Have you ever enjoyed shrimp & grits for breakfast? Ever explored America’s oldest landscaped gardens? Ever seen a city skyline dotted with church steeples, not skyscrapers? We’re sharing 17 signs you’ve never been to Charleston. It’s about time we plan that trip, don’t you think? Explore our customized, curated itineraries to get you started!

1. You’ve never seen a larger-than-life-sized pineapple

2. You’ve never explored America’s oldest landscaped gardens

3. You’ve never enjoyed brunch to the sounds of live Gospel music

4. You haven’t caught a wave on “The Edge of America”

5. You haven’t visited the site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired

6. You’ve never seen a rainbow on a blue sky, sunshine-filled day

7. Your cup of tea isn’t filled with the flavors of the only commercial tea garden in North America

8. You haven’t admired jewelry featuring gilded bugs

9. Your daily diet hasn’t ever consisted of buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken and sweet tea

10. You’ve never joggled on a joggling board

11. You’ve never seen a city skyline dotted with steeples, not skyscrapers

12. You haven’t seen a show at America’s first theatre, explored America’s first museum or wandered the grounds of America’s first municipal college

13. A bowl of She Crab Soup is still on your culinary bucket list

14. You haven’t strolled along a promenade of stately antebellum homes

15. You have yet to admire the beauty of an intricate hand-crafted sweetgrass basket

16. You’ve never had shrimp & grits for breakfast

 

17. You haven’t jogged over the longest single cable-stayed bridge in North America

What are you waiting for? Charleston is just a short car or plane ride away! Explore our First Timer’s Guide to Charleston and begin planning your getaway.