December E-Newsletter

Well, here it is December 11th! Mark and I made it to sunny Sanibel in one piece and are enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. I understand from talking with family in Charleston that we got out just as a cold snap blew in to town. Compared to those temps this is a balmy paradise. [...]

Forbes Lists Charleston as One of The World’s Smartest Cities

Well, we all knew it and now the secret is out. Forbes has listed Charleston as one of the world’s smartest cities. To read all about it click here.

Are Doughnuts Good for You?

I was born and raised in New Orleans, a city famous for food. In the French Quarter at either Morning Call® or Café Du Monde you could enjoy a cup of café au lait along with freshly made beignets. Throughout the city and surrounding areas you could find local bakeries like Scharf’s, or Haydel’s that [...]

Charleston Continues to Rank High in Readers’ Polls

Charleston won the number 2 spot among US cities in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards.  The rankings consider the best in travel, including cities, hotels and airlines. Charleston ranked first in friendliness.
Also, Travel + Leisure magazine readers ranked Charleston the top destination in the US for bed-and-breakfasts, the top spot to spend Thanksgiving and among [...]

Efforts to Preserve Charleston Win National Recognition (Again)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation presented its Preservation Honor Award to the Historic Charleston Foundation for work in developing the Charleston Preservation Plan.

The Old South

Charleston is steeped in history, but has evolved and changed over time into an eclectic mix of the old and the new.  We are thoroughly modern in many ways, but we are still blatantly nostalgic when it comes to certain things.  We still prefer carriages to cars when it comes to a ride by the [...]

Did you know Charleston has the only tea plantation in America?

Yes we do! Out in the wilds of Wadmalaw Island, 20 minutes from Downtown Charleston, we’ve got our very own tea plantation, home of American Classic Tea. The Plantation grounds include 127 acres of camellia sinensis tea plants and an operating tea factory. So check out the video below for a [...]

Our Top Ten Reasons to Visit Charleston this Summer

The first “official” week of summer has just passed and the Charleston sun has been blazing, making a day at the beach delightful and an afternoon snoozing in the shade even better.  Summer in this city means farm fresh tomatoes, concerts in the parks, fireworks over the Harbor, dancing on the Pier and so much [...]

The Charleston Art of Porch Sittin’

Rain or shine, day or night, on the front or on the side, Charlestonians are experts in the fine art of porch-sitting.  Even our President remarked in 2008 that  ”Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and on [...]

Lowcountry Livin’ – Map of Downtown Charleston Areas that Flood When it Rains at High Tide

It’s part of living in the Lowcountry.  When the high tide and the heavy rain coincide – you get flooding.  Lots of it.  Now don’t sound alarmed – I am not talking Hurricane Hugo level floods.  I’m just saying there are a few streets you and your car need to avoid in Downtown Charleston unless [...]