Help with NEW things to do...

Hey there,

I%26#39;m planning a surpise trip to Charleston for our 5th wedding anniversary next weekend (11th-14th). Living in Myrtle Beach, we make a point to get to Charleston at least once a year. Therein lies my problem. We%26#39;ve experienced a lot of the ';touristy'; Charleston and I want to avoid doing some of the same things over again.

We really like taking a carriage ride and visiting the market, so we%26#39;ll do that again for sure. I also heard that Charleston Stage is putting on West Side Story so we%26#39;ll check that out as well. What I%26#39;m really looking for is information on what to do during the day. We can fill our nights with dining and meandering.

Here%26#39;s a bit about us...

We%26#39;re in our late 20%26#39;s, really enjoy live music, theatre, and art. Love dining but not so much into the nightlife scene. We would much rather visit a jazz club or a wine tasting than a dance club. My wife enjoys browsing funky shops and boutiques (a la Melrose Ave). We also like being active and being outdoors.

Any ideas?

Thanks for the help!

Help with NEW things to do...

Contact Ralph to set up a personal kayak trip for you and your wife...

http://kayakcharleston.net

He%26#39;s a wonderful guy who%26#39;s lived in the Charleston area for most of his life. He would definitely give you a good time!

Help with NEW things to do...

It%26#39;s not exactly romantic and not in the city, but for an interesting thing to do consider visiting the Hunley. It%26#39;s only open on weekends.

Funky shops - ours are more spread out. There%26#39;s a great antique place on Hwy 17 in Mt. Pleasant called ';Hungryneck Antiques';. King Street, as you probably know, has some great shops both above and below Calhoun St.

There are a lot of nice shops in Mt. Pleasant Towne Center but few are especially unique (though there is a new dog specialties shop called ';Hairy Winston'; that is beyond cute!) and a few upscale beach decor shops along with the usual Ann Taylor, Old Navy, etc.

One of the things that lots of visitors miss is the sailboat ride on the Schooner Pride. It is a tall ship that tours the harbor and this can be done at sunset as well.

http://www.schoonerpride.com/

I really think you would enjoy this!