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Friday, March 24th
Arrival
Please arrive at the King’s Courtyard Inn by 1 or 1:30 p.m. If your flight arrives later, we will have you join us where ever the group is at the time.
2-4:30 p.m. Historical Walking Tour
A NextTribe local will guide us through some of the impressive sites in Charleston. The best place to see the spectrum of architectural styles here—including the classic “single house” with porches running along the side–is south of Broad Street. We’ll see Legare Street with its famous wrought iron gates, the wee, brick-paved Stolls Alley and Rainbow Row—a stretch of 18th Century Georgian townhouses in sherbet hues. The narrow, shady streets open up to the battery on the southern tip of the peninsula.
4:30 Visit to a Historic Charleston Home
Our walking tour guide, Therese Smythe, has roots deep in this town and has a classic Charleston home in the historic distric. We’ll stop by to look at how the lucky live in this gorgeous city.
6 p.m. Tour of the Wentworth Mansion, Plus Wine on the Rooftop
Linn Lesesne, the owner of the Wentworth Mansion and a NextTribe member, will give us a tour of this ornate building, which was designed in the Second Empire style. Linn will tell us about the history and the renovation of the mansion. The tour will end with wine on the rooftop, which offers expansive views of downtown and Charleston bay.
7:30 p.m. Dinner, Circa 1886
Some people come to Charleston just for the food—for good reason. At Circa 1886, which has long reigned as one of Charleston’s finest restaurants, the menu takes guests on a journey through Lowcountry cuisine–from its humble beginnings, multinational influences, and what that means for modern day cuisine fused together from this rich history.
Included: Walking tour, Wentworth Mansion tour with wine, dinner at Circa 1886.
Saturday March 25th
10-12 p.m. Boone Hall Plantation Visit
It’s difficult to visit plantations these days, knowing the atrocities that were committed there. We feel a stop at Boone Hall Plantation is justified for several reasons. It’s still a working agricultural operation whose produce is sold at a nearby farm store. The rows of original slave quarters now house an exhibit on black culture, and there is a wonderful presentation about the significant contributions of Gullah culture. And then there’s the entryway: three-quarters of a mile of 250-year-old live oaks oozing with Spanish Moss as they arch gracefully over the road.
1-2 p.m. Lunch, Sullivan’s Island
Lunch will take place overlooking the marshes of the Intercoastal waterway and a glorious view of Charleston’s iconic Ravenel Bridge. We’ll be in the home of a NextTriber who lives on Sullivan’s Island, which will give you the chance to see inside one of the spectacular island structures.
2-3:30 pm. Author Reception for Susan Boyer
The Charleston area is full of accomplished authors. In the past, Cassandra King (widow of Pat Conroy) talked about her writing and her relationship with her husband. On this trip, you will get to meet Susan Boyer who writes the bestselling Liz Talbot mystery series, which takes place in and around Charleston and starts with Lowcountry Boil. Guests will receive a copy of one of the author’s novels, which she will sign.
4:00-7:30 p.m. Boat Ride and Sunset Beach Cook-out
We’ll take a chartered boat from Isle of Palms to the uninhabited barrier island, Capers Island, where we’ll explore the beach, known for its collection of driftwood. We’ll be eating a traditional Lowcountry boil (local shrimp paired with house smoked sausage, sweet corn and small potatoes simmered in a flavorful season mix) and follow up with a bonfire and s’mores before heading back just after sunset.
Included: Breakfast, plantation visit, lunch, author reception, a copy of a novel by a local author, boat ride, dinner, and dessert.
Sunday, March 26th
10 am (optional) Visit to Magnolia Cemetery
There are reportedly more than 400 churches in Charleston. The most interesting sacred place in town, however, is the Magnolia Cemetery, which dates to the 1850s and is strewn across 92 acres on the Cooper River. Here the headstones may be shaped like pyramids or adorned with angels, and mausoleums are architectural wonders with columns and florid accents. The cemetery is famous for its Civil War burial sites — including those belonging to three crews of the Confederate H. L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy ship, in 1864 in Charleston Harbor.
12:00 Gospel Brunch at Hall’s Chop House
At Halls Chophouse, two Sunday rituals come together: brunch and worship. Near the piano at the front door, a singer croons “Amazing Grace” and other gospel standards. Upstairs, the hungry sit on leather banquettes and dig into crab cake eggs Benedict, or shrimp and grits. Yum!
Afternoon Free. We suggest a visit to the Charleston City Market.
4:30 pm Gullah Cooking Demonstration and Dinner
We are excited to add a new element to our itinerary. We have been invited into the home of legendary Gullah chef Charlotte Jenkins, who has been featured on the Food Network and Southern Foodways Alliance. For years, Charlotte ran her own restaurant Gullah Cuisine in Mount Pleasant. The spacious two-story house where she cooked her first pot of liver and rice, where generations of children were fed, raised and sent into the world and where her mother, Julia Ascue, held court in the kitchen will become Julia’s Table in Julia’s Gullah House. We will have the chance to buy Chef Jenkins’ cookbook and the Gullah spices made by her daughter Keisha.
Included: Breakfast, gospel brunch, cooking demonstration and dinner.
Monday March 27th
9 a.m. Visit to the famous Angel Oak Tree on John’s Island
The spectacular Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 ft tall, measures 28 ft in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet. From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft. One of the favorite photo spots in the Charleston area.
11 am-1 p.m. Shopping Tour
We will visit a string of distinctive shops along the main artery of King Street. Many of the stores are owned by women our age, and we will be greeted at several with refreshments and discounts. Among the women-owned shops we’ll visit: Ibu Movement, Spartina 449, RTW, and Croghan’s Jewel Box.
Lunch on your own.
Included: Breakfast and shopping tour.
Departure
If possible, please book an outbound flight at 3 p.m. or later.
If you have an evening flight, we suggest an afternoon visit to the Charleston Museum or the newly renovated Gibbes Museum of Art. Or more shopping!!
