A day in the life

How to spend 12 hours in Charleston, SC

Try out these recommendations in Folly Beach, Charleston, IOP, Mt. Pleasant, and Sullivan’s Island. | Photo by @airviewsmedia

We rounded up good eats + things to do around town to create this ~12-hour guide to Charleston. Get the inside scoop on planning your next visit or staycation in the Holy City.

Luckily for us, there are countless ways to spend time in our city. Have a suggestion? Share it here.

☕️ Good morning, Sunshine

9 a.m.

Wake up with Daps Breakfast + Imbibe — a black coffee and the breakfast plate with eggs, hash browns, and bacon should do the trick.
Early Bird Diner serves up some of the best chicken + waffles in Charleston, and the buttermilk pancakes are pretty amazing too.

👟 Hit the trails

11 a.m.

Hike or bike the West Ashley Greenway. This scenic walk is a 10.5-mile, out-and-back trail with marsh views.
Try out a picturesque path with the I’On Village Walk, a 2-mile loop in the I’On neighborhood in Mount Pleasant.
Morris Island Lighthouse Trail is a 0.8-mile graffitied walkway leading to Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve with lighthouse + driftwood views.

🥪 Tuck into lunch

1 p.m.

It’s hard to beat sandwiches at The Pass. Order the Such a Nice Italian Boy with burrata, hot + sweet salami, tomatoes, and provolone.
If you plan to visit Folly Beach, don’t miss Bowens Island. Order the seafood platter + you’ll feel like you’ve fried and gone to heaven at this casual waterfront spot.
Lewis BBQ is a must for barbecue fans. Grab a plate of ’cue with all the fixings — collards, mac and cheese, slaw, and green chile corn pudding.

🚶 Step out on the town

3 p.m.

Grab tickets and swing by the South Carolina Aquarium to see the two-story, 385,000-gallon Great Ocean Tank and sea turtle exhibit.
Visit The Charleston Museum — aka “America’s first museum” — to explore artifact collections and exhibits like the natural history gallery.

Keep reading for happy hour, dinner, and live music recommendations.

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Today

Harold’s Cabin Holiday Bar | Tue., Oct. 11 - Sat., Dec. 31 | 4 p.m. | Harold’s Cabin, 247 Congress St., Charleston | Free | Harold’s Cabin is hosting Halloween and Christmas-themed pop-ups for the 2022 holiday season.

Wednesday

Fall Garden Strolls and Wine Tasting | Wed., Oct. 12, Wed., Oct. 19, Wed., Oct. 26 | 5-7 p.m. | Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Rd., Charleston | $25.00 - $30.00 | Spend the evening at Middleton Place exploring America’s oldest landscaped gardens with a glass of wine in hand.

Thursday

Paws on the Patio | Thu., Oct. 13, Thu., Nov. 10 | 6-8 p.m. | Burtons Grill + Bar, 1218 Belk Drive, Mount Pleasant | $10.00 - $20.00 | The community favorite happy hour for you and your four-legged friends is back on the second Thursday of each month (April, May, September, October, November).

Friday

Insider’s Garden Tour | Fri., Oct. 14, Fri., Oct. 28 | 4-6 p.m. | Charleston | $150.00 - $200.00 | The Insider’s Garden series is designed for the garden enthusiast and will be led by notable professionals such as landscape architects, garden designers, and horticulturalists.
Music of the Movies: The Oscar Goes To… | Fri., Oct. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St., Charleston | $25.00 | Enjoy a night of award-winning film soundtracks and birthday celebration for famed composer John Williams.*

Saturday

Charleston Battery vs. Loudoun United FC | Sat., Oct. 15 | 5 p.m. | Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Rd., Mount Pleasant | $12.00 - $35.00 | Cheer on The Battery on Breast Cancer Awareness Night.
Sidewalk Saturday at Freshfields Village | Sat., Oct. 15 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Freshfields Village, 165 Village Green Dr., Kiawah Island | Free | Join us for Sidewalk Saturdays on the third Saturday of the month.

Plan Ahead

FollyPalooza | Thu., Oct. 20 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Folly Beach | $0.00 - $30.00 | Head over to FollyPalooza for food, live music, and kids’ activities to help raise money for local cancer patients.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

76º | Mostly cloudy | 11% chance of rain

Sunrise + sunset

Rise: 7:20 a.m.
Set: 6:53 p.m.

Tide

Low: 3:24 a.m. + 3:55 p.m.
High: 9:45 a.m. + 10:05 p.m.

Open

Dorchester Road Library has started a new chapter. At 9 a.m. today, the branch will reopen following a renovation including a refreshed collection + new technology. Book it to 6325 Dorchester Rd. in North Charleston to see these changes for yourself. 📚 (WCBD)

Read

The Charleston Museum is commemorating its 250th anniversary with the release of “The Charleston Museum: America’s First Museum” on Thurs., Oct. 13. The book features the museum’s full history + photographs of nearly 100 artifacts from its collections. Register for the book launch at 360 Meeting St. 📖

Plan Ahead

The holidays are right around the corner. Celebrate this December with the “Charleston Christmas Special” performance, returning to Charleston Music Hall for its 27th season. Look forward to music, dancing, and skits from Dec. 15-22. Get tickets to see the show at 37 John St.

Pets

Put your hands together for the Applause for Paws Gala — Charleston Animal Society’s largest fundraiser of the year for the animals. The event will take place at the Charleston Gaillard Center on Sat., Oct. 15 with a “Havana Nights” theme, featuring a silent auction + raffle. 🐾

Active

Lowcountry Land Trust will host Yoga in the Park on Wed., Oct. 12 in Magnolia Park and Community Garden in West Ashley. The event is part of the first annual South Carolina Land Trust Days celebrating SC’s special places. Grab tickets for you + your yoga buddy. 🧘

Eat

The cookies are back. Patriots Point + The Front Porch Coffeehouse & Creamery are selling their popular World War II-recipe chocolate chip cookies, which are original to the USS Yorktown, ahead of Veteran’s Day on November 11. Order “Captain Jocko’s Chocos” here before they sell out. 🍪

Cause

The Drink Beer Do Good event is happening tomorrow from 6-8 p.m. at Thrive Coworking. Attendees can sip on beers while making sandwiches for two local homeless shelters. Register for this free event and then head to 174 Meeting St. 🍻

Drink

Brunch restaurant Ruby Sunshine + brewery King’s Calling Brewing teamed up to debut a limited-time “Beermosa” cocktail on Monday. Enjoy grapefruit and passion fruit flavors in this new beverage at 171 E. Bay St. — available while supplies last.
Here’s where good coffee and a good cause come together. Folds of Honor Palmetto State (FOH) has partnered with One Nation coffee to sell limited edition, Folds of Honor branded coffee. Bonus: For every bag sold, One Nation Coffee is donating $10 to FOH with the goal of selling 3,000 bags. Help them meet their goal by purchasing a bag. ☕ *

DYK

Did you know you can set up shop in our online retail store? We’re looking to support local brands in our CHStoday shop. We want to work with you. Send us an email to get started.

Trending

Fast-track those holiday shopping plans. For the first time, Amazon is hosting a second Prime Day with the Prime Early Access Sale running today, Oct. 11 and tomorrow, Oct. 12. Snag tech like earbuds or kitchen appliances at Black Friday prices — 45 days in advance.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Growing + glowing 🍄

Illuminated Installation Coming to Charleston, SC

CHS_Meredith Connelly_ Thermoplastic Mushrooms_OCT2022.jpg

Take a peek at the upcoming installation. | Photo provided by Fisher Creative Marketing

We’re shedding some light on a whimsical art installation coming to town. Charleston Parks Conservancy is relaunching the Art in the Park program with “Mushrooms,” which will be on display in Hampton Park from Nov. 5-Dec. 11.

Picture this: NC artist Meredith Connelly will install more than 100 hand-sculpted, illuminated mushrooms at the downtown park. These thermoplastic mushrooms range from eight to 12 inches in height.

Art in the Park, a local public art initiative, has been on hiatus since the pandemic. Head to 30 May Murray Dr. to see the installation and take part in the relaunched program.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Tatum.

Editor’s pick: Cheers, Charleston. There’s a brand new marg at Mex 1 — the Hibiscus Margarita. Take a sip at one of the eatery’s locations or make it at home with the recipe below.

Here’s what you’ll need:
🍹 1 oz Vida Mezcal
🍹 0.5 oz Cappelletti Apertivo
🍹 3.5 oz Hibiscus Sour

Put all of the ingredients into a shaker + shake for 10-15 seconds. Pour your marg into a glass and enjoy. Optional: Add a lime wheel and salt rim for flare.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Guess how many candy corn are in the jar, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Alexandra Garian, Tatum Jacaruso, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Stephanie Zapiecki | Advertise with us.

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