional $10 for each of the extras: Historic House Tour, Nature Tram, Nature Boat, Slavery to Freedom Presentation & Tour (included), Audubon Swamp and Historic Garden Walk. It can get a little pricey.
- We highly recommend the House Tour and the Slavery to Freedom Presentation & Tour.
- The Nature Tram was something we enjoyed, especially if you like to see alligators but in hindsight we likely would have enjoyed the Nature Boat a little more.
- The snack bar at Magnolia is awesome with hot food and fries and ice cream compared to Boone Hall where your only choices are cold prepackaged sandwiches, chips and cold drinks.
Angel Tree
An absolute must-see for anyone visiting Charleston South Carolina is the impressive Angel Oak Tree which is estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft.
We picked a rainy morning and arrived just as they opened hoping to beat the crowds. The rain had stopped and the crowds had already started assembling. It is amazing to us how many individuals will gather at the base and just stand there having long conversations, playing on their phones, and stand around inhibiting others wanting to take photographs. Regardless, Mike played the waiting game and between influxes of comers’ and goers was able to capture some awesome photographs,
Ravenel Bridge
The Ravenel Bridge is 2.7 miles long and features a pedestrian walkway the entire length. This sidewalk is separated from the road with a concrete barrier and therefore feels very safe and protected.
This bridge is a cable-stayed bridge meaning that it has tall, triangular cables suspending the entirety. This gives the bridge it’s iconic shape.
We had heard how busy, both pedestrians and road traffic, this gets so we opted to begin our walk around 7am on a Sunday. Well…. there were already plenty of pedestrians and bikers and the traffic road noise wasn’t far behind. Still, it was a nice experience and we were able to get our daily workout in before noon.
Downtown Historic District
A visit to Charleston isn’t complete without visiting the historic district. We spent many mornings, evenings, sunrises, sunsets and everything in-between walking the back streets as well as the main avenues. We stopped at all the highlights: Waterfront Park, Pineapple Fountain, Battery Park, City Market, Rainbow Row, etc.
Most of our favorite photos from this seasons travels have come from this area. What do you think?
Dream Big, Travel Far, Live Well ……
What’s Next?
Columbia, South Carolina is our next stop…….
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