LODGING -
- I used Expedia.com to seek out lodging for our "driving" there. Why Expedia...because they posted the same rates as the other travel sites, and they participate in Ebates so I got my extra 4% back. By using a travel website that allowed customers to review their stay, I was able to see feedback others had left to help steer me in a hotel that met our needs (ie one I did not book at, had a recent outbreak of bed bugs according to reviews). I found a Red Roof Inn for ~$49 a night that included two Queen beds, fridge, pool, and continental breakfast. The room was far from fancy, but it was in the right location, clean enough, and bug free, so that worked for us. Lets face it, we were only there one night each way, so we were willing to take less fancy as long as the price was good.
- We had the opportunity to use our timeshare points to pay for our lodging while staying in Charleston proper. By using our points, we were able to get accommodations in the heart of the city and only a few blocks off the pier. Our suite had a microwave, fridge, dishes, pull out sofa bed as well as a jacuzzi tub. We had access to a common area patio with tables & chairs plus we could do our laundry in a common area washer/dryer for FREE, and to top the kudos off, we paid a flat rate of $6 per day for valet parking (daily rate regardless of number of times you use it, cheap for this area). Our rooms would have easily cost us $200 a night in a similar accommodations in a local hotel, so if you are able to use a timeshare, I recommend you do it. If you don't have this option, keep in mind that many of them will "cut you a deal" on lodging if you listen to their spiel during your stay. This is one way to get your lodging at a discount. We are members of Blue Green resorts, and the one in Charleston did not have a pool or playground due to the "historical" rules for the area, but we were only a few blocks from the fountains that are FREE to the public as a form of water play (warning, the fountains are heavily chlorinated), and a little farther down the pier was a small playground. If we needed any food or drinks for our room, there was a shopette the next block over, and the "market area" the block after that. Because we were in the heart of the action, we were able to walk to about half of the attractions we wanted to see, saving us the cost of additional parking fees and fuel.
- Because we booked our lodging ahead of time, I was able to watch the daily deal sites for great meal deals. I simply watched to see what came up, looked in google maps to see its location vs our lodging/planned activities, pre-scanned the menu to ensure it was something we liked and that the prices were reasonable...and snagged the certificates up. By doing this, most of our meal were eaten out and I only paid $3-$8 our of pocket after our certificates for a full meal (plus tip). You can find the links for the daily deal sites in the Blogger Bargains header.
- I grabbed a couple meal coupons off of restaurant.com using one of their 80% off codes (watch blogger bargains for codes).
- I had a couple gift cards we had saved back from gifts to use on this trip. I went online ahead of time to the restaurants locator's pages and printed the addresses for those in the area we would be traveling, then I watched for coupons to combine with my gift cards to ensure I got the best deal for the money. Wait to enroll in their e-clubs until a few days before you leave, often enrollment alone will generate a coupon but most have a short expiration date.
- Pizza delivery to the rescue. Okay, maybe not the rescue, but when the kids have had a long day and you simply want to sit down with a cold drink and relax, this is who you call. Because our lodging had a courtyard our kids were able to move about freely while we packed a cooler of cold alcohol to drink and waited for our pizza. The pizza was wasn't cheap, but it was definitely cheaper than taking a family of 4 anywhere else, and by eating "in" aka the courtyard, we got to provide our own beverages (no bar mark up) and there was no fear of drinking and driving.
- pre-purchased, but this was part of our plan. Sometimes you just want to eat someplace because it sounds good...and we did.
- Charleston "dresses" for evening. Expect to see suits and dresses on the streets after about 4pm even in the heat of summer. There are many formal eating establishments downtown if you are able to find someone to keep the kids for the evening. For us, we simply stuck to the casual ones since we had kids with us.
- Pack a wide mouth re-useable water bottle that is easy to clean. As I said before, Charleston is HOT. In order to drink plenty of water, you need to be able to easily fill your container. Start your day with a jug filled with ice and then pour cold water over it. The wide mouth makes it easy to put under the ice machine spout and fill. As the ice melts you will continue to have cool water to drink, but don't expect it to last you all day.You will need to refill your container and or have other drinks available.
- Pack a mid-size cooler with you for drinks. Drinks from a stand or eating establishment can run from $1-$3 each, and drinking fountains are typically warm water. By packing your own cooler of drinks you can stay hydrated with a cool drink on the cheap. I suggest you buy at least one box of bagged drinks (like Capri-Sun or Kool-Ade) and throw them in the freezer. They come in assorted flavors plus you have the option of juice and water when buying them. These frozen bag drinks help keep the other drinks in your cooler cold without adding the extra bulk of ice. Of course you will want ice as well, but now you need less room for it. Don't forget to be eco friendly and recycle/reuse those empty drink bags, they don't take up much room and TerraCycle offers free shipping so there is not reason not to.
- Beaches are for more than swimming! There are three main beaches near Charleston. We visited two and found Folly Beach to be our favorite. We brought our boogie boards (paid $7 at big lots) from home and showed our kids how to use them (they both LOVED it) and planned our trip around low tide. Going to the beach during low tide did a few things for us - first it ensured there were fresh shells washed ashore for the kids to pick up, and second it allowed us to get closer to the lighthouse for some great pics. Crowds tend to be heaviest between 10am and 4pm, so my advice for Folly beach is to go about 4pm and stay till about 7pm, this will allow you to enjoy the beach during low tide as well as put you on the opposite schedule as the big crowds. The beaches are less crowded, parking is more plentiful (especially on the end of the beach near the light house) and you still have plenty of sun and waves to enjoy. Don't forget to bring money for parking, it runs about $1 per hour or $7 a day at most beaches.
- The downtown pier in the evening is beautiful. They have fountains that the children (and adults) can play in to cool off, walking paths and even swings overlooking the ocean. There is plenty of seating, so take a seat and enjoy watching the boats and maybe even see some dolphins in the wild. Best part about this, it all FREE!
- Another experience you can get for FREE is watching the sunrise. My kids are not early risers (nor are we) so we missed out, but I am told that Edwin Taylor Pier at Folly Beach is a good place to watch it because you get a good view of the ocean without any buildings in the way. Be sure to get there in plenty of time by checking the sunrise table first. Don't forget that you need to bring money for parking.
- We took the walking Pirate tour the day after we arrived. I was able to grab passes for this tour off one of the daily deal sites making it even more affordable. The tour talks about the history of pirates related to Charleston, and since my son is a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I thought this would be a huge hit. The tour guide was in costume including his parrot, "Captain Bob". Although this was a very interesting tour and the guide was very informative, I would only recommend it if you kids are over the age of 6. The tour lasted longer than my 5 year old's attention span, and there are not any scheduled bathroom breaks. All that said, if we return to Charleston, I would like to do this tour again. If pirates are not your cup of tea, they have all sorts of tours to pick from. Anything from ghost tours to carriage ride tours and even Eco tours. All you have to do is look ahead of time to be sure you are paying a fair price for what you are getting.
- Charleston museum is another activity I was able to get off of one of the daily deal sites. Sometimes when it comes to attractions such as this, it is cheaper to buy the year long pass instead of daily tickets. The Charleston museum also owns two historic homes that you can tour. If you have the family pass, admission to these homes are included at no extra charge. Because the museum was indoors, it was a great way to beak up the heat of the day and/or have a back up plan if it rained. If you go, expect to spend several hours because there is plenty to see. My kids especially enjoyed the natural history portion of the museum, and would have happily gone back for more than one visit.
- Charlestown landing is a low-cost living history exhibit with a few frills thrown in. There is a lot of history here, yet because there are hands on activities and reenactments, along with animals to see even the younger kids will enjoy it. I was able to grab discounted admission tickets for this site off of one of the daily deal sites as well but would have likely visited regardless because children under 6 get in for free making it an affordable attraction. If you go, be sure to call ahead to find out about any programs you may want to attend. We were able to watch and learn about the evolution of the musket, and see the re-enactors actually shoot them. This was fascinating to my kids and the highlight of the park experience. Take advantage of the free trolley, there is a lot of walking and the trolley drivers are very knowledgeable.
- Water parks, ahhhh. Unfortunately my kids were so busy, we missed out on them, but there are three water parks in the Charleston area and all are very affordable compared to the commercial ones you may have visited in the past, because these are run via the park system. If you decide to go, make sure you visit their webpage to look for promotions, for example they have a two for one special on Tuesdays which is a great way to make the water park even more budget friendly!
- Off shore fishing was out of our budget, so instead we took the kids on a crab fishing excursion which was way more affordable. Although the Eco tour may sound pricey, you need to keep in mind that you are getting a boat ride including a Eco tour guide to point items out along the way, all the supplies you need for crab fishing along with a short lesson and a crab dinner (crab only, no sides). So when you see you price tag of $40 for an adult and $30 for kids, don't get sticker shock. Be sure to reserve your seats ahead of time or you may not get one, and look for one of their coupons in the local tourism books to save $4 off your ticket. Plan on this tour taking ~4 hours dock to dock time, wear your bathing suits (and sunscreen) and yes, you can bring a cooler with drinks and sides if you wish.
- If fishing with a pole is more your style, you can rent equipment and purchase short term fishing permits at the Fishing Pier at Folly Beach. Unless you live on the ocean, renting is going to be the wiser choice for this activity.
- Patriots point was one of the few locations that offered a military discount (kudos for them). If you go in uniform, you get in for FREE. If not, as long as you have your ID, you get a discount. Be sure to look in the local tourism booklets for coupons, and yes, you can combine the coupon with your military discount making this attraction even more affordable. All four of us were able to get in for just $35 after combining the promos. Your admission is good for all day, so if you wish, you look -> picnic lunch -> look more, just make sure you pack your cooler with plenty of drinks, snacks etc because you could go broke at their snack bar. Parking is $5 per vehicle so you will want to stay on site. The boat/sub have lots to see with lots of steps/ladders and can get very HOT inside, so taking a break is not such a bad idea. Patriots point has the only Medal of Honor Museum, there are some amazing soldiers profiled there, so be sure to visit. To entice you in, the museum is nice and cool, making it a great break between your hot trips around the aircraft carrier. If you go to Patriots Point, allow at least 4 hours to see the whole thing.
- Plantations are very interesting for adults, but not always children. The Magnolia plantation is supposed to be the most child friendly one of the group, but we opted not to go this time. Admission fees can add up quickly so look for coupons in your local tourism books if you plan to go. A more affordable option would be to go to the local tea plantation. There the kids can see the process of growing, processing and even tasting local teas. We ran short of time for this but the admission price for our family would have only run $30 for the whole group to take the trolley tour. If you want to go and cut the expenses further, skip the trolley part and view the factory tour for FREE!
- If your vacationing with young kids, skip the boat ride out to Fort Sumpter and opt instead for a short drive to Ft Moultie. Ft Moultrie has more for the kids to see and is less expensive. Admission is only $5 for the entire family!
- Charleston has several professional teams, if they are playing on the home field, you may choose this may be a family fun splurge item. Check the teams website for promo nights that can save you some cash.
- Another site that was out of our budget was the Charleston Aquarium. I am told it is a great aquarium but I had a hard time justifying spending $85 for the four of us to go and see the aquarium and the 4D movie they offer. They do not offer a military discount and the best coupon I could find was only $1 off each ticket. So you ask, why are you telling me about this then? Well because if you decide to listen to the time share spiel, they frequently offer you 4 tickets regardless if you purchase anything from them or not. So if you want to go to to this and don't have the cash, consider "earning" your tickets via a timeshare seminar. If they don't offer you the pass that includes the movie, then take two passes adult passes for this and two adult passes for another more expensive attraction. Since children's admissions are typically lower, this will give you the most bang for the buck even if you have to pay out of pocket for the kids.
- Our favorite eating establishment was Red Ice House in Shem Creek. They are located just across the bridge near Mt Pleasant. If you visit Charleston and are looking for fresh seafood at a reasonable price, this is the place. Most adult entrees run ~$10 and kids ~$5 each. The kids meals are served on a frisbee that they get to keep, which is a lot of fun. Many of the entrees come with fries (which are good) but Reds staff is very flexible on substituting other items without additional charges. I was able to swap my kids fries our for some corn, and mine out for their delish' cold cucumber salad. I love that I could get veggies without paying extra! They offer free refills on non-alcoholic type beverages which is a perk as well if you opt for something besides water. If you decide to eat here, I suggest you go for an early lunch. They open at 11am, and have 4 prime tables on their deck that overlook the canal. If you arrive a bit before they open, you can watch the kayakers and charter boats leaving plus the shrimp boats coming in while you wait. The reason this is important is that dolphins like to follow these boats and thus having a seat at one of these tables will give you an opportunity to continue to watch for them. My kids found watching the dolphins fascinating and it was free entertainment.
- Ye Old Fashioned ice cream. Cross Baskin Robins variety of flavors and the richness of frozen custard and you get Ye Ol Fashioned. My kids LOVED this place and what made it even better is that they served affordable food. This made for a great stop on our way home from a days activities in the heat.
- O'Charley's has been a long time favorite eating establishment for us. Since both locations near our home closed, we were pretty excited to see they were on our way to and from Charleston, as well as in the Charleston area. We have never ordered a meal we didn't like, some we just like more than others. At some locations kids eat free ($2 for a drink), while at others the kids meals are ~$5 and include a drink. Either way, you get a good meal at a reasonable cost. If your going to check them out, be sure try the free rolls the provide, and join their e-club so that you can get coupons to save on your meal.
- Chucktown Tavern had the most delish stuffed burgers, we only wish we were there long enough to go back for one more. Besides the great food, they were the only eating establishment we ate at the offered a military discount - kudos for them!
- Souvenirs were plentiful and most were affordable. Our lodging was near the Market area. There were tons of vendors there selling a variety of items from baskets to crafts and even food/drinks. I was able to pick up souvenirs at reasonable prices without making a trip across town. For example my kids each purchased a sun-activated t-shirt for just $10 each.
- Enjoying the ocean with the kids!
- Finding military discounts were few and far between. With this area being so close to military bases you would expect to find plenty...but no. Apparently Charleston businesses feel that they make enough money from tourists that they do not need a "draw" to pull locals in.
- Pretty much everywhere you had to pay to park and they are not afraid to tow you, so make sure you are parked legally and/or put money into the meter.
- There was public transportation available for free but they did not run on the day we needed it. This would not have been an issue if they had their non-running days listed on the schedule or bus signs. They have limited stops they make and are not like a bus where you can get off where you want, you must wait for the next stop. But who can complain, its FREE and its nice not to have to walk on a hot day.
- It was HOT. This was easily worked around by scheduling outdoor activities in the early AM or late PM.
- Bicycles all over! I actually love the idea of using a bicycle to get around, the problem is that many are rented by people who do not understand bicycle vs traffic laws making it dangerous. Because this is a historic area, the roads are narrow and there are few bicycle lanes. We had to slam on our brakes more than once to avoid a bicyclist coming from the middle lane only to cross in front of us to make a turn.
Pic pulled from World Guides
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