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For Immediate Release, February 2011
Charleston Area Girlfriend Getaways


HAVE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS BECOME VIRTUAL? TRADE FACEBOOK FOR
FUN AND OLD-FASHIONED BONDING WITH A CHARLESTON AREA
GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY


CHARLESTON, S.C., February 11, 2011 – While Facebook, Twitter and texting can suffice for sharing updates and photos, they fall short for truly reconnecting with friends and family. The Charleston. S.C. area is encouraging women to trade their mobile devices for a girlfriend getaway experience this spring and summer. From historic walking tours to some of the South's most celebrated restaurants, the Charleston area offers attractions and activities that suit all types of gal pals. And beginning next month, low cost carrier Southwest Airlines will begin servicing the destination, ideal for budget conscious girls who would rather spend their hard-earned money on a pair of Pradas than an airline ticket.

-Events and Activities Abound-

The Charleston area hosts a series of annual events ideal for girlfriend getaways. For example, the upcoming Historic Charleston Foundation’s 64th Annual Spring Festival of Houses & Gardens, taking place March 17 – April 16, gives guests the rare opportunity to tour 150 privately-owned homes, all exquisite examples of historic antebellum architecture. Charleston Fashion Week, March 22 - 26, is a five-night celebration of the city's flourishing retail and design community. Family Circle Cup tennis tournament, April 2 - 10, draws the world's most incredible female tennis players for this high-energy annual championship. Additional activities include The Charleston Tea Party Walking Tour, offering exclusive behind-the-hedge tours that provide an insider’s perspective on Lowcountry life, as well as a visit to Magnolia Plantation, a breathtaking 17th century estate that is home to America’s oldest gardens (c. 1680).

It is always more fun to shop in a new locale and the Charleston area does not disappoint. The shops of King Street are emporiums of chic and one-of-a-kind wares. From the antiques district on Lower King, where George C. Birlant & Co. makes the Charleston Battery Bench (the quintessential Lowcountry garden decoration), to Upper King's Butterfly Boutique, named one of the nation's best places to source fashionable consignments in True Prep, there are great finds for every budget.

Other favorites include Croghan’s Jewel Box, a family-owned repository of estate pieces and eye-popping baubles run by the third generation of William Joseph Croghan’s descendants. Here, one can purchase a Charleston Rice Spoon, an iconic serving utensil that has adorned Lowcountry tables since the plantation age. Serious shoe collectors can indulge at Bob Ellis, another locally owned store featuring stylish footwear. For a taste of Gullah crafts and foods – including sweetgrass baskets and benne wafers, girls in the know head to the newly renovated City Market, one of the nation’s oldest, dating back to 1841.

-Hotel Packages Offer One-Stop Shopping-

A list of dedicated girlfriend getaway packages offered by Charleston area hotels can be found at www.CharlestonforChicks.com. Below is a sampling of experiences designed for gal pals.

Restoration on King, Charleston’s newest boutique hotel, showcases the downtown Charleston lifestyle. Its Girlfriend Getaway package begins with a rejuvenating manicure and pedicure in the spa, followed by dinner at Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar, offering Italian delicacies of a long-forgotten time. A specially catered lunch by Charleston’s Cru Café fuels avid shoppers’ afternoons for browsing the boutique shops on King Street. It also includes Champagne and Godiva Fine Chocolates upon arrival, afternoon wine and cheese reception, freshly baked cookies and milk in the evening, gourmet continental breakfast and accommodations. The package begins at $539 per evening with a two-night minimum, based on double occupancy. For more information, call 1-877-221-7202 or visit www.restorationonking.com

• Tennis fans can take advantage of Spa, Shopping + Suites at the Charleston Place Hotel, offered from April 8-11, 2011, during the Family Circle Cup, the largest women’s professional tournament in the country. The package includes four Family Circle Cup Terrace Level tickets for Sat., Apr. 9 and Sun., Apr. 10; two executive level rooms for four guests; Pampered Peach pedicure for four people; mimosa breakfast in the Palmetto Café; and welcome amenities, including sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries. Prices start at $700 per person. For more information call 1-888-635-2350 or visit www.charlestonplace.com/tennis

Shem Creek Inn, an intimate waterfront hotel, gives girls the chance to see the “wild side” of the area’s islands up close with their own naturalist. The two-night Nature Girls Getaway package includes kayak tours to Crab Bank Island; a ½ day island bird hike through a protected forested trail and kayak tour to a 300-year-old church; and accommodations. The package begins at $229 per person, per night, based on double occupancy. For more information, call 1-800-523-4951 or visit www.shemcreekinn.com

Kiawah Island Golf Resort brings spa and shopping together with its two-night Girls Getaway package that includes garden view accommodations at The Sanctuary, an exquisitely designed oceanfront hotel, with two queen beds; dinner for two at Jasmine Porch or Tomasso, four one-hour spa treatments and complimentary spa access throughout the stay; daily breakfast for two; and a special gift. Prices begin at $519 per person, based on double occupancy. For more information, call 1-800-654-2924 or visit www.kiawahresort.com

• The Francis Marion Hotel, a historic oasis dating to the 1920s, presents its Girls Just Wanna Have Fun package, which includes accommodations in a deluxe room; one-hour custom massage or facial at Spa Adagio; discount card for 10 percent off at select Charleston stores; and choice of a bottle of red or white wine upon arrival. Prices begin at $295 per person, per night. For information call (877) 756-2121 or visit www.francismarionhotel.com

• Whether it be a bachelorette weekend, sister bonding or reunion with the girlfriends from college, Planters Inn’s Divalicious Getaway Package creates an enticing, experiential escape. It includes accommodations in a luxurious King or Queen guest room; a three-course tasting menu at Peninsula Grill with wine pairings, crafted by Executive Chef Robert Carter; transportation to and from the Charleston International Airport via luxury SUV; sweet treat arrival amenity from Pastry Chef Claire Chapman; and manicure and pedicure at Earthling Day Spa. Rates begin at $900 per night and $1,200 for two nights, based on double occupancy.

The mission of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is to unify and lead the local travel industry in marketing the Charleston area as an individual, meeting, incentive and group destination to both the domestic and international markets. For more information, visit explorecharleston.com

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