ChickSpeak

The deep South has a way of catching you in its grips. Thick spanish moss and humidity close every side of you in a meshy, warm blanket that just makes things a little easier, a little slower. Charleston, South Carolina is a city that possesses this classic southern charm, as well as an echo of history with every footstep you take. It is a great place to go when you feel something coming- some change, event, or person that is going to make your life different in some way.

It is a place for new beginnings.

History

In 1663, the Lord’s Proprietors, eight men under the leadership of King Charles II of England, began settling the Carolina territories. In 1670, English settlers founded the town on the Ashley River. Soon after, other English settlers, as well as some from Barbados, Virginia, joined the original founders of Charleston, and built the future capital of the Carolina colony, with many central ports as well as an impressive city square.

It is known for being the home of the Confederate uprising, home to the Confederate White House, and where the South Carolina general assembly met in 1860 when they decided to secede from the Union, the first state to do so. Citadel cadets fired the first shot of the Civil War in 1861 on a union ship sailing the Charleston Harbor, starting one of the bloodiest battles in American history.

The old architecture and graveyards still standing in the are from this time lend to the many ghost stories and legends surround the city, included the Dock Street Theatre, rumored to be haunted by the ghost of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s assassin.

Travel & Accommadations

Charleston International Airport has flights coming and going from almost everywhere, so coming and going in and out of the city is simple. There are several places to stay, from a Holiday Inn located right on Calhoun St. in the heart of downtown, as well as many quaint bed and breakfasts. My favorite is the Courtyard Marriot, located on the waterfront of Ashley River, and walking distance from the historic district. If you’re looking to stay in the more metropolitan, uptown area, Charleston Place Hotel, located on Meeting St., is affordable and a great location as well.

Places Every Tourist Must See

The one thing every tourist has to do when visiting Charleston is go on one of the many ghost tours offered. There are tours of old jails, prisons, churches, confederate armories, and homes. The one I would never go home without seeing is the Ghost and Provost Walking Dungeon Tour, offering by Charleston Tours at 7 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday from March to November. The guide leads you through the many archways, hidden hallways, and alleys lining the history of Civil War-era Charleston, culminating in a tour of a dungeon underneath the old Exchange buildings, one of America’s oldest pieces of standing architecture. The dungeon was used as a prison in the 1700s, and was overpopulated, cold, and where many falsely accused prisoners died, without getting a chance to ever prove their innocence. Tours are $17.95 per person, and must be booked at least 72 hours in advance. Reservations can be made over the phone or online through Charleston Tours company.

Unique Places for Fabulous Chicks

But the best places to find in Charleston are those hidden local spots, great for a glass of wine, fabulous dinner, and finding the perfect dress. Social Wine Bar, located at 188 E Bay St. Boasting the best selection of wine in Charleston, according The City Paper, this restaurant is perfect for dining and wining in luxurious style, and without breaking your wallet. The interior features exposed, shiny silver piping overhead in a high-set ceiling, which matches the modern, dark wood and shiny metal theme throughout the rest of the bar. It has a great ambiance and an extensive selection-Carmeneres, Merlots, Chardonnays, Malbecs, Sauvignon Blancs, Syrahs, Pinot Grigios, Chiantis, and more. It also doesn’t hurt that Social is a hot spot for young, attractive single guys in the various graduate programs at College of Charleston to spend their nights off. Need I say more?

Poogan’s Porch, a restaurant located on 72 Queen St., operates out of a building originally built as a residence in 1888. Named after a neighborhood dog that roamed from porch to porch and ‘watched over’ the restaurant when it first opened, this place has been a hot spot for celebrities such as Joan Woodward and Barbara Streisand. Scenes from Champagne Charlie, the 1985 movie featuring Hugh Grant, were filmed in the restaurant. Since Poogan’s ghost is still said to roam the dining room on occasion, as well as the ghost of Zoe St. Amand, who lived at a house on Queen St. before her death, The History Channel named the restaurant “Third Haunted Place in America”.

But the food is what makes Poogan’s so great- it is a genuine example of true southern food. Stop by for lunch and grab an oyster po’boy tossed in Cajun remoulade sauce, or enjoy a plate-licking dinner of sweet-tea glazed salmon, topped with candied lemon and mint risotto. And no matter what the time of day, leaving without trying their homemade bread pudding served in bourbon-butter sauce would be a huge mistake.

Why This Chick Fell in Love with Charleston

Every city must have one thing to make any girl fall in love with it- great shopping. Charleston streets are brimming with unique boutiques, shoe stores, and accessory shops. My favorite stop is Utopia, located at 27 Broad St. Utopia is unique because it is an art gallery and clothing store all in one, with Asian influences in their products and décor. Featuring well-known designers and independent, unknown labels as well, their clothes are bold and playful, with shocking prints of orchids and Japanese gardens and bright, aquatic colors. These clothes are a souvenir that represents the essence of Charleston- simplicity and metropolitan flavor blended perfectly.

I last visited Charleston on a trip to celebrate my best friend’s twenty-first birthday. After seeing Rise Against and Rancid play live in concert at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C., we drove the 98.8 miles south and knew the moment we set foot on the cobbled sidewalk in front of our hotel that we were exactly in the place we needed to be.

The trip came at a time in my life when, to put it simply, I needed to accept the fact I was not a little girl anymore, and my life was quickly moving in fast forward to the inescapable fate of growing up. I think my experience there is best summed up in a quote from a blog entry I typed up while laying on the hotel bed and listening to the city sounds murmur and rustle underneath me.

“It also makes it much easier to think of things-almost like you know what an old, wise blues singer would tell you to do with your troubles if he had the chance. Well, my old blues man told me exactly what I needed to do tonight. I was drinking a Palmetto Amber Ale and eating steamed shrimp fresher than I’d had in years, and noticed that the Open Air Vendors on the street were closing their doors. A little girl helping her father load up his table of handmade jewelry caught my eye-how many times have I helped my dad take down the booth, before getting in the truck and letting Whiskeytown sing me to sleep? I felt a smile creep across my face for no reason, and then, I started wondering how it was I could remember so many things I wish I could take back vividly, but these momentary momentos of childhood remain hazy in my mind. There it was- I heard my bluesman.

‘Memories are remembered for a reason. Good and bad-you just have to figure out why it is you remembered it in the first place.’

I walked home quietly, making my new plan. And two hours later, I still don’t have any doubts. Maybe it was just the Palmetto, or Charleston really is as haunted as people say it is. Whatever it was, something has changed.”

Cady Childs is a journalism student at Appalachian State University who also spends much of her time in the theatre and photography departments on campus. Inspiration for her writing comes from the likes of Andre Leon Talley, e.e. Cummings, and Hunter S. Thompson. She hopes to become an established journalist as well as novelist and playwright later in life. She has visited Charleston on three different occasions, but the most recent trip was to celebrate her close friend, Hannah Conway, turning 21 years old.

Photo from here.