By Brooke Brinker, Social Media Manager
Are you looking for a town to visit that has boutiques, beautiful beaches, amazing restaurants, and history from the 1700s? Charleston, South Carolina, is the perfect summer travel spot! Charleston can be a great weekend trip for college students. From Saint Leo University, it is only six hours away, and with friends and music, that drive will fly by.
Charleston is a beautiful town with buildings from the 1700s, shops that never end, and multiple beaches that even the Netflix show “Outer Banks” filmed at!
If you go to Charleston anytime soon, you must check out “Rainbow Row.” It is an iconic spot to take photos and learn about the history of how Rainbow Row started and why it has its name.
Rainbow Row is a street of buildings that have been there since the 1700s. Each building has a different pastel color. The owner of one of the homes painted it a pastel color, and then the rest of the owners decided to follow along. So now, as you come across Rainbow Row, each building is a beautiful pastel color standing next to one another, which creates a row of a rainbow.
All around Charleston, there are beautiful parks and gardens where people can sit down, read, relax, and enjoy the views. In these parks and gardens, there are big, gorgeous flowers and fountains the kids can play in.
If you want to check out some of the parks and gardens, a few of them are Battery & White Point Garden, Washington Square, and Hampton Park.
Charleston is a charming town full of character. There are cobblestone streets, horse carriages, and unique shops.
If you love shopping, you must go to King Street. It is a street filled with luxury stores, boutiques, different cuisine restaurants, gift shops, and more. On this street, they even have Urban Outfitters, which used to be an old movie theater. The street and whole town has a vintage vibe to it.
Some shops on King Street include Love Shack Fancy, Gucci, Roller Rabbit, Stoney Clover, and Ben and Silver, which is the store where the main characters, John B. and Sarah Cameron in Netflix Original, “Outer Banks” shopped for new outfits in season one.
If you love the beach, Charleston has many beaches to explore. Folly Beach is an iconic one! The “Outer Banks” famous lighthouse is in the water here. The show filmed multiple scenes on this beach. It is also a beautiful place to visit, explore, and swim in the ocean.
Another beach that has beautiful sunsets is Sullivan Island. Right next to Sullivan Island is Fort Moultrie, which was built in 1776. The fort protected Charleston from a British attack and was also a military post during World War II. You can take a tour of the inside and see all the history it holds.
If you are in Charleston and looking for some delicious lunch and dinner spots, some great ones are Magnolias, which opened in 1990 and is right in town. It is fancy and known for shellfish.
Another restaurant that is normally very packed on a regular night, right on the water, and was also a restaurant in “Outer Banks,” hence the popularity, is “Wreck of the Richard and Charlene,” which sells seafood and is very affordable.
Jessilyn Peppers, a senior majoring in digital media communications, said, “I would like to visit at some point in my life just to see the movie locations.”
After dinner, you must get some ice cream! Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is a yummy ice cream shop where the classic movie “The Notebook” filmed a scene in the early 2000s.
There are so many old-fashioned and delicious ice cream shops everywhere in Charleston. One of the best ice cream shops in Charleston is Off Track Ice Cream! You must check it out!
If you are ever in Charleston, start your day with iced coffee at The Rise or in one of the parks at a coffee cart. Next, go to King Street, and shop at your favorite stores, grab lunch, watch the sunset on Folly Beach, take a picture of the lighthouse, and end the night at Magnolias for dinner, and don’t forget to grab some ice cream at Jeni’s!
