Experience the deep-rooted culture of hospitality that runs through the veins of South Carolina's rich history. Take a scenic drive to one of South Carolina's most charming waterfront settings, Beaufort, where first recorded inhabitants, the Archaic Indians, lived over 4,000 years ago.
DAY 1. Fly into Savannah International Airport in Savannah, Georgia.
Take a scenic forty-five minute drive to one of South Carolina’s most charming waterfront settings, Beaufort, where first recorded inhabitants, the Archaic Indians, lived over 4000 years ago.
On St. Helena Island, enjoy a tour of the African-American history and Gullah culture or learn more about slavery at Penn Center, the first school for freed slaves. Visit a historical home or graceful plantation (open for tours) and a glimpse of days gone by in downtown historic Beaufort; or tour the Secession House where the first Ordinance for Succession was drawn up before the Civil War.
Another nearby landmark, Parris Island, is where the Spanish town of Santa Elena was established in 1566 and served as the Spanish capital of America for a brief period. Now known as a training ground for the US Marine Corps, Parris Island boasts a museum which reflects over 4000 years of island history including that of the Indians, Spanish, French, English, slaves, and US Marines.
Enjoy an authentic Southern Low Country Boil featuring fresh, local shrimp, vegetables and potatoes, and stay overnight in an antebellum, full-service bed and breakfast in the surroundings of this historic treasure by the sea.
DAY 2. A two hour drive up the coast will lead you into the historic splendor of Charleston, the only city of its kind in South Carolina. This aristocratic port city was the site of the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 and still prides itself on accurate re-enactments of history and age-old splendor of beautiful homes and well-kept gardens and piazzas along cobblestone streets.
Begin your tour of this historic city with a horse-and-buggy ride along the well-known Battery which overlooks the Charleston Harbor, where the American Civil War began. This one hour tour will take you past elegant 18th century homes, down cobblestone streets and within sight of beautiful historic churches, while very informative guides depict what life was like in Charleston in the 1600’s and beyond.
Explore antique shops and boutiques, and walk through the Old City Market, which houses restaurants and a flea market that was built in 1841. It originally served as an open air grocery market where fresh fish, poultry, bread and vegetables were purchased daily.
For boating enthusiasts, take a tour from the City Marina to Fort Sumter, possibly the most historic site in the nation. Step back in time to April 12, 1861 when a mortar shell from Fort Johnson arched across the sky and exploded over Fort Sumter. This was the first shot of the Civil War and began a 34 hour battle over Charleston Harbor which would continue on thereafter and change the course of American history forever.
Take a tour through the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon located in downtown Charleston. Built between 1767 and 1771, South Carolina delegates to the First Continental Congress were elected here in 1774. The Provost Dungeon, under the Exchange Building, was used as a prison by the British during the Revolution.
If you are anxious to see more of the historical sites in Charleston, continue on to the Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street for an enjoyable ante-bellum house tour. Completed in 1808 by a wealthy merchant, this unusual house museum features ornate interior detailing, unique “free flying” circular staircase and lavish furnishings.
Choose from a large selection of wonderful restaurants downtown and stay overnight in any one of the many charming bed and breakfast inns or hotels in historic Charleston.
DAY 3. After a delicious Southern breakfast of tea, pastries and fresh fruit, plan to drive outside of downtown Charleston to tour several historical sites in the surrounding area for the day.
Take a late morning drive down Highway 17 North to Boone Hall Plantation. Located just thirteen kilometers north of Charleston, this plantation is known as America’s most photographed historic plantation for its historic beauty and splendor. Built in 1681, Boone Hall was a 17,000 acre cotton plantation and still features the original cotton gin house and slave row, including nine original slave cabins. With one of the most beautiful entrances in the South, the plantation driveway is framed by Spanish moss-draped, ancient, massive large oaks leading the way for over one kilometer. Due to its historic atmosphere, architecture and magnificent color, much of Boone Hall Plantation is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
If time permits, travel approximately one hour further down Highway 17 to Brookgreen Gardens to explore this showplace of art and nature developed in the 1930s. Originally the site of a colonial rice plantation, Brookgreen Gardens is now home to America’s finest 19th and 20th century sculptures exhibited among 2000 species of plants. In addition to the sculpture, a wildlife park and aviary featuring native animals and birds are also on the grounds.
Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and try a refreshing glass of Southern iced tea. After lunch, plan to enjoy an afternoon of continued historical tours in the Charleston area or drive approximately two hours inland on Highway 26 West to South Carolina’s state capital, Columbia*.
The continuation of historical tours in Charleston will take you to Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation and Drayton Hall.
Located fourteen miles northwest of Charleston, Middleton Place is a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation on the banks of the Ashley River. Having survived a revolution, civil war, and several earthquakes, it served as the home of Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress, and his son, Arthur, signer of the Declaration of Independence. As a National Historic Landmark, Middleton Place encompasses America’s oldest landscaped gardens which reflect the elegant symmetry of 17th century European design.
Leisurely make your way to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and the adjoining Drayton Hall. Magnolia Plantation is a world-famous 300-year-old plantation that has been in the same family since the arrival of Thomas Drayton from Barbados in 1671. It includes the country’s oldest colonial estate garden where color may be seen year round. The Plantation house dates from the Reconstruction era and is open for tours.
Another highlight on your historical tour is Drayton Hall, an immense two-story brick house built in 1738 by John Drayton, a member of his Majesty’s council. It was the only home on the Ashley River not vandalized by Union troops in 1865. This landmark is considered the finest example of Georgian Palladian architecture in the United States.
*If you opted to drive to Columbia, enjoy a late afternoon stroll through Memorial Park or relax before an evening of dinner in Columbia’s Five Points area, a bustling hot-spot for all ages.
DAY 4. Begin your visit in Columbia with a guided tour through South Carolina’s State House. Here you will see scars of hits scored by General Sherman’s cannons during Columbia’s burning in 1855. Glimpse the traditions of government in action - the reason for the founding of Columbia as the capital of South Carolina.
If time permits, tour one or many of Columbia’s famous historic homes, which include the Robert Mills House, the Hampton-Preston Mansion, the Mann-Simons Cottage and Woodrow Wilson’s Boyhood Home.
The Robert Mills House, named for the nationally renowned designer of the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, is a 19th century classic displaying an ionic portico and the crumbed walls which mark Mills’ style.
The Hampton-Preston Mansion in its pre-civil War colonial architecture, was the home of Confederate general and South Carolina governor Wade Hampton.
The Mann-Simons Cottage was built by Celia Mann, a black slave who bought her freedom and walked to Columbia from Charleston in the early 1800’s. This cottage is now a historical heritage house museum and museum of African-American culture.
Featuring magnolias planted in the garden by his mother more than 100 years ago, Woodrow Wilson’s boyhood home was lived in by the 28th president of the United States during his teenage years.
Next, enjoy the Palmetto State from the mountains to the sea, its art, history, natural history, science and technology all under one roof at the South Carolina State Museum. The museum is located inside its largest artifact - the historic Columbia Mill building, which opened in 1894 as the world’s first totally electric textile mill.
Relax and unwind after your eventful day with a late afternoon rest before dinner. Enjoy one of Columbia’s fine dining restaurants and get a good night’s rest in one of many full-service hotels in the area.
DAY 5. (Option: If your schedule does not allow enough time to tour Camden, drive out of Columbia on Highway 77 North to the Upcountry.)
Get an early start and drive north on Highway 20 approximately 48 kilometers to Camden. Drive through South Carolina’s oldest inland town and see many of the historic highlights that date back to 1733 when Camden was created by order of Great Britain’s King George II. During the Revolutionary War, General Cornwallis and his British forces occupied Camden while two battles were fought near by. You will find very interesting 18th century memorabilia showcased in the Camden Archives and Museum in downtown Camden.
Next, head west to South Carolina’s Upcountry were you will experience a tranquil mountain setting and quaint, historic villages nestled in among hillsides and country roads.
Take a trip back in time to an era when South Carolina’s Upcountry was the western frontier. A visit to Walnut Grove Plantation, c.1765 will vividly portray for you the living conditions in this part of the state before 1830. This registered National Historical Landmark, surrounded by lovely oak and walnut trees, includes the manor house, a school, smokehouse, doctor’s office, barn, blacksmith’s forge, and the fascinating cemetery where a Revolutionary War heroine, soldiers, and slaves are buried.
Continuing back in time, a visit to Cowpens National Battlefield will take you back to January 17, 1781 when Daniel Morgan led his army of tough Continentals and backwoods militia to a brilliant victory over Banastre Tarleton’s larger force of British regulars. Cowpens features an interpretive facility and visitors center which contains interesting, informative exhibits, and a tour road and walking trail through the actual battlefield.
After leaving Cowpens, take a leisurely drive along Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway 11. This 210 kilometer road, once known as “Keowee Path” was the route used by the Cherokee Indians and the English and French fur traders.
Drive to Historic Pendleton, southeast of Scenic Highway 11. Enjoy one of many terrific restaurants and quaint bed and breakfast inns nestled in the town of Pendleton. After dinner, enjoy a stroll around the original town square which is framed by many boutiques and shops. Turn in for a good night’s sleep.
DAY 6. Pendleton is a 200-year-old community, born of the American Revolution and carved from the land of the Cherokees. In existence since 1790, Pendleton is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of a 6,316-acre area which is one of the largest historic districts in the nation. Pendleton’s wonderful antique, art and gift shops, excellent restaurants, charming bed and breakfast inns and great Southern hospitality all combine to make this a unique community, a highlight along your historical tour of South Carolina.
You may want to take a tour through two historic houses in Pendleton during your stay. The Ashtabula Plantation and Woodburn are open as museums and portray life as it was in Historic Pendleton.
Driving south away from Pendleton will lead you toward your next stop on the history tour of South Carolina: Old 96 District. Taking its name from a British fort which was 96 miles (155 kilometers) south of the Lower Cherokee capital, Keowee, today Old 96 is an area of living history. Old 96 District is the home of the well known town of Abbeville, which has a historic town square surrounded by beautiful antique shops, a restored home, restaurants and old buildings, including a Victorian-era Opera House where Fanny Brice, Jimmy Durante and Groucho Marx once performed. Much history was made in this area, from war with the Cherokee Indians to the birth and death of the Confederacy.
During your visit to Abbeville, make sure you have time to stop and tour the Burt-Stark House and Abbeville County Museum. The Burt-Stark House is considered the town’s most historic home, dating back beyond 1865 when the War Council of the Confederate Forces, with Jefferson Davis presiding, met to formally disband the Confederate armies.
Take in a play at the fully-restored Abbeville Opera House and stay overnight in a restored hotel or charming bed and breakfast inn in the Old 96 District.
DAY 7. The next part of your historical tour will lead you back to Savannah, Georgia to the airport for a departure home. Along the way you will pass through Thoroughbred Country, the equestrian center of South Carolina. If time permits, you may want to stop in Aiken and tour through the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to the champions who raced in Aiken’s Triple Crown - a series of equestrian events held every year in March.
You may also want to visit Hopeland Gardens and Rye Patch, a 24-acre park that was once adjoining estates of owners who wintered in Aiken long ago.
This concludes your history tour of South Carolina. Drive south from Aiken to Savannah, Georgia for approximately two-and-one-half-hours to the Savannah International Airport to return home.