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The City of Charleston in South Carolina was founded by English King Charles II in 1670 as Charles Towne. It has been voted Number One best U.S. City by Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Awards in 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011; and Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards in 2014 and 2013.
At dawn, church bells rung out while birds chirped atop trees. Charleston exudes a gravitational pull for travelers like me as the one American South city they absolutely, positively must visit. Charleston is really a place where charms dwell. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends back home about the suave ambiance of this place. But for now, that was all mine.
A tourism slogan proclaims, “Visit Charleston. It’s always the right time.” The fine restaurants, exquisitely preserved antebellum wonders, and soul-stirring landscapes await. I walked those cobblestone streets weaving between pastel-colored mansions, and church steeples, not skyscrapers, dot the skyline here.
The numerous tour options available in Charleston promise that no matter what aspect of the destination I wish to explore, there is a tour tailored to my interest. It seems that Charleston wants to be able to offer everything under the sun. There are four Official Charleston Area Visitors Centers to help first-time visitors to gather tips from true insiders.
Some passionate locals told me where to go, why to go, and how to get there. When I asked a local for the directions to get to one of the Official Charleston Area Visitors Centers, he gave me a fair warning with a friendly smile. He said, “The interaction with the staffs at the visitor center may result in extended vacation.” I thanked him for his help and his sense of humor.
Charleston is one of North America’s most architecturally significant destinations. It is a decorative arts repository with expertly preserved history on display at every turn. When colonists settled Charleston in 1680, an urban development plan called the Grand Model established an orderly grid of streets. When I was on my own walking tour of the city, it was fun to wander and discover new corners. I did not worry if I might get lost in the Historic District.
During my second trip to Charleston, South Carolina, I discovered so many new perspectives about the city. It felt like I was suspended between gravity and the unexplored space of the future. Once in a while, we all need to surmount that inexorable pull and shoot us up into the place where we can see things with much clearer vision. That was a tiny hopeful seed of a feeling. Perhaps each one of us can think of the future from a brand new angle.
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