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Friday, March 18th
At the entrance to Boone Hall, you’ll be greeted by three-quarters of a mile of 250-year-old live oaks.
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.
5:30 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.
7:00 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 19th
Our traditional Lowcountry boil on Caper’s Island beach.
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.
2-4 p.m. Author Reception for local author
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. We promise that the author we feature will be a notable one, and will announce her name in the next few weeks. Guests will receive a copy of one of the author’s novels, which she will sign.
4:30-8 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 20th
A Lese Corrigan painting of a James Island church.
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
5 p.m. Wine Reception at Corrigan Gallery
We will visit the Corrigan Gallery, a well-known gallery that exhibits pieces of art that are both representational and abstract and possess the charm of old Charleston with a contemporary edge. We will enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres while Charleston native Lese Corrigan and other artists our age talk about their work. Corrigan’s paintings are known for their joyful playfulness of life and the surfaces imbued with light. Corrigan fully immersed herself in the visual arts in the late 1980s, working her way through the different opportunities in the art community.
Dinner: The Grocery
Charleston has become known for restaurants that are obsessive about sourcing ingredients. The stellar The Grocery (in the popular Upper King Street) offers small plates of astonishingly fresh ingredients and combinations. We can go as a group, but dinner is not included.
Included: Breakfast, gospel brunch, wine reception.
Monday March 21st
The gang at Spartina 449 on 2019’s shopping tour.
10 a.m.-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!!
