Choose Charleston

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, are you prepared to make this day a special one?  If you are searching the web for last minute Mother’s Day idea’s for a Charleston mom, maybe I can help! As always, the safe bet is flowers.  Can you go wrong with flowers?  Sound like a winner! Visit this local Charleston florist then.  If you think your mom would enjoy spending the day with you, then check out The North Charleston Arts Festival.  The last day will be May 12, 2007 so you can go before Mothers Day or on the day if you would like.  Lastly, call your mom and just tell her how much you love her!

I know, you are not visiting Vegas with the big lights and non-stop gambling action.  Did you know that Charleston has a little wedding chapel though? 

Yes, you can run off with your lover and get married in The Charleston Chapel for Weddings.

Charleston Peninsula Tour’s offer exicting and informative tours of the history of Charleston.  Charleston Peninsula Tour’s has several offers including the “Original History Tour”, “African American History”, “Civil War Review”, “Architecture Tour” and “Pirate Tour Adventure”.  I have mentioned before about the downtown horse carriage rides that are offered which will highlight the history of Charleston but will not go as in depth about specific Charleston details and share stories about the above topics as Charleston Peninsula Tours will .  If you have a particular interest in any of the above topics, I would strongly recommend taking a tour with Charleston Peninsula Tours.  They offer both walking tours and tours by car with the option to customize your tour which is great for planning your Charleston vacation in advance.  Tours are a great way to learn about Charleston without reading on ChooseCharleston.com all day long!

Davidson won the Southern Conference Basketball Tournament for the third year straight.  College of Charleston beat The Citadel in the first round but ran out of steam against Elon in the semifinals of the 2008 Southern Conference Basketball Tournament. I attended all the games from Saturday until the finals on Monday night. I could have scripted how this tournament would end (Davidson 2008 Champs) but to the credit of Elon- good try! Davidson must be able to the Charleston as they are headed to the big dance once again! I hope some of my readers were able to come out to this great even in North Charleston!

The Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament will be in Charleston this weekend.   March 7th will be the first day of games and two local colleges, College of Charleston and The Citadel will battle that evening.  I think the game should be roughly around 7:30 but it depends on the games ahead of them. (Overtimes!?)  Either way, the Southern Conference Tournament offers a great opportunity to watch some high quality hoops!  Davidson has won the tournament the past two years, beating out our own College of Charleston Cougars  in the finals last year by the score of 72-65.  If you would like more details, visit SoConSports.com.  What are you waiting on sports fan?  March Madness is coming to Charleston.

A great event for a great cause will be going on March 8th, The 2nd Annual Sailing For The Future Benefit Regatta.  This gives opportunity to our Charleston youth to get involved in a great local event.  The harbor start will be at 1:00 pm but feel free to come early and get to know some of the local Charleston sailors!  The race will be followed by a reception that features a cash bar and light food and then awards.  Registration fee is $100 and will need to be completed by March 7th.  What a great event this will be!  Come out and show support everyone! 

For more information, go to CharlestonCommunitySailing.org

The importance of going green should be mentioned as often as possible.  I always enjoy sharing other local blogs with my readers so let me tell you about a blog I found recently, GoGreenCharleston.org.  GoGreenCharleston.org is a site dedicated to sharing the importance and benefits of going green within your community.  After all, if the efforts do not start local, where will they begin? Charleston is a beautiful place, I think we should all do everything in our power to preserve the beauty of Charleston, SC.  Please, do not put this off, visit GoGreenCharleston.org for valuable tips and quality discussion of green living within Charleston. 

This may not be about your quality of life, but it may be the future generations of your family. 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone!

If you are planning on touring Charleston then I would suggest doing so by horse and carriage. Whether you are on a vacation to Charleston or planning a romantic outing, a horse carriage ride in Charleston is a great method to see what the city of Charleston has to offer.  Are you are ready to ride in elegance? Great! Old South Carriage Company is one of the more popular carriage services in Charleston.  Olde Town Carriage Company has been in business for over 25 years providing professional tour guides to vistors, they even can handle special events and large groups.  Carolina Polo and Carriage Company is a local family owned company that specializes in providing romantic adventures and is a great option if you are planning a wedding in Charleston.  Lastly, Classic Carriage Tours provides rides for couples and wagons for large groups.  All of the companies have unique offers and experiences.  I would suggest visiting the websites of each to gather a better idea of what they have to offer and if they will fit within your budget.  Enjoy your ride and view of the great city of Charleston! Don’t forget to give the horse a treat!

     Maybe you are considering visiting Charleston for a vacation?  Or you’re coming in for a business trip?  Whatever the reason, Charleston offers an exciting night life atmosphere! 

     So do you drive around Charleston (maybe you should take a taxi?) and take a guess at which bar or club looks like it is right for you?  Relax, we have you covered!  

     I recently discovered two sites that provide helpful reviews of Charleston bars and clubs.  CharlestonBars.com provides a detailed list of bars in the area, along with forums, pictures, videos and much more!  If you are looking to have an elegant night out with your someone special, then hop over to CharlestonCocktail.com.  The site features reviews of restaurants and bars in the Charleston area.  They even have pictures and a “Charleston Calendar of Events” to keep you local guys well informed!  So if you’re going out on the town anytime soon, check these two sites out first.  Don’t forget the most important thing, have fun and be safe!

      The relationship between the colonists and England deteriorated quickly. As a result, Charleston’s roll in the American Revolution was particularly important.

     Protesting the Tea Act of 1773, this personified the concept of taxation without representation; Charlestonians confiscated tea and stored it in the Exchange and Custom House. Soon after, representatives from the colony came to the Exchange to elect delegates to the Continental Congress. The Continental Congress was responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence and on the steps of the Exchange declared independence from the crown.

     On June 28, 1776 General Henry Clinton with around 2000 men tried to seize Charleston. Ultimately, it was a failed attempt as the Continental Army, specifically the 2nd South Carolina regiment fought off the attacks with success. The fleet fired cannon balls, but the explosives failed to penetrate Fort Moultrie’s thick palmetto log walls. Clinton returned in 1780 with14,000 soldiers and poised for success. American General Benjamin Lincoln had to surrender his 5,400 troops after a long night’s battle. This night would be known the “Siege of Charleston”, which was the greatest American defeat of the war. Eventually, Clinton decided to return to New York. This presented an opportunity to Charles Cornwallis to lead his 8000 Redcoats to rally loyalist and demand oaths of allegiance to the King. The British would retain control of the city until 1782. As the British left in1783, the city’s name was officially Charleston.

Want to know more about the history of Charleston, South Carolina?  If you are in the area, I strongly suggest visitng the Charleston Museum.  If you are just looking for information on the web, then read our other posts under “History” or visit Charleston History.