Long Weekend in Savannah & Charleston | 4 Days & 3 Nights

🗓️ Day 3 | Charleston I took the Amtrak early in the morning—arrived in Charleston in 1.5 hours, then took a taxi to the airport to pick up a rental car. 🏨 Wentworth Mansion, an SLH Hotel This boutique hotel is a converted 100-year-old mansion—it feels like staying in a museum! Every detail is steeped in history. The breakfast and service are top-notch: staff will give you a guided tour to share the mansion’s story, there’s 24/7 drink service, morning snacks (like pastries/bread) are offered, and afternoon tea comes with a cheese and sausage platter. The rooftop even offers 360° views of the entire city of Charleston. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to experience Southern plantation-style luxury—definitely stay here if you get the chance! 🚶 Charleston City Walk It’s about a 10-minute walk from the hotel to King Street (the main street), then I started my city walk. I checked off these spots one by one: Charleston City Market: A paradise for handcrafts and souvenirs 🛍️. Rainbow Row: A line of pastel-colored cottages—total eye candy 🏠. White Point Garden: A waterfront park at the southern end of the city, great for a casual stroll. Pineapple Fountain: Charleston’s iconic landmark (the classic big pineapple fountain) 🍍⛲. Philadelphia Alley: A historic little lane with old-world charm. 🍍 The Pineapple Hut I ordered the “Paradise Whip” (a pineapple-themed treat)—it was cool, refreshing, and delicious—perfect for beating the heat! 🍤 Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar A waterfront restaurant with amazing views—definitely make a reservation in advance. The must-try is the Crispy Steak Calamari—it was a total surprise (so good!), and the She Crab Soup is also great. For mains, give the Shrimp & Grits or Carolina Lump Crab Cakes a try. 🥐 La Pâtisserie Their matcha latte was tasty, and the “Chocolate Duchess” éclair was absolutely delicious—rich but not too sweet. 🥢 ThaiZapp Restaurant & Bar Not recommended. The Basil Chicken and Pineapple Fried Rice were just average—nothing special. 🗓️ Day 4 | Charleston 🌳 Cypress Gardens Admission: $10 per person; Boat tour: $5 per person. ‼️ Critical Tip: Go as early as possible! As soon as you enter the park and park your car, rush to the gift shop to buy guided tour tickets and reserve a self-guided boat slot—otherwise, you’ll wait forever. We went on Labor Day, arrived around 9:40 AM, and got tickets for the 10:00 AM guided tour. For self-guided boats, there were 23 people ahead of us, with a wait time of 1.5 hours. After our 40-minute group tour, we walked the trails (saw 🐊 alligators and other animals), and by then it was our turn for the self-guided boat. If you want to take The Notebook-style photos, book the self-guided boat—it gives you plenty of time to snap pictures. 🌱 Middleton Place One of South Carolina’s many historic plantations, it’s a centuries-old garden estate and a filming location for Gone with the Wind. It has ancient oak trees (some over 1,000 years old!), and the whole place is huge with stunning scenery. I recommend having lunch at the on-site restaurant—the food and atmosphere are both great. We ordered Shrimp & Grits and fried chicken, and both were delicious. 🛍️ Tanger Outlets Charleston Before leaving, we stopped by the outlets near the airport to kill some time. Then we returned the rental car and headed to the airport. #charleston #SouthCarolina#cypressgarden #middletonplace #SouthCarolinaTravel