The irreverent nickname for Charleston, South Carolina, is Chucktown. Its more reverent moniker is the Holy City. Whatever you call it, Charleston is a marvelous place to visit when it’s blessed with relatively cool weather. Early May and early October are the two optimum times to enjoy all that historic Charleston has to offer.

Transportation

Getting to Charleston is easy enough. Forget about a rental car if you fly in; use a taxi or shuttle service to reach the heart of the port city. Even if you drive into Charleston, your visit will be infinitely more enjoyable if you keep your car parked and use the many available forms of public transportation—city buses and taxis, free hop-on/hop-off trolley buses, free Scoop Car electric taxis, horse-drawn carriages and human-powered pedicabs. You’ll also notice skateboarders in the midst of all the traffic. In Charleston, skateboards are treated as street-legal vehicles.

Tours, sights and shops

Finding your way in downtown Charleston is a snap once you learn a few points of reference. Meeting Street and King Street give you north-south orientation; Calhoun Street and Broad Street provide east-west orientation. To make it even easier to locate key places of interest, tour companies offer 90-minute “get acquainted” excursions aboard small buses with large windows. The buses depart every half-hour from the big visitor’s center on Meeting Street, where you can also sign up for tailored tours that include outlying mansions, plantations and more.

Charleston’s military history spans from the Revolutionary War to the nation’s most recent wars. Landmarks and monuments everywhere manifest Charleston’s proud military heritage. Among them are the Battery, Fort Sumter and Patriots Point. The latter includes the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum aboard the USS Yorktown. If you opt for a boat excursion out to Fort Sumter, be sure to visit the Charleston Aquarium, which is located at the same dock area you’ll be departing from.

Surprisingly, the historic district has a very youthful spirit. That’s largely due to the presence of a university and several colleges, including The Citadel military college. The downtown area hosts a happy mix of people, most of whom enjoy Charleston’s jazzy nightlife late into the night.

The city’s market is in the southwest portion of the peninsula. Visitors stroll through a series of large buildings that make the area feel like a bright and airy tunnel surrounded by hundreds of shops. Local craftsmen weave a variety of reed baskets, and Charleston’s cypress carvings are known for their longevity—termites can’t stomach that type of wood.

Dining and local fare

Dining in Charleston is always a pleasure. There’s a spectrum of fast-food joints on King Street, many of which are local establishments. There are restaurants aplenty for those who favor a more formal dining experience, but check prices before committing—after-the-fact sticker shock could sour a sweet dessert. That said, Charleston features unique fare such as she-crab soup, Hoppin’ John rice and Huguenot torte. On Saturday mornings, there’s a vibrant farmers market in Marion Square where you can enjoy the area’s specialties as you wander around the small park. The local cuisine places an emphasis on fresh ingredients. Take note, seafood lovers!

It’s imperative to visit Charleston at least once. The well-preserved European-style architecture is extremely impressive, and the city is the heart of gracious Southern culture. There’s no need to feel out of place. In fact, the locals don’t even declare themselves to be native Charlestonians unless they can officially trace their family roots back to the earliest immigrants. You may not be a descendant of the Old Guard, but wonderful Charleston is unofficially your town, too—even if it’s just for a few pleasurable days.