By Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com
The saying, “Paris is always a good idea,” is attributed to Audrey Hepburn in the 1954 film “Sabrina.”
Millions of travelers have echoed that sentiment for more than 70 years since. Unfortunately, our desired overseas fall trip to the City of Lights had to be delayed for various reasons.
Disappointment was tempered by what turned out to be a thoroughly satisfying alternative on a road trip to Charleston, South Carolina, with a bonus stopover in quaint Beaufort, S.C.
This is in no way touting Charleston as a tradeoff for visiting Paris. The French capital is incomparable, a fixture in the pantheon of travel destinations.
But Charleston has been ranked at or near the top of readers’ choice surveys of premier U.S. travel destinations by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler.
It has been suggested that if Paris had an American cousin, it would be Charleston. Vanity Fair went so far as to declare that “Charleston may be America’s Paris.”
That’s a reach. But we found exploring Charleston to be a Paris-like experience. Walkable, elegant, historic. The architecture and natural scenery is world class, as is the culinary scene — all served with consummate Southern charm.
Like Paris, it is a place that draws one back. In four days, we barely scraped the surface of what Charleston has to offer.
It also provided enlightenment about the South Carolina lowcountry’s complicated and regrettable past (slave trading and secession; more on that below).
CraigslegzTravels photo gallery: Images of Charleston and other memorable destinations
The most famous stretch of real estate in Charleston is Rainbow Row, 13 pastel-colored townhouses built in the late 1700s.(Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Charleston has notable connections to Paris, France
We spent most of our time in Charleston’s French Quarter, the historic district named after the French Huguenots who immigrated there in the late 17th century.
Today, the compact neighborhood at the tip of the Charleston peninsula is the focal point of a $14 billion tourism industry, expected to attract nearly 8 million visitors in 2025.
Similar to Paris, Charleston has its own iconic tower visible throughout the historic district: St. Michael’s Church steeple — fitting considering Charleston’s nickname of the “Holy City.” The gleaming white spire, a landmark at the corner of Broad and Meeting streets since 1761, predates Paris’ Eiffel Tower by more than a century.
French influences are evident in wrought-iron balconies and gates, steep roofs, and Gothic Revival structures, notably the French Huguenot Church building.
We had a memorable duck confit cassoulet at Brasserie La Banque, one of a number of French restaurants in the city.
But Charleston is a thoroughly American melting pot with at least eight styles of architecture prominent in the city, representing different periods across more than 350 years. There are city tours that highlight the various styles. Or discover on your own wanderings (Vive la différence!), as we did.
See Charleston on foot or by horse and carriage
Charleston is best discovered on foot, much like Paris’ arrondissements (districts). If you do need a lift back to the hotel, there is usually an Uber within a couple of minutes away.
Or take a horse-and-carriage ride, which are ultra touristy but entertaining. Our guide, Beth, on the Old South haunted carriage tour, told the most gruesome tales in the cheeriest voice steeped in wry and ironic humor. She and Ben, the Belgian draft horse, were a polished act, but clearly the horse knew he was the star attraction. That was confirmed afterward as passengers lined up to pose for photos with him.
The most famous stretch in Charleston is Rainbow Row, 13 pastel-colored townhouses on East Bay Street between Elliott and Tradd streets. They were built in the late 1700s, resurrected from disrepair in the 1930s and are now worth about $1.595 million apiece.
There is pricier real estate. We most enjoyed strolling past the historic homes near the Battery and along the south end of King Street leading to the popular shopping and entertainment district. The week before Halloween, many of those dwellings were occupied by a motley assortment of spooks and ghouls.
Notable in that residential area is the Huguenot-Waring-Frampton House at 96 King Street, one of three brick sister houses built in 1742 and owned by the French Huguenot Church for more than 150 years.
Note that not all the influences originated from France. The highly acclaimed Noisette strain of roses popularized in Paris was actually developed by a farmer in Charleston.
Charleston City Market spans four blocks with hundreds of vendors pedaling art, jewelry, souvenirs and food pertaining to the Carolina lowcountry. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)City Market a Charleston fixture for more than 200 years
The common starting point for a Charleston visit is the venerable City Market, a series of buildings that spans four blocks with hundreds of vendors pedaling art, jewelry, souvenirs and food pertaining to the Carolina lowcountry. In operation for more than 200 years, it has endured the Civil War, hurricanes, a tornado and an earthquake.
The highlight for us was engaging with the artisans discussing their wares. Among the most popular items are Gullah-Geechee sweetgrass baskets created by descendants of slaves. One vendor was selling wine sleeves and other items made of colorful honeycomb calcite from Utah.
Khaliq Hassan works at Kissmet, a store near Charleston’s City Market that sells hand-made oriental rugs and other Turkish goods. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)The City Market struck us as American equivalent of Istanbul ’s Grand Bazaar. The connection was complete when we left the market and happened upon a shop on the opposite side of North Market Street called Kissmet, an actual Turkish store like we’d visited in Istanbul and Kuşadası, selling hand-made Turkish oriental rugs, cut glass hanging mosaics and standing lamps, decorative ceramics, leather shoes, bags and other Turkish goods.
Manning the store for the owner was Khaliq Hassan, who offered us Turkish tea and candy, and told us of his past that was musician rather than merchant.
That was our unexpected “this is why we travel” moment of the trip.
Charleston’s reckons with role in slavery
More important was the understanding we gained during our time in Charleston about the ugly underbelly of this beautiful and historic place.
An orientation session with a local guide provided by our hotel detailed how Charleston became the wealthiest city in Colonial America because of a crop called Carolina Gold.
This superior strain of long-grained rice was cultivated through the toil of enslaved people in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of them brought knowledge of the challenging task of growing rice from West Africa to plantations on the South Carolina coastal river deltas.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a former rice plantation near Charleston, offers a ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ that included cabins that once housed enslaved workers. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Success of the crop brought increased demand for unpaid labor and led to Charleston becoming the leading American entry port in the transatlantic slave trade.
Rice cultivation was performed in sweltering swamplands infested with snakes, alligators and disease-bearing mosquitoes.
A hint of those working conditions came during a visit to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a former rice plantation outside Charleston, which offers a “From Slavery to Freedom” tour. In addition to passing four preserved cabins that once housed enslaved workers, the tram driver pointed out a swampy slough where rice was grown. On the other side of the tram path was a creek where a grandaddy gator was sunning on a wooden platform while others of assorted sizes cruised nearby and closer to shore.
In recent years, Charleston has made an effort to publicly reckon with its history of slavery and racism, with tourism playing a central role in telling a more realistic story about those subjects than previously. The city council in 2018 formally passed a resolution apologizing for Charleston’s role in slavery, albeit by a narrow margin of 7 to 5.
In 2023, the International African American Museum opened at the former Gadsden’s Wharf, where more than 40 percent of enslaved Africans brought to North America arrived in ships for sale into bondage. The museum is meant to tell the story and honor the contributions of those enslaved people. The museum is four miles across Charleston’s harbor from Fort Sumter where the first shot of the Civil War was fired.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, where slaves once toiled in rice farming, is now known for natural beauty and wildlife. (Fran Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Where to stay when visiting Charleston
One can’t really know a place from a few days on vacation. Charleston is a place that sticks in your head — the beauty, the welcoming vibe. At the same time, it’s a lesson in the American experience, for better and worse.
The best part for visitors is the food scene. It would be tough to find a disappointing restaurant. In addition to Brasserie La Banque, our favorites included dining outside at Iron Rose (excellent cocktails), lowcountry cuisine at 82 Queen and barbecue at Poogan’s Smokehouse.
Our main complaint about the French Quarter was a scarcity of live music. But one evening a saxophone player serenading passersby along East Bay Street. We danced on the sidewalk while he played “Unforgettable,” which summed up our Charleston experience.
The HarbourView Inn is in one of the best locations in Charleston’s French Quarter near Waterfront Park and Pier. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)
Fran and Craig dancing on the sidewalk in Charleston to a street musician playing ‘Unforgettable’ on the saxophone. (craigslegztravels.com)The French Quarter has plenty of quality hotels. We stayed at the HarbourView Inn, ideally situated adjacent to the city pier and Waterfront Park, a couple blocks from the iconic pineapple fountain.
The hotel rates in Charleston’s French Quarter are pricey, comparable to what you’d pay in Paris near the Seine, though the rooms are much more spacious. The hospitality is topnotch. Typically, complimentary breakfast is offered in your room, plus happy hour with wine and charcuterie in the lobby, and milk and cookies at night.
An alternative on the same block as the HarbourView Inn, the Vendue Charleston Art Hotel is a unique boutique accommodation. It features more than 300 pieces of curated artwork, art tours and a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the waterfront and downtown.
The Vendue Charleston Art Hotel is a unique boutique accommodation in Charleston with more than 300 pieces of curated artwork, art tours and a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the waterfront and downtown. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Beaufort another lowcountry gem
Situated on one of the larger sea islands 70 miles to the southwest of Charleston, beautiful Beaufort is often characterized as a scaled-down Charleston. It offers similarly historic antebellum architecture in a walkable downtown setting with dramatic waterfront views.
It also exudes Southern charm. That was exemplified by a waitress whose parting words flowed in a syrupy drawl: “I hope y’all enjoy the rest of y’all’s night.”
We did and were glad we spent an overnight stop in Beaufort, which is perhaps most notable as a primary filming location for the movie “Forrest Gump.” That included a memorable scene with a bearded Tom Hanks, as Forrest, being interviewed while running across a bridge with a sign in the background indicating he was passing over the Mississippi River. In reality, the scene was on the Woods Memorial Bridge that spans the Beaufort River.
Here is a guide to sites around Beaufort used in the filming of “Forrest Gump”.
Beaufort has its share of quality restaurants, featuring lowcountry specialties including Frogmore Stew, she-crab soup and shrimp-and-grits. We recommend the Bone-in pork chop (with bourbon peach BBQ sauce) or the braised short rib for dinner at the Breakwater. Breakfast at the Magnolia Café is a great way to start the day in Beaufort.
Beaufort, South Carolina, was a primary filming location for the movie ‘Forrest Gump,’ including a memorable scene on the bridge over Beaufort River. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Finding Paris in the Carolina lowcountry
Paris Avenue is the main street in Port Royal, which was named the most underrated city in South Carolina. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Continue five miles south of Beaufort on Highway 21 and you come across the town of Port Royal.
Settled by the French in 1562, it is small but apparently not insignificant. Port Royal was named the most underrated city in South Carolina by a website bestowing that distinction for all 50 states.
Port Royal is a bird and wildlife watcher’s delight, with excellent viewing from the boardwalk that winds into the Cypress Wetlands.
We spent time poking around several zen and metaphysical shops near city hall as well as a fascinating trove of vintage treasures at Maggie Mae’s Now and Then Shop.
Port Royal was also where we found Paris in South Carolina. That is, we found Paris Avenue, the main commercial street through town.
As for the much more famous Paris, we’re shifting those plans to next spring.
Craig and Fran Davis at the Iron Rose, one of many highly rated restaurants in historic Charleston. (craigslegztravels.com)More from Craigslegztravels
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