I am surprised you are bored in Charleston. What do you like to do?

I suppose I should respond saying that we aren't looking for beach venues because we live on Cape Cod - beaches galore. Looking for gardens, landscapes, local art and culture, maybe some history although we're in history overload. We're not into nightlife. The weather is beautiful here. Charleston is a mystery to us. Not as accessible for us as Savannah since we're not staying in Charleston proper and it's a much bigger city.

Thnx!

Have you been to the visitors center yet? There is easy parking and lots of info. I would sign up for a carriage ride, it will give you a chance to look around and get your bearings without worrying about parking and traffic.

Magnolia Plantation is lovely too.

My sister always recommends Middletown plantation and the Raptor Rescue Center. You’ll have to google to get more info, I only recall the names. There’s another plantation tour she mentioned to me, I’m texting with her to get that name. I’ll report back if I get it.

ETA: Boone Hall

I enjoyed a city walking tour with Charleston Sole.

What is it about Southern cuisine you don't like? Most restaurants have a wide variety of listings but I love Hominy Grill.

Haven't been up that way in years, so inquire before going. Brookgreen Gardens is north of Mt. Pleasant. Just north of that is Murrrell's Inlet which used to be a quaint fishing town. There's a shopping village near Brookgreen where they make the Pawley's Island hammock. Myrtle Beach has a lot of touristy stuff : Ripleys, carnival rides, and lots of restaurants and golf. Beaufort is a lovely small town.

Hiway 17 is a nice drive. It's probably too early in the season for the dogwoods and crepe myrtles and azaleas to be in bloom, but if not, Summerville used to have the loveliest gardens (homeowners). and huge oak trees. Walking around the neighborhoods was a treat.

Not to offend. Have really enjoyed the shrimp. But we don't particularly care for fried or smoked food. Hard to step around that. Also, fresh vegetables seem quite rare on menus unless they're mingled with pork fat. I'm not talking about fine dining venues, but the places locals eat within walking distance around the corner. But we can buy and cook veggies ourselves.

Just looking for ideas for day trips outside of Charleston.

Thanks!

There's a nice zoo in Columbia.

Brookgreen Gardens, what a treat. I love that place especially the December light show. I have a timeshare in the southernest part of Myrtle and Brookgreen is right down the road. But I'm going to Scottsdale this year.

Try the Okra Grill in Mt. Pleasant. They have fresh veggies. Middleton Place and Magnolia Gardens are wonderful, as is the Charleston museum. Or visit the museum houses, the aquarium, Charlestown Landing, or Fort Sumter where the first shot of the civil war was fired. If you go to the visitors center, you can watch a very informative movie, and decide what you would like to see. They have tourist discount books, and you can make reservations for tours, etc right there. There is a parking garage right next to it if the parking lot is full.

I guess maybe 9 days is a lot- but I remember really enjoying our walking tour (and there are several offered) in Charleston as well as various house tours ( can't remember exactly but there were at least 2 near the battery. not major but very interesting). Also I remember being quite impressed with the Charleston Art Museum and Middleton. (this keeps coming up in the suggestions here). It sounds like you are looking more for trips and things to do outside of Charleson. Hopefully some suggestions will have more of that.

Lol, seagrass, I watch and Diners Drive-ins and Dives all the time and some parts of the country eat foods I have never had, usually something eastern European so I wondered f you were missing cabbage rolls or something like that! I'm not big on fried or smoked except as treats so I understand. And I want my bread preferably flourless sprouted wheat....no biscuits.

http://charlestonmag.com/features/ramble_on

We liked Beaufort, went biking on the Spanish Moss Trail, took a kayak tour, and visited Huntington State Park.

We would have loved going to Waterboro, going to the arts and crafts center and nearby swamps.

And what about Brookgreen Gardens?

If you decide to go to Walterboro, check the hours of operation of the arts/crafts center beforehand. And bring lunch, unless a new restaurant has opened, you may be disappointed in the options.

There is so much to do there! As others have mentioned, go to the visitor's center. You can get tickets for tours there. There are bus tours (my least favorite), horse and buggy tours, boat tour (we love that one, you should try it out a harbor tour of the area), walking tours, etc. Have you been to Patriots Point? Not sure if you have any children with you but my husband loves that place. You can even tour a submarine. We go to many of the nearby islands and there is a city about an hour or 1 1/2 hrs. away, McClellanville - we really like that city and it is less touristy. We've visited Johns Island, James Island, Edisto Island, Kiawah and Seabrook (our two favorite islands to stay on). You are also within driving distance to Harbor Island, Fripp Island and I'm thinking there is a third one down that way but can't remember. Those two are towards Hilton Head. Very lush islands with wildlife and mostly homes/villas there, not hotels, etc. We've been going to Charleston area for years, but we always find things to do. My sister and her husband bought a condo there several years back, for vacations (actually in Mt. Pleasant), and a couple of years ago purchased a house there to retire in! So you can see our family loves the area. I can't imagine being bored there! Try the Park Cafe for vegetables. Eli's Table or Butcher and Bee. Many others. You might ask about that at the Visitors Center too.

me again! I'm getting nostalgic, I guess. I'm not familiar with the swamps around Walterboro, but, if that's interesting to you and you don't mind a bit of a drive, the Okeefenoke Swamp is the one to see. All of my preconceived ideas of what a swamp was - NOT at all accurate. It is beautiful. The water crystal clear. The most beautiful Cypress stand. There's a boardwalk and guided canoe trips. You'll see some of the largest alligators.

Ronald McNair Museum in Lake City, SC

http://www.lakecitysc.com/visiting/science-nature/ronald-mcnair-life-history-center

In Charleston, I did a garden tour that finished with tea at one of the B&B's on the waterfront, though this is not the time to really visit gardens.

Beaufort is a good suggestion.

If you want to drive 3 hours, you can drive up I-26 to Greenville, SC.

There truly is something to be said from people who live in an area. I'm from Greenville and there's nothing to do although the surrounding mountains have some beautiful hikes and waterfalls.

It gets a lot of press because it's not the country town it was for years.

Thanks to y'all! Today we we drove north to McClellanville. Had a lovely lunch at the one and only restaurant and walked around the small town. Visited the shrimp pier. Stopped on our way back at the Center for the Birds of Prey in Awendaw. Phenomenal staff, so knowledgeable and informative . After a long tour we sat in a small rustic ampitheatre and watched acrobatics of some of the birds - a falcon, a red-tailed hawk and a golden eagle. They were tuned into their human trainers - worked for food. The man who handled the falcon said he'd been working with her for 5 years. They were so passionate about their work and the conservation. Highly recommend it (caveat - bug spray).

http://www.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org