A brief forty five minute flight from the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, and you’re touching down at a true Southern gem of a town known locally as Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston’s roots are steeped in history from wars that shaped America with a strong farming history as well as people who have created amazing architecture that is well preserved and still utilized today. You simply cannot ignore the Southern hospitality and superb food which make this town so special. With that being said, here’s Tyler’s take on the must do’s, must see’s, and must tries when traveling to Charleston!

Do: #1 Ft. Sumter is a must and was actually the first tour my wife and I went on after arriving in town. This location played such a huge roll in shaping American history into what it is today by being where the Civil War started. The experience includes a 30 minute ferry boat ride with excellent views and photo opportunities of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge along the way. Once you arrive, you get a solid  rundown on the history by one of the site’s excellent historians and then you’re free to roam around the island. There is a very well laid out museum housing incredible artifacts with some great fun facts mixed in as well. Highly recommended!

#2 Boone Hall Plantation This is another interesting historic site to see. From movie scene locations featured in “The Notebook” with Ryan Gosling and “The Patriot” with Patrick Swayze to the remnants of slavery in the south, this place shares both the good and bad of times gone by. This place plays a huge part in Charleston as a whole due to the fact that it was a brickyard back in the late 1800s. That being said, a lot of the buildings that are still standing today in downtown are made up of bricks that came from the property. Boone Hall Plantation is the longest operating plantation in the United States as they still plant crops for locals and tourists to enjoy even to this day! You will have mixed emotions about this property as I did due to the raw beauty of the 700+ acres piece of property and the unfortunate facts of slavery that occurred here. When you visit, keep an eye out for the Gulla presentation. The presentation will help you better understand the struggles people went through as well as the Gulla language, their faith, and strength of the people. Nonetheless, it is a great place to go to and reflect on history. 

#3 Lianos Dos Palmas Handmade Cigars

This quaint little shop ran by a husband and wife duo will remind you of the true art of cigar making. You’re not going to find many, if any, cigars by the big names you’re all familiar with. Instead you’ll find the gentleman over at his work bench taking each leaf piece by piece while cutting and rolling until you have a perfectly constructed, mild-medium Robusto made from Nicaraguan tobacco.  That’s what I bought for myself that is. Great priced sticks and an overall awesome place to stop by and see!