Charleston
South Carolina
Our visits: So far 1 visit in October 2016
Charleston
Description: Charleston was founded in 1670 and is picturesquely situated at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Shortly after, the Cooper River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, the peninsula on which Charleston is located offered itself as an ideal seaport. Until 1788, it was the capital of South Carolina.
Our rating: Unfortunately, we had far too little time to visit this really beautiful city in more detail and so there was only a small tour around the Battery. At sunset, we could admire the really magnificent houses along the E Battery here. That made us want to see more. Let's see, maybe we can incorporate Charleston in the future once again in one of our routes.
Middleton Place Plantation
Description: Middelton Place is a plantation located about 15mi northwest of Charleston. It has the oldest landscape garden in the USA. This is said to have been built as early as 1741 by the slaves of the plantation. It took over 10 years to create the gardens. The plantation looks back on an eventful history. It burned down almost completely shortly before the end of the Civil War in 1865. About 20 years later, large parts of the buildings were destroyed in an earthquake. As a result, the Middleton family abandoned the plantation and it became almost completely overgrown. It was not until 1924 that a descendant of the Middleton family began restoring the plantation. Today, in addition to the terraced gardens, the plantation is home to a living museum where you can learn all about the plantation and the Middleton family. The plantation is huge and so you can easily spend a day here. Especially if you also want to see the extensive gardens. Guided tours of the house are also offered. However, photography is prohibited inside.
Our rating: We really enjoyed our visit to Middleton Place. The facility is very well maintained and beautifully located on the Ashley River. The museum was very interesting and you could get some insight into life at the time of slavery. We can highly recommend a visit here because it is very educational.
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 29$/person - the house tour costs extra
- Open daily from 9am - 5pm.
Everything else you need to know about the visit to Middleton Place can be found on the Homepage of the plantation.
For the GPS: 4300 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC 29414
Boone Hall Plantation
Description: Boon Hall was founded in 1681. It is located on the Wanpacheeoone River about 10mi east of Charleston. The plantation became known primarily through the series North and South, for which it served as a setting in the mid-1980s. In 1994, the entire site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nine slave quarters on the site remain in their original condition, while the original plantation house is no longer extant. The plantation is privately owned and has been open to the public since 1956. For the entrance fee, in addition to the house tour, a tractor tour of the grounds is offered here. In addition, there are several exhibitions in the former slave quarters, which tell a lot of interesting facts about life during slavery. Also on Boon Hall you can spend at least half a day if you want to see everything. Since the fields of the plantation are still cultivated, you can also buy all kinds of products produced on the farm in an adjacent store.
Our rating: As a fan of the series North and South I wanted to come here forever. In the end, it took 31 years until we actually visited the plantation in October 2016. The impressions of the series have faded in the meantime, but we still found the visit to the plantation very informative and the site very worth seeing. We liked it here very much and can only recommend a visit. What we liked most was the impressive oak avenue.
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 28$/Person
- Daily from 9am - 5pm. Sundays 12h - 17h.
Everything else you need to know about the visit to Boon Hall can be found on the Homepage of the plantation.
For the GPS: 1235 Long Point Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
