Anonymous wrote:We did a Charleston spring break one year when the kids were 12, 10 and 7. Rented a house on Isle of Palms and it was warm enough to go to the beach a couple of days. Spent time downtown, went to the Intl AA museum and slave mart museum (where we were the only white people as I recall, and we got a personal tour which was very moving), Fort Sumter, and a couple of plantations which were beautiful (saw alligators). Drove to Savannah for a day because I wanted to see it.

But the best part of Charleston for me was the food - the food is amazing.

How was the drive into Charleston from IOP, any backups either way?
Did you find any good food options on IOP, for the days you didn't feel like driving into CHS?

We did a Charleston spring break one year when the kids were 12, 10 and 7. Rented a house on Isle of Palms and it was warm enough to go to the beach a couple of days. Spent time downtown, went to the Intl AA museum and slave mart museum (where we were the only white people as I recall, and we got a personal tour which was very moving), Fort Sumter, and a couple of plantations which were beautiful (saw alligators). Drove to Savannah for a day because I wanted to see it.

But the best part of Charleston for me was the food - the food is amazing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took 8&10 year olds for a week at spring break. We did several things mentioned above plus go karts and the aquarium. The tourist bus was a big hit. Super easy city to get around. We had a fun week.

Can you recommend a hotel? Thanks

We stayed at a Holiday Inn near the Visitor's Center but it looks like that hotel is either closed or has changed hands. It had a small outdoor pool (which kids enjoyed even though it was chilly) and kids >12 ate breakfast for free (awesome buffet plus cook-to-order food). Not the greatest area but it was one block from the free tourist bus and a couple of blocks from the Visitor's Center. More affordable than staying in the heart of downtown.

Oh, also, the Powder Museum was tiny but very interesting to both kids (b/g). There's a children's museum which we did not do because they were sort of aging out of that kind of thing. We went on a carriage ride and took walks through old cemeteries, hung out on the Battery, etc. The most challenging thing for me was dinner because restaurants seemed to be booked super far in advance and it was very, very busy at lunch time. We definitely did a lot of walking to find a place that was open and suitable for kids to eat (i.e., not super fancy or $$$$). That would be my advice if you're going -- try to plan out your days in advance so you can book lunch and dinner reservations.

Anonymous wrote:fun place but for kids those ages, honestly don't think they will love it.

They love anywhere different.

Charleston has lots of great hotel options, though the nicer and best located ones will be very pricey. Check Google or TripAdvisor for the Charleston-Historic District, and pick one.

If you’ll have a car and need cheaper options, Mt Pleasant has several properties and is just across the Ravenel bridge from the historic district.

Anonymous wrote:I recently had a long weekend there in December and there was plenty to do even in the cold and without visiting Fort Sumter, any of the plantations or the beaches.

We did an amazing kayak trip through the marshes, the new International African American Museum is definitely worthwhile,and I love wandering to see the architecture and markets. The food is amazing. I would have loved to do a food tour, bike the beach areas and experience more Gullah Geechee culture.

This sounds amazing! Not op but I am going to check out the museum. Can you share more on the marsh and recommend a hotel? Thanks

Anonymous wrote:I took 8&10 year olds for a week at spring break. We did several things mentioned above plus go karts and the aquarium. The tourist bus was a big hit. Super easy city to get around. We had a fun week.

Can you recommend a hotel? Thanks

For that age I would do Savanah. Hearse tours, free water taxi, totally walkable sidewalks and promenades, great children's museum, great train museum, Oat Island nature preserve is awesome for kids, 15 min to beach if you want to just go for an hour or two. Also only 45 min to HHI.

fun place but for kids those ages, honestly don't think they will love it.

I took 8&10 year olds for a week at spring break. We did several things mentioned above plus go karts and the aquarium. The tourist bus was a big hit. Super easy city to get around. We had a fun week.

I recently had a long weekend there in December and there was plenty to do even in the cold and without visiting Fort Sumter, any of the plantations or the beaches.

We did an amazing kayak trip through the marshes, the new International African American Museum is definitely worthwhile,and I love wandering to see the architecture and markets. The food is amazing. I would have loved to do a food tour, bike the beach areas and experience more Gullah Geechee culture.

I am also considering taking my young kids 12 and 9 there. Are you going for Spring Break?

Anonymous wrote:worth a day if you are nearby anyway, not worth a trip all the way from DC just for that.

WE visited Charleston as a side trip from a long Spring Break driving trip to Miami one year. I'd say that's about right. One day and one night. Haven't been back.

worth a day if you are nearby anyway, not worth a trip all the way from DC just for that.

We've lived in Florida, so we don't care about beach access. Still worth a trip to see downtown, maybe some history? Kids are 8 and 13.