<p>Sorry always a Mom :"> </p>
<p>Little bit of a panic here. Reread all the posts and recommendations, and I think, based on what D wants to do, Charleston would be our best bet. So I started looking for accommodations, based on what some of you recommended, and yikes, many places are already sold out (or only have much bigger rooms/places than we need). So I tried TripAdvisor, and again, am finding so many places are already sold out, or only have partial availability for the four nights. Have even tried a couple of B&Bs. </p>
<p>I am going to email D tonight and tell her we need to make a decision soon, if we want to get a halfway decent place to stay in the historic district. I suspect our problem is going Columbus Day weekend - likely a popular weekend to get away for people. I was plugging four nights into the reservations systems of the various places.</p>
<p>I also need to try to figure out exactly which is the historic district area and stay close to that for convenience.</p>
<p>If you can’t find a place to stay in the historic district, try Mount Pleasant. There are several reasonably-priced hotels near Patriots Point and within walking distance of the USS Yorktown. Also, they are just over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge from Charleston. You can easily get on the bridge and drive to the historic district. Not as nice as staying there, but a good option.</p>
<p>Parents weekend at the Citadel is that weekend. That could be your issue.</p>
<p>College of Charleston parents weekend is September 27/28.</p>
<p>Any chance you could totally avoid both of those weekends?</p>
<p>check out Zero George in Charleston.</p>
<p>I ran over (and back) the Ravenel Bridge. One of the neatest runs ever.</p>
<p>Yea! We got a place to stay. One of D’s co-workers has been to Charleston several times and made a recommendation that still had availability, so we’re set, and in the historic district.</p>
<p>She said the three restaurant names that kept coming up in her conversations with others were:
SNOB (Slightly North of Broadway)
Poogan’s Porch
Husk</p>
<p>So she made reservations at each of these places for S, Su, and M nights at 7PM. We’ll wing it Friday night. We also made our airline reservations - hers was quite expensive from Boston - only one non-stop available on Jet Blue; at least I had two non-stop options on Southwest from Midway, and it was much more reasonable. But yea, traveling Columbus Day weekend is obviously a popular idea (it’s been a long time since we’ve done it).</p>
<p>SNOB is fabulous. Cafe Cru…it is a small restaurant (reservations a must) in a semi residential area… So…now I am hungry.</p>
<p>You will have a wonderful time! I lived in historic Charleston for several years but one of my favorite memories was of a visit there for several days with my mother when I was in college. An absolutely beautiful place and you are going at one of my favorite times of the year in Charleston( and many other native South Carolinians). Also, a perfect time of the year to take a quick drive over to Sullivan’s Island for a walk on the beach. Make sure to visit the Historic Charleston Foundation homes.
Getting a little homesick for South Carolina, now…</p>
<p>Going to cru, peninsula grill and fish. Will report back. </p>
<p>This will break so many hearts, that the availability of fresh seafood will be wasted on my non-acquired taste for fish. I do eat crabs and shrimp, but really, no fish. And yes, I grew up in a household where fresh fish was common - I just never liked it.</p>
<p>I would highly suggest a walking tour. This gets you off the street and into the gardens and cemeteries. Hopefully your hotel has a good concierge. They can book everything for you. </p>
<p>Fried chicken (I who live in SoCal where fried anything is seen as a way to hell) was fantastic! Ask concierge for a rec. My husband ordered rack of lamb some where and steak. Excellent. </p>
<p>Great posts here.
Raises a question, though I know it varies by person: are water temps still good enough for most to swim in mid-October, would you say? </p>
<p>I think it depends on what you’re used to. Lake Michigan around Chicago has not warmed up much more than 70° this year. Not sure that we’re going down to Charleston to specifically go swimming at the beach. I just like to have a nice beach to walk along. But since I’m the one (not D) who just got back from the Oregon coast (where water was probably in the low 60s and the furthest I got in was up to my ankles), I will defer to her wish to spend more time exploring Charleston, as opposed to being on the beach. </p>
<p>So if the water were around 70 (which I’m sure it will be), it would be like being at home in Lake Michigan this summer.</p>
<p>SAVANNAH. then drive to tybee island. best of both worlds.</p>
<p>If you don’t like seafood, have pork chops, or anything pork. They really do pork well down here. I will say as a transplant from Chicago that there are only two things that are not better in the south than in Chicago: The steaks and the corn. But the chicken, seafood, pork… </p>
<p>Shrimp down here this time of year is amazing, not like any shrimp you will get unless you’re on a coast.</p>
<p>Have so much fun! and do a walking tour if you have any interest in history or buildings or gardens. </p>
<p>We’ve enjoyed Charleston, Savannah and Sea Island- I don’t think you can go wrong.</p>
<p>Charleston has more of a “colonial” feel - like a southern Philadelphia, if that makes sense. Savannah has a more unique, sort of “Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil” / New Orleans-y feel. But both are very nice choices for a long weekend. We did a carriage ride in Charleston and really enjoyed that. Both are great places to walk and wander. </p>
<p>Don’t forget the Hush Puppies! A l’l onion, fried, crisp, just great. </p>
<p>Well, if you dont like seafood you will like peninsula grill. Because we had a serious problem with the scallops, which were huge but had ammoniated. The restaurant is elegant and they handled the problem well, but was a big disappointment to an otherwise great meal.</p>