CHARLESTON HIGHLIGHTS Discover the best of the Holy City Voted America ' s # 1 destination by the readers of Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler !
Food Dive in to your first taste of Charleston at Rodney Scott ' s BBQ . Scott is an acclaimed pitmaster and 2018 James Beard Foundation award winner , and his signature Hemingwaybased whole hog barbecue is loved by locals and visitors alike . If you prefer seafood to BBQ , head to Leon ' s Oyster Shop . Housed in a refurbished garage , Leon ' s provides a laidback , casual atmosphere . Try the Chargrilled Oysters with parsley and parmesan or the Fried Chicken Sandwich . Or try a Charleston mainstay . A beautiful blend of sherry , crab , and heavy cream , a cup of She Crab Soup is a bucket list dish . At 82 Queen , the soup is ladled out all day long . Have a taste and you ' ll see why .
Shopping Head to the historic Charleston City Market for treasured souvenirs ( such as beautiful sweetgrass baskets ) or make your way to the iconic King Street and pop into Croghan ' s Jewel Box , Ben Silver , M . Dumas & Sons , Hampden Clothing and Blue Bicycle Books to name a few .
Places to Visit Plantations are deeply woven into American history and tell stories that connect our past and present . Learn more about Charleston ' s deep-rooted history at one of the area ' s plantations , including Boone Hall , Middleton Place ( home to America ' s oldest landscaped gardens ) and Magnolia Plantation & Gardens ( home to the oldest public gardens in America ).
See where the first shots of the Civil War rang out over 150 years ago with a cruise along the Charleston Harbor to Fort Sumter . A ride on SpiritLine Cruises is also a seaside tour with a 360-degree view of downtown and its surrounding marsh-side suburbs . If timed just right , you ' ll catch a sunset dip into the horizon or watch a dolphin hitch a ride alongside .