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Friday, April 17th
At the entrance to Boone Hall Plantation, 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 April 18th
Our traditional Lowcountry boil on Caper’s Island beach.
10-12 p.m. Boone Hall Plantation Visit
Boone Hall Plantation is still a working agricultural operation whose produce is sold at a nearby farm store. The main house embodies serene grandeur while the rows of original slave quarters, now housing an exhibit on black culture, offer a sobering counterpoint. But probably the best reason to come here is the entryway: three-quarters of a mile of 250-year-old live oaks oozing with Spanish Moss as they arch gracefully over the road. We will learn about the significant contributions of Gullah culture.
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 Susan Boyer
Susan M. Boyer is the author of the USA TODAY best-selling Lowcountry mystery series. She was blessed with a quintessential small-town childhood and has had a life-long love affair with books. Susan’s debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Susan will talk about her writing and why she chose the Low Country for her settings. Guests will receive a copy of one of her 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 Lowcountry mystery novel, boat ride, dinner, and dessert.
Sunday, April 19th
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.
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 April 20th
The gang at Spartina 449 on last year’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!!
