- Attractions
- Old Slave Mart Museum (6 Chalmers Street, 843-958-6467; nps.gov/history/nr/travel/charleston). Exhibitions bring slavery to horrifying life in a way few museums do, addressing such topics as the stigma attached to the slave-trading profession and how slaves were dressed, shaved, fed and otherwise prepared for market day.
- Angel Oak, a tree so large it could whomp 10 Hogwarts willows (3688 Angel Oak Road). The tree, which is thought to be at least 300 to 400 years old, is threatened by plans for a nearby shopping center. It is protected by a fence; the gate closes at 5 p.m
- Middleton Place plantation, a National Historic Landmark, one of several plantations within easy reach of downtown, you can get a close-up view of the marsh — or, in winter, of a primeval cypress swamp — on a guided kayak tour ($40). Alligators, bald eagles and river otter are among the possible sights, as is the architectural award-winning Inn at Middleton Place, where the tours meet (4290 Ashley River Road, 843-628-2879; charlestonkayakcompany.com). After, you can take in domesticated nature on the plantation grounds, billed as the oldest landscaped garden in the country, with twin butterfly lakes, or visit the blacksmith and cooper workshops (4300 Ashley River Road, 800-782-3608; middletonplace.org)
- North end of King St
- St. Philip Street, gateway to the ivy- and oak-draped College of Charleston and the lower peninsula’s gorgeous historic neighborhoods. You may want to stop into the Redux Contemporary Art Studios, a nonprofit gallery; admission is free. It will also cost you nothing, after that, to continue a meandering walk down St. Philip, through the gorgeous square at Saint George Street and down to the graveyard of St. Philip’s Church, resting place of John C. Calhoun, the pre-Civil War senator and vice president, and Dubose Heyward, author of the novel “Porgy” and the libretto of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.”
- smaller streets like Archdale and Legare (pronounced Le-GREE), you’ll wander among 200-year-old neighborhoods that feel alternately French and English before reaching White Point Gardens along Charleston’s historic waterfront battery.
- http://thecharlestoncitymarket.com/
- Folly Beach. Folly’s most beautiful beach can be found by driving all the way up to Folly Island’s north end along East Ashley Avenue and parking at the dead end. Walk or take your bike through the gate and head a quarter-mile north past the foundation of an old Coast Guard station, and you’ll find yourself on a secluded and protected beach in the shadow of the spooky old lighthouse that stands guard over Morris Island.
- One of Charleston’s best breakfasts can be found at Folly’s Lost Dog Cafe. Sit on the porch of this old beach house and enjoy pancakes and fruit ($5.75) or biscuits with sausage gravy ($4.95).
- Eats
- Alluette Cafe. Soul Food. 80 A Reid St, Charleston, SC 29403
- Fit. American. 232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC
- Husk. 74-76 Queen St. Charleston, SC
- Cypress. 167 E Bay St, Charleston, SC
- Hominy Grill. 207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC
- Bowens Island Restaurant. 1870 Bowens Island Road. Roasted oysters (bottomless order is $21.50) and oversize hush puppies (a side is $4.25). Get here early to avoid the crush.
- WildFlour Pastry (73 Spring Street, 843-327-2621; wildflourpastrycharleston.com) created an instant tradition with “sticky bun Sundays.” A steady stream of cravers comes through the door in search of a warm, chewy, generously pecanned confection ($2.70). Those with less of a sweet tooth will be happy with crumbly fruity or savory scones ($2 and up) or a hardboiled Sea Island egg (60 cents).
- The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg. Most stores limit free food samples, but not the Peanut Shop, where bowls beckoned with chocolate-covered cashews, peanut brittle and plenty more, simply begging to be feasted upon. I’m pretty sure you can also exchange money for the same products packaged in cans and boxes, but I can’t confirm that
- Just next to the Terrace on Maybank, the Mustard Seed is part of a small chain of South Carolina restaurants and is remarkably affordable considering the quality and consistency of its largely local menu. If you’re on a super tight budget, you could eat well from a couple of baskets of its delicious rosemary bread and a caprese salad ($7). There’s a delicious sweet potato ravioli for $10, and most specials, often featuring local fish, seldom exceed $20.
- Entertainment
- Pour House, which features live entertainment and a new outdoor stage and bar. Acts range from Leon Russell to North Carolina bluegrass to reggae to a Phish tribute band called Strange Design; weekend admission generally runs around $12
- popular rooftop Pavilion Bar at the Market Pavilion Hotel (225 East Bay Street, 843-723-0500; www.marketpavilion.com)
- North Charleston
- Park Circle has in particular been recognized as an especially attractive spot; last year, This Old House Magazine named it one of the country’s “Best Old-House Neighborhoods.” Meanwhile, new restaurants and other businesses have converged on East Montague Avenue, a few blocks away from the revitalized circle
- Cork, a small bistro frequented by the young and stylish and headed by the chef Jimmy Owens (pictured), has seasonal salads, beers and meals made with fresh ingredients from local farmers — and, of course, Southern-style grits. 1067 E Montague
- THE SPARROW - This spot, opened in 2012, is easily the most colorful new concert venue in North Charleston. Old-school arcade games share space with large photographs on the wall of everyone from Mohandas K. Gandhi to George Harrison. The place regularly plays host to local musicians and rock bands of all sorts. 1078 E Montague
- EVO CRAFT BAKERY - In August, the popular EVO Pizzeria got a complementary bakery, where locally brewed coffee and tea are featured alongside freshly baked pastries and breads, all at reasonable prices. 1075 East Montague Avenue; (843) 225-1796
- DIG IN THE PARK - This sports bar, opened in 2011, features a huge patio with an outdoor grill. And unlike many spots on East Montague Avenue, it stays open on Sundays. 1049 E Montague
- McClellanville, S.C. Just short of Charleston, I turned on a whim down a side road leading to the town of McClellanville, population about 500. Pretty houses led to a tiny downtown, where a sign pointed us to an art show put on by the local public high school. The director of the local history museum, which was closed for the day, directed us toward a few of the town’s other attractions: the shrimping boats at the dock, the old wood-shingled Episcopal Church, and T.W. Graham and Co., the wildly popular (but not all that cheap) local restaurant specializing — no surprise — in shrimp. Meal for two, with fried green tomatoes and dessert: $48
- Eats
- Café Florie, 1715 Barnard Street, Savannah. Soul Food. http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/travel/restaurant-report-cafe-florie-in-savannah.html
- Our first stop, Angel’s, was sold out for the day. The folks there recommended the recently reopened Wall’s, but gave us the wrong address (it’s at 515 East York Lane, not 212, guys). (Open Thu-Sat.) I stepped into a nearby art gallery, and the owner, William Armstrong, sent us out of the historic district, through a low-income, decidedly nonhistoric section of the city where we finally found Randy’s Bar-B-Q, a stand-alone brick cube where the teenager working the takeout window had a one-phrase vocabulary: “What chu got?” A proper response is “Half-slab of ribs” ($10). They come meaty and smoky and slathered in a sauce that any uptight no-fun barbecue elitist would say was too sweet.
- For breakfast, the Firefly Cafe (321 Habersham Street, 912-234-1971) is on a quiet corner on Troup Square. Sit under the oaks and enjoy a plate of blueberry corn pancakes ($6.95) or shrimp and grits ($10.95)
- Vinnie Van Go-Go's (317 West Bryan Street, 912-233-6394) is a popular indoor-outdoor pizza joint ($11 for a large cheese)
- Don't miss the homemade goodies like pralines or gophers — pecan clusters covered with caramel and chocolate, $1.50 to $2 each — at Savannah Candy Kitchen, (318 West St. Julian Street, 912-201-9501) or Cafe Gelatohhh!'s 24 flavors of Italian-style ice cream (202 West St. Julian Street, 912-234.2344; $3.42 for a small cone)
- On Tybee, AJ's Dockside Restaurant (1315 Chatham Avenue, 912-786-9533) is tucked into a quiet waterfront corner on the island's south side. Try the shrimp and grits ($7.95) or artichoke dip ($6.95) appetizers, followed with a bowl of crab stew ($7.95) or scored flounder ($25.95). Arrive early for dinner
- Dress up a bit (no flip-flops) for the froufrou milieu of Elizabeth on 37th (105 East 37th Street, 912-236-5547; www.elizabethon37th.net), a Lowcountry restaurant housed in an early 20th-century mansion where the décor may be prissy but the food is anything but. The revered Elizabeth Terry is no longer the chef, but critics still run out of superlatives trying to describe the seafood-rich menu and what is arguably Savannah's quintessential dining experience. You won't go wrong with the shrimp and grits with red-eye gravy, traditionally made from leftover coffee ($13.95), Bluffton oysters served three ways, including raw with tomato-cilantro ice ($14.95), or snapper with a chewy crust of shredded potato and asiago cheese ($30.95)
- Crab is most rewarding when it is pure and unadulterated, served in a pile on newspaper with a can of beer and a blunt instrument for whacking at the shell. That, plus some boiled potatoes and corn, is what you will find at Desposito's (1 Macceo Drive, 912-897-9963), an unadorned shack in Thunderbolt, a onetime fishing village on the outskirts of town. Dinner for two, plus $2 Budweisers, is about $40
- Masada Café (2301 West Bay Street, 912-236-9499), a buffet annex to the United House of Prayer for All People. The church has several locations in Savannah; this one is a mission of sorts, catering to the poor, but the inexpensive, revolving buffet of soul food classics like fried chicken and macaroni and cheese has gained a following among food critics and locals
- Drinks
- Boar’s Head Grill & Tavern. Music
- Bar crawl
- Begin at the American Legion Post 135, south of Forsyth Park (1108 Bull Street, 912-233-9277; www.americanlegionpost135.com), a surprisingly shimmery, mirrored space where the clientele is a mix of age and vocation, and where the British bartender might hold forth on Savannah's Anglophile side
- Proceed to the Crystal Beer Parlor (301 West Jones Street, 912-443-9200, www.crystalbeerparlor.net). On the outside, it's as anonymous as a speakeasy, which it was, but inside, its high-backed booths and Tiffany lamps are more ice cream than booze. A full menu is available
- Wind up at Planters Tavern (23 Abercorn Street, 912-232-4286), a noisy, low-ceilinged bar in the basement of the high-dollar Olde Pink House, a dignified restaurant in a 1771 house. With a fireplace on either end of the room, live music and boisterous locals, it's the place to be. A warning: they don't do juleps
- Activities
- Spanish-moss-draped, monument-filled squares and the historic houses that surround them just beg for some guidance. Solution: be your own tour guide by printing out the city’s exhaustive but useful 111-page official tour guide manual — or, as I did, sending it to your Kindle — from savannahga.gov. Only hitches: it’s a lot to carry around (unless you go the Kindle route) and your tour guide can still start sounding monotonous after an hour, even though it’s you.
- Savannah's layout — an inviting grid of wide streets interspersed with 24 public squares filled with oaks and statues — makes the city a wonderful place to get around by bicycle. You can rent a bike ($20 a day) at Bicycle Link (408 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 912-233-9401; www.bicyclelinksav.com)
- Forsyth Park, at Bull and Gaston Streets, is Savannah's most sublime in-town escape. The 30 acres shaded by oaks- and magnolias hold a huge 19th-century fountain of trumpeting mermen and spouting swans, two well-equipped playgrounds — one for little kids and one for older children — and vast lawns
- The River Street pedestrian district, with a constant stream of water taxis, riverboats, container ships and entertaining shops and restaurants, should be on any itinerary
- Ghost tours are a Savannah mainstay. Shannon Scott says he has documented hundreds of Savannians' personal encounters with local ghosts and voodoo. He and Chris Soucy operate Sixth Sense Tours (888-374-4678, www.savannahghosttour.com; 7 and 9:30 p.m.; $18, $10 for ages 10 to 15, $5 under 10)
- Their shorter more family-friendly walk is America's Most Haunted City the Tour ($12., $8 for ages 8 to 11, $5 under 8). This 75-to-90-minute tour includes the 1797 Hampton-Lillibridge House, which was moved to its current location by Jim Williams, the protagonist of “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” He believed that one of the house's ghosts was an 18th-century resident of Savannah, Rene Asche Rondolier, who was said to have been lynched after being accused of murdering two girls at what is now Colonial Park Cemetery.
- Old Savannah Tours (912-234-8128, www.oldsavannahtours.com) offers a 90-minute Ghostly Nights tour starting at 7 p.m. ($20, $10 under age ages 6 to 11, under 6 free) aboard an open-air trolley. The company also has daytime trolley tours through town ($23, $10 for ages 5 to 12, under 5 free). You're given a map and can climb on or off throughout the historic district
- tour of the splendid Mercer Williams House on Monterey Square ($12.50 tickets at the Carriage House Shop, 430 Whitaker Street, 912-236-6352; www.mercerhouse.com). It was built in the 1860s for the great-grandfather of the songwriter Johnny Mercer and restored by Jim Williams, the antiques dealer memorialized in a now-classic book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” The stern guide won't dwell on the three murder trials of Mr. Williams, who was acquitted, and guests aren't allowed on the second floor, where Mr. Williams's sister, Dorothy Kingery, still lives. But the guide will offer plenty of detail about the formal courtyard, the nap-ready veranda, the Continental rococo and the Edwardian Murano glass.
- Starland, now filled with galleries and studios. Start at desot O row Gallery (2427 De Soto Avenue, 912-220-0939; www.desotorow.com), a gallery run by current and recent art students, where a recent exhibition featured painted big-box radios and a mirrored mannequin by the local artist Ryan V. Brennan. Next, make your way up to Maldoror's (2418 De Soto Avenue, 912-443-5355; www.maldorors.com), a frame shop with the aura of a Victorian curio cabinet and a print collection to match. Rounding the corner, you'll come to Back in the Day (2403 Bull Street, 912-495-9292; www.backinthedaybakery.com), an old-fashioned bakery that inspires fervent loyalty among locals. Pick up one of the sandwiches, like the Madras curry chicken on ciabatta ($6.95), and maybe a cupcake ($2 to $3.50) for lunch
- Few cemeteries are more stately and picnic-perfect than Bonaventure Cemetery (330 Bonaventure Road), with its 250-year-old live oaks draped with Spanish moss as if perpetually decorated for Halloween. The cemetery, where Conrad Aiken, Johnny Mercer and other notable residents are buried, looks out over the intracoastal waterway, and is a gathering spot for anglers as well as mourners
- East Nashville
- Start off at the Family Wash (2038 Greenwood Avenue; 615-226-6070;www.familywash.com) where you can dig into tasty shepherd’s pie (traditional or veggie, $11). The alt-country, alt-rock, alt-folk acts start at 9 p.m.; the alt-crowd kicks back with locally brewed Yazoo beers
- Next, head a few minutes down the road to the 5 Spot (1006 Forrest Avenue; 615-650-9333; www.the5spotlive.com), where 20-somethings groove to live rock, country or rockabilly. Rolling Stone recently named Nashville’s music scene the best in the country, and this live music venue is one reason. Local acts are the focus (with genres like indie rock and Americana favored over country pop), along with dive-bar drink prices and inexpensive cover charges
- No. 308 (407 Gallatin Avenue, (615) 650-7344, bar308.com). This bar, which opened in December 2010, is already a favorite among East Nashville’s scenester set. Mixologists dole out shots and cocktails melded with house-made sodas and fresh juices, like the William Burroughs (a cola-infused vodka shot, $5), and the excellent Yardbird (bourbon, orange, lime, nutmeg and a whole egg, $9)
- The Wild Cow (1896 Eastland Avenue, (615) 262-2717, thewildcow.com). This popular vegetarian restaurant, which opened in late 2009, proves that Nashville cuisine is more than just barbecue. Ask the friendly servers for the sweet potato and black bean tacos ($8.50), which pairs nicely with a bottle of Yazoo Sue ($4.50), a locally brewed beer.
- 12 South
- Known simply as 12 South, 12th Avenue South is in a trendy, tree-lined neighborhood packed with boutiques, cafes and bars
- Las Paletas (2907 12th Avenue South; 615-386-2101), a small storefront that makes popsicles from fresh fruit and vegetables like honeydew, avocado or hibiscus ($2.50)
- Katy K Designs (2407 12th Avenue South; 615-297-4242; www.katyk.com), a vintage clothing shop that specializes in Western wear from Johnny Cash black to Dollyesque showstoppers
- Wildhorse Saloon, 120 2nd Ave. North, Nashville, TN 37201. Country dancing
- Attractions
- Studio B (1611 Roy Acuff Place), a drab cinderblock building in the historic Music Row district, where RCA legends like Elvis, Roy Orbison and Dolly Parton sang their hearts out
- Belle Meade Plantation (5025 Harding Pike; 615-356-0501; www.bellemeadeplantation.com, entry $15), a 30-acre estate six miles from downtown. The centerpiece is a grand Greek-revival mansion completed in 1853, with a labyrinth of colorful rooms. In its heyday, the plantation was one of the most prosperous and successful thoroughbred farms around. Portraits of muscular stallions grace the walls. In the library, visitors can view the silver-capped hooves of Iroquois, in 1881 the first American horse to win the English Derby. A posh carriage house, slave quarters and an 18th-century log cabin dot the lush grounds. Nashville’s popularity may spring from country hits, but its cultural history offers a whole lot more.
- Love circle (yes real name) near vandy, good lookout over the city. Did that first thing as we got in around sunset and it was fun to just lay on the grass and soak it all in
- Country Music Hall of Fame
- Tennessee Museum: Quilt Room, Military Branch
- Eats
- Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Drive; 615-226-9442). “medium” spicy fried chicken ($5). This long-revered spot serves four variations of its exceptional dish: mild, medium, hot and extra hot
- Marché Artisan Foods (1000 Main Street; 615-262-1111;www.marcheartisanfoods.com), in East Nashville, a bistro and market that fills a former boat showroom. The space has a homey vibe thanks to enticing display cases filled with baked goods, and a few family-size wooden tables. Standouts include the quiche with sausage and provolone ($9) and the croissant French toast ($8)
- Best brunch is Loveless Cafe, which is like 30 min from dt, but well worth it. Ppl rave abt the pancake pantry, but over last 10 years its significantly gone downhill and is just average these days.
- Could also check out a number of meat and threes to get your southern fix.
- Fido in hillsborough village. Good coffee and fine breakfast with a chance to run into Taylor swift
- Bbq: I like cantrell's best, but good other options around I'm sure
- Italian: City House, 1222 4th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208 (Germantown)
- Drinks
- Patterson House (1711 Division Street; 615-636-7724; www.thepattersonnashville.com), a new mahogany-lined bar that serves creative libations dreamed up by the mixologist Toby Maloney. Try the bacon-infused old-fashioned or the refreshing Juliet and Romeo, made with gin, rosewater, angostura bitters, mint and a sliver of cucumber ($11). Dark wood and dim chandeliers make for a seductive backdrop.
- 36 Hours
- Listings: leoweekly.org
- Highlands
- Holy Grale: It's a tiny little beer place that used to be a church, and they have tons of good beer, as well as a really good food menu. The thing I like about the place is that it's very low-key, so if you happen to be alone, it's not unusual and people are generally a little more mature and friendly.
- Hammerheads if you like more eclectic crowds and food. It's basically kind of a divey basement establishment, kind of a hipster "foodie" crowd
- Bardstown Rd
- NuLu, in the Butchertown area, East Market Street. "sophisticated" area of town that has a slightly more urban feel to it. It's actually got several galleries along the way.
- Garage Bar is very cool
- Rye is a new whiskey joint out there with food as well
- bar called Meat, on Washington Street (by cab, it should take 3-5 minutes from Market St). It's a REALLY awesome bar that sits above a great restaurant called The Blind Pig.
- Proof, too. It's on the corner of Main and 7th Street. It's actually associated with 21C hotel, is a museum hotel with modern/postmodern art and a kick ass bar. Here's the website. Then take a cab to Market Street, which is fairly close.
- Hillbilly Tea for Moonshine Breakfast: a grilled pork chop with bourbon and sage, herb scrambled eggs and a potato bake ($12)
- Entertainment
- Zanzabar (2100 South Preston Street; 502-635-9227; zanzabarlouisville.com) offers cheap whiskey at the horseshoe-shaped bar while you catch one of the city’s (or country’s) comers on the intimate stage.
- Old Seelbach Bar (500 Fourth Street; 502-585-3200; seelbachhilton.com). It’s rumored that when Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald was stationed in Louisville, he would while away the hours at this stately lounge directly off the Seelbach Hotel’s grand lobby
- Attractions
- Muhammad Ali Center (144 North Sixth Street; 502-584-9254; alicenter.org) celebrates Mr. Ali’s singular talent as a fighter and his post-retirement humanitarian efforts, but the curators pulled no punches with the history
- Churchill Downs (700 Central Avenue; 502-636-4400; churchilldowns.com)
- Cherokee Park. Opened in 1892, Cherokee was one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s last and wildest creations — think Prospect Park in the foothills of Appalachia
- Eats
- Doc Crows (127 West Main Street; 502-587-1626; doccrows.com) occupies the former Bonnie Bros. distillery, at the healthy end of Whiskey Row. Take a seat in the back room of this 1880s-era gem and enjoy oysters on the half shell with bourbon mignonette ($2 to $2.50 each) and Carolina-style pulled pork ($8). Brett Davis, an owner, one of 112 master sommeliers in the country, prowls about most nights. Ask Brett to select which of Doc Crows’ 64 bourbons will go best with your meal.
