Tour the venerable streets of Charleston, fwith expansive antebellum mansions, cobbled lanes, and extensive flower gardens which fill the air with sweet fragrances. You will also see a prodigious number of churches which has earned Charleston the nickname “The Holy City”. Highlights will include the College of Charleston, King Street, City Market, the French Quarter, Broad Street, South of Broad neighborhood, and Mrs. Whaley’s Garden. Broad Street bisects the Charleston peninsula, and the area that lies on the southern tip features neighborhoods whose streets are lined with palatial antebellum mansions. Walk to the intersection of Broad and East Bay Street where you will find the Old Exchange Building and the Provost Dungeon. These historic edifices are a testament to the importance of trade in the founding of Charleston. Excavations related to the renovation of the Dungeon have uncovered the original fortifications of Charles Town which helped to protect the fledgling settlement from pirates. The 19th century neoclassical Nathaniel Russell House, once belonging to local merchant Nathaniel Russell, is filled with art and antiques and set amid spacious formal gardens. It is a national historic landmark and is widely recognized as one of America’s most important neoclassical dwellings. After lunch at Magnolia’s, cruise to Fort Sumter on an island in the Charleston Harbor. Along the way you may see dolphins as they glide alongside the ferry. THE FRANCIS MARION HOTEL.

Today you venture off the peninsula and along the Ashley River to Middleton Place Plantation to breathe in the myriad of scents emanating from its 65 acres of landscaped gardens. Experience a look at 18th and 19th century plantation life with costumed craftspeople and historic animal breeds in the Plantation Stable yards, and enjoy lunch at the plantation. You will also visit the 18th century Drayton Hall Plantation, located directly across the Ashley River from North Charleston, in the “Lowcountry.” Construction of Drayton Hall began in 1738 and continued into 1744. It has survived and has been virtually untouched for three centuries despite earthquakes, hurricanes and two wars. It is not restored and it is left in its original state to give visitors a better feel of the 18th century America. THE FRANCIS MARION HOTEL.

Today is devoted to Museums. Gibbes Museum of Art houses an extensive collection. The Hunley Submarine Museum showcases the Confederate submarine, the Hunley, which was sunk by Union forces in 1864 and lay off the coast of Charleston for over 100 years. She was found in 1995 and recovered in 2000 with the help of the US Navy. The submarine was transferred to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, a high-tech lab designed for the conservation and excavation of the vessel. The Hunley proved to be quite the time capsule, containing a wide array of artifacts that has taught people much about life during the American Civil War. End your touring at the Magnolia Cemetery which first opened in 1850. Today, Magnolia Cemetery continues as one of the best and most beautiful examples of rural and Victorian cemetery design in the United States. The “who’s who” of Charleston and South Carolina history is buried here, including the sailors recovered from the Hunley. Your afternoon is at leisure to enjoy Charleston on your own. Finish your evening with a delicious farewell dinner. THE FRANCIS MARION HOTEL

This is your last morning in Charleston. Enjoy breakfast and then make your way to the airport for your return flight home. Take with you the feeling of the moist Lowcountry air on your skin, the smell of moss and roses, and the salty wisps of sea fed breezes.

Extend two extra nights to experience more of the Lowcountry sophistication, with a visit to Savannah, a charming and idiosyncratic city. Situate into your historic environs located within the beautifully preserved antebellum area of Reynolds Square and enjoy dinner at The Olde Pink House, an 18th century culinary landmark in Savannah. Let the misty past of Savannah seep into your pores on a tour of the city. Ambulate through Savannah’s Historical District, taking in some of its famous squares and cemeteries and board a boat for a cruise along the Savannah River. Sup at Paula Deen’s Lady and Sons restaurant and afterward, take a ghost tour of what is purported to be America’s most haunted city. End your stay with a visit to the iconic Southern Bonaventure Cemetery, replete with oak trees that drip with Spanish moss and the weathered headstones of such permanent residents as the first Governor of Georgia, Edward Telfair, and poet Conrad Aiken. ANDAZ SAVANNAH.